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Bobby Ryan Nets Ducks First Shorthanded Goal of Season

Jan 7

Posted by Eddie in Media | No Comments

Not much good has gone right for the Anaheim Ducks this season. Yours truly drafted Bobby Ryan and Ryan Getzlaf in the second and third rounds respectively of our fantasy hockey league. The Ducks have already fired their coach and have the second-worse record in the NHL. They got themselves a good coach now in Bruce Boudreau, who was fired by Washington a couple days prior to coming to Anaheim.

The one bright spot the Ducks have had this season was last night’s shorthanded goal by Ryan. At New York, he was able to use his stick handling ability to skate around the defense and use a beautiful sweeping move from his backhand side to his forehand to score for the Ducks. It was the teams first shorthanded goal of the season, leaving Calgary and Detroit as the only teams not to score while shorthanded.

 

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Selanne, Koivu only ‘untouchables’ for Anaheim Ducks

Jan 5

Posted by Chris in Rumors | No Comments

After seeing how well the Philadelphia Flyers have fared since trading their two biggest names in the offseason, it appears as if Anaheim Ducks general manager Bob Murray could be contemplating blowing up the core of his roster as well.

Murray told Helene Elliott of the Los Angeles Times that the only untouchables in his roster at this point are Koivu and Selanne because each of them has no trade clauses in their contracts.

“I still believe we have some core players. Now, whether we have to change a few players, so be it. They’re deciding who’s staying and who’s not staying at this point.” Murray told Elliott.

This means that players such as Corey Perry, Ryan Getzlaf and Bobby Ryan could all potentially be in play come trade deadline time.

However, it appears as if Getzlaf and Ryan have more to worry about. Both players are having down seasons as Getzlaf is on pace to put up some of the worst stats of his career. Similarly, Ryan’s 13 goals and 21 points could result in his lowest points totals ever. Both players would be highly coveted by other teams and could yield a significant return.

The Ducks currently sit 14th in the Western Conference, 19 points out of a playoff spot. With stiff competition in the West, the team is unlikely to regain a playoff spot and could opt to start selling assets in hopes of building a contender for next season.

Murray made it clear, however, that he is looking for core-type players in return and won’t deal for draft picks and prospects. The team isn’t going into rebuilding mode, but they are looking to improve.

Ryan was the subject of major trade rumors earlier in the season, but those trade rumord quieted just as quickly as they started. He could find himself the center of attention again when the trade deadlines begins to creep up. Washington could make an offer, possibly for Semin straight up. The Islanders may look to get in on Ryan as well as they have several solid young forwards to offer. And don’t be surprised of Colorado pops up as a contender for Ryan as well. The Avs are on the cusp of a playoff spot and could offer up Paul Stastny in return.

Getzlaf could also garner some significant attention as well. Getzlaf is a big bodied, gritty forward capable of producing 70+ points a season. Nashville could make a pass at Getzlaf, possibly including Weber in the deal in some capacity, and Toronto could get in the mix as well, perhaps offering Nazem Kadri as part of the deal.

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Bobby Ryan trade rumors continue to circulate

Dec 1

Posted by Chris in Rumors | No Comments

The rumor mill began buzzing earlier this week with word out of Anaheim that general manager Bob Murray is entertaining offers for Ducks forward Bobby Ryan. Those rumors seem to have exploded since then with every blog, news site and armchair GM contributing their opinion on what it would take for their team to acquire Ryan.

No real denials have come out of Anaheim to squash the Ryan movement rumors, leading to speculation that offers are at least being entertained. And about 29 teams around the league are currently assessing their rosters and cap situations to figure out how they could make a reasonable pitch for Ryan.

Ryan is a young, versatile player who can pretty much play any forward spot. He has three full seasons of NHL experience under his belt and has improved his point total in every season played. Ryan has scored at least 30 goals in each of those seasons and topped out at 71 points last year, arguably with room to improve. He has playoff experience, international play experience and would be a great addition to any lineup. Not to mention Ryan’s $5.1 million cap hit makes him a reasonably affordable asset.

So which teams might actually put together a reasonable pitch for Ryan? Rumors put Buffalo, Toronto, Philadelphia, and both New York teams in the mix. Nashville could also take a swing and some dreamers have Columbus making a straight up Carter-for-Ryan swap. Boston, Dallas and Edmonton have also been floated as possible destinations as well. Needless to say, almost anyone needing an impact forward is in the running.

The most intriguing destination in this list is Boston. Ryan would provide the team an offensive boost and he would fit their system well as he plays responsibly at both ends of the ice. The price would be hefty though. David Krejci, a restricted free agent, could be part of a possible trade package. A defenseman and perhaps a prospect or draft pick or two would also likely be included. Anaheim has holes in their roster and Krejci alone would not be enticing enough.

The two roll-your-eyes-at-the-obviousness teams on that list are the Rangers and Flyers. Seriously guys, you can’t have every player worth having in the NHL on your roster. However, both teams do have some depth forwards and some d-men that they could package together to entice Anaheim. Perhaps New York would be willing to part with Dubinsky and Del Zotto? Philadelphia may consider flipping Simmonds, shipping Van Riemsdyk or even including Matt Carle in some capacity.

The most likely destination would have to be Toronto. With Brian Burke calling the shots on Toronto, he would definitely pounce to get Ryan, the player he drafted second overall in 2005. Besides, Burke has adamantly stated over the past two years  that he wants another top-six scorer – something that he hasn’t been able to secure (unless you want to count Tim Connolly as that, but we don’t). Joffrey Lupul has been a significant surprise, but having Ryan on board would certainly solidify Toronto’s top two lines. And after several poor seasons, the Maple Leafs have the prospects to trade away as well. Nazem Kadri could be included, as could Nikolai Kulemin, Luke Schenn or Carl Gunnarsson. However, Toronto has zero cap space to work with this season, so the trade would have to be tit-for-tat salary wise in order for this to work for Toronto.

Whether a trade actually happens remains to be seen, but the Ducks need to make something happen if they plan on digging themselves out of the 6-13-4 record they currently have, and Ryan seems to be the disposable piece of the puzzle. I guess we should forget about a Selanne return to Winnipeg for Enstrom straight up, eh?

 

 

 

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NHL 2011-12 Season Preview: Anaheim Ducks

Sep 18

Posted by Eddie in Season Previews | No Comments

Offseason Losses: Andreas Lilja, Andy Sutton, Ray Emery, Todd Marchant, Jarkko Ruutu

Offseason Additions: Andrew Cogliano, Jeff Deslauriers, Kurtis Foster, Matheiu Carle

Last Season Ranking: 4th in the West

Will Corey Perry hold onto the same hardware at the NHL Awards in 2012?

Offense: Anaheim’s top line of Ryan Getzlaf, Bobby Ryan and Corey Perry is still of the deadliest in the league. Perry was the lone 50-goal scorer en route to winning the Hart Trophy as league MVP.  Ducks fans received the best news of all Thursday afternoon when Teemu Selanne announced online he was returning to the team for one more year. Earlier in the day, there was questionable speculation about him because he did not attend a team-sponsored golf outing but a video surfaced on nhl.com and the Ducks website announcing that he will be with the team when they begin the season in his home country of Finland. The Ducks return their second leading scorer as the Finnish Flash scored 31 goals and had 49 helpers last season.

They also return Rocket Richard and Hart Trophy winner in Corey Perry. Perry led the league in goals last season with 50 en route to a 98 point season. Look for power forward Ryan Getzlaf to score over 80 points should he stay healthy. He missed a chunk of the season due to injury and when he was playing he was force on the ice as he scored 76 points in 67 games. It’s pretty good going into training camp knowing what the top three lines will be. The top line will be Getzlaf, Perry and Bobby Ryan. Selanne will anchor the second line with newbie Sakiu Koivi and Jason Blake. Newbie Andew Cogliano could be on the No. 2 line but look for him to start at the third line with Kyle Palmieri and Brandon McMillian. Cogliano could be best suited for the third line because while playing in Edmonton he was getting torn up in the faceoff circle against the opposing second line center.

Defense: Cam Fowler is expected to have a good sophomore year. Top scoring defenseman Lubomir Visnovsky will see a lot of time on the power play with his ability to score. Can’t forget about Toni Lydman’s +32 rating, good for second in the league. That is impressive considering there was several minus players around him. Visnovsky and Lydman will form the top pairing and will see most of the time on special teams. Fowler will be paired on the second line with Francois Beauchemin while Luca Sbisa and newcomer Kurtis Foster are going to become the fifth and sixth defensemen.

Goaltending: It’s Jonas Hiller’s job. He missed the second half of the season due to a wicked case of vertigo and did not play after February 13. They since ran a trio of goalies in Ray Emery, Dan Ellis, and Curtis Elhinney to finish out the season. Elhinney and Emery is out and the fight for backup will come down to Ellis and newcomer Jeff Deslauriers. This is the biggest X-Factor because as much as experienced Ellis and Deslauriers are, they took a big risk in letting Emery go considering how well he played down the stretch.

Playoff Prediction: Every year they have the knock on them that they are too top heavy. They tried to add some depth further down with the addition of Cogliano. Expect them to make the playoffs and even contend for the division title should Getzlaf and Hiller stay healthy. The return of Selanne will prove to be the difference between them barely making the playoffs like last season and contending for the division title.

 

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George Parros Goes Green

May 26

Posted by EB in Media | No Comments

The playoffs this year have been everything intense and suspenseful. Take a break for a moment and watch tough guy George Parros of the Anaheim Ducks talk up the natural gas Honda. Sure his hands have beat a few guys down, but that smile was made for commercials.

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Conference Quarterfinals Recap – Day 12

Apr 25

Posted by Matt in News | No Comments

Day 12 gives us one series victory, and a couple more close matchups. Let’s see who is going where.

Buffalo vs. Philadelphia – In an exciting game where the Sabres looked to clinch the series, the Flyers wanted to hold on strong and force a game seven. Early on, though, it was Buffalo with the advantage, scoring just 2:13 into the game. Rob Niedermayer buried a shot from the right circle giving his squad the early 1-0 lead. Just six minutes later, it was Thomas Vanek on the power-play to send the Sabres to an early two goal advantage. The goal was Vanek’s fourth of the playoffs. Later in the first it was Daniel Briere matching the Vanek effort with his fourth goal of the playoffs. Thomas Vanek would answer right back, with another power-play tally, and the Sabres carried a 3-1 lead into the intermission.

The second period looked to all Flyers as James van Riemsdyk scored early to bring his team within one. Danny Briere responded with another goal, on the power-play, to even things up at three halfway through the game. Nathan Gerbe would give the Sabres an advantage again, however, before the second would end. His wrister fooled Brian Boucher after deflecting off a defenseman’s stick.

The Flyers would not go down easy though, as Scott Hartnell tied things up once again midway through the third period. After some tight defense, things headed to sudden death overtime. Just under five minutes into the extra period, Ville Leino capped off a solid night with the game winner.

With the Flyers win, this series will head to a heated game seven matchup. Look for Ryan Miller to play out of his mind and really step up for the Sabres. I expect them to come out on top and advance to round two.

Anaheim vs. Nashville – Teemu Selanne continued his amazing playoff streak by giving the Ducks an early 1-0 lead midway through the first. After circling around behind the net, Selanne fired a backhand shot which found its way past Pekka Rinne. The Goal was Selanne’s sixth of the playoffs. Nick Spaling closed the period off strong for the Predators, however, as he fired a shot past Ray Emery with 28 seconds to play in the first.

The second period was much the opposite of the first as the Predators grabbed a 2-1 lead after Steve Sullivan dangled past Ray Emery and slid the puck into a wide open net. Later in the second, the Ducks would tie things up on the power-play. Jason Blake found the back of the net for his third of the series, and the Ducks headed to the intermission tied at two.

Early in the closing period, Nick Spaling did some damage again with his second goal of the game. Spaling’s rebound goal would give the Predators a 3-2 advantage, and one they would hang on to. With ten seconds remaining, it would be David Legwand to seal the deal with an empty net goal.

The Predators avoid game seven and pick up their first post-season series victory in franchise history. Exciting times in Nasvhille, but now they wait to find out who their second round opponent will be.

Chicago vs. Vancouver – This high intensity matchup was easily the game of the night. With that said, we’ll go straight to video highlights courtesy of the NHL. Game seven between the Canucks and Blackhawks will definitely be one you do not want to miss.

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Bobby Ryan Goal of the Year vs. Nashville

Apr 23

Posted by Matt in Media | No Comments

Did anyone catch game five between Anaheim and Nashville? If so, you were treated to one of the best goals from the 2010-11 NHL season and playoffs. After intercepting a David Legwand pass, Anaheim’s Bobby Ryan skated hard towards Pekka Rinne. At the blue line, Legwand was undressed for the first time, and between the circles, Ryan did it again cutting back the other way. After two ridiculous dangles, he went to his backhand and roofed it past Rinne.

Take a look at the video below, and let us know if you think this slick tally should be goal of the year!

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Corey Perry Scores 50 Goals

Apr 7

Posted by Chris in News | No Comments

Corey Perry

A week ago today there was speculation that the NHL might not have a 50-goal scorer for the first time since the 2003-04 season and for the first time since the lockout. Last night, however, Corey Perry became the 88th player in NHL history to achieve the historic mark thanks to his third career hat trick in a 6-2 victory over the San Jose Sharks.

“Fifty is a huge number,” Perry said. “Everybody talks about it, (but) not a whole lot of people get to do it and be in that category. It hasn’t really sunk in.”

The crowd at the game sure didn’t have any trouble letting the fact that Corey Perry had just all but secured his spot as the Rocket Richard winner as the player with the most goals in the NHL when they let loose chants of “M-V-P!” after the win.

The chants are deserved. Perry has been on an offensive tear this season as he has shattered previous career best numbers in both goals and points. In just his last 10 games, Perry has accumulated 14 goals and 22 total points. The hat trick also inches Perry closer to the first 100-point season of his career. Perry currently sits second overall in the league with 97 points, three behind Daniel Sedin.

Perhaps more importantly, Perry’s effort and the Ducks’ route of their division rival keep Anaheim alive in a very tightly contested Western Conference playoff race. The Ducks currently hold the 7th seed with 95 points, tied with Chicago who occupies the 8th seed. Both teams will likely hold their playoff spots, but the Dallas Stars still have some fight in them and have not been mathematically excluded from the postseason yet as they have 91 points and a game in hand on both teams.

“We knew we have to play our best hockey right now,” Perry said. “To come out and dominate like this shows we can play with anybody. We’re still not there yet, but we’re working hard.”

If things stay the same, Anaheim will meet San Jose in the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs next week for what could be a highly intense matchup. Both teams have played incredible hockey since the All-Star break and have been impressive in the games leading up to the playoffs. San Jose is 8-1-1 over their last 10 while the Ducks are 7-3-0.

With only two games remaining, Steve Stamkos, who shared the Rocket Richard trophy with Sidney Crosby last season at 51 goals apiece, will likely fail to register his second consecutive 50-goal season. With only 44 on the year, Stamkos currently has the second most goals in the NHL. Jerome Iginla currently sits third with 42.

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Kovalev, Ellis highlight busy day of trades

Feb 24

Posted by Chris in News | No Comments

This year’s trade deadline continues to shape up into one of the most active in recent history. With four days still remaining until the actual trade deadline, several big name players were on the move today with even more teams getting into the hunt for top-tier talent as they look to stay competitive with their rivals and give themselves the best chance at winning the Stanley Cup.

The Montreal Canadiens put themselves into the mix by acquiring defenseman Brent Sopel and forward Nigel Dawes from the Atlanta Thrashers. The move to get Sopel is a necessary one as Montreal’s blue line has been plagued by injuries all season and the recent reports that defenseman Jaroslav Spacek could be done for the season make the addition of Sopel, a solid penalty killer and shot-blocker, even more important. The Canadiens are 9th in the league in goals against per game and they want to keep it that way.

The Tampa Bay Lightning and Anaheim Ducks were also active this afternoon  in the goalie department as the Lightning sent goaltender Dan Ellis (pictured) to Anaheim in exchange for goaltender Curtis McElhinney. This is an interesting trade, especially from the Lightning’s point of view. Ellis, who will be under contract until the end of next season, was brought in this past summer to be a starting goaltender for Tampa but eventually lost the job to Dwayne Roloson, who the Lightning acquired through a trade with the Islanders. Either the Lightning are looking to ride Roloson through the playoffs with McElhinney as the backup, or general manager Steve Yzerman is setting up to make a push at another goalie before the trade deadline hits. Could Yzerman make a pass at cross-state rival Tomas Vokoun?

The Tampa/Anaheim trade is a good one for the Ducks, however, and gives the team another solid option in goal with starting netminder Jonas Hiller still feeling the effects of what the team is calling vertigo symptoms.

Perhaps one of the biggest deals of the day, however, involved the Pittsburgh Penguins as they look for options to help solidify their struggling offense. With superstar Evgeni Malkin done for the season and captain Sidney Crosby still sidelined with concussion symptoms, the team made a move to bring in more offensive depth by acquiring Alex Kovalev from the Ottawa Senators in exchange for a conditional seventh-round draft pick. Kovalev, who played with Pittsburgh from 1998 until 2003, should benefit from the change in scenery. Earlier this season Kovalev made public statements about his unhappiness in Ottawa and his general role on the team.

Forward Cory Stillman will also find himself in familiar territory as he was acquired by the Carolina Hurricane in exchange for forward Ryan Carter and a fifth-round draft pick at this year’s draft. Stillman had to waive his no-trade clause in order to be moved to Carolina where he played for three seasons between 2005 and 2008.

The Philadelphia Flyers didn’t make a trade today, but they made a significant move by waiving forward Nikolay Zherdev. Zherdev could offer some value elsewhere if claimed but has largely been an underachieving disappointment for the Flyers this season by contributing only 15 goals and four assists – a far cry from his career-best output of 26 goals and 61 points just a few seasons ago in Columbus. Again, this could just be a set-up move as the Flyers look to create room for a bigger addition in the days to come.

Although several big-name players have already been moved over the past few weeks, many more could find themselves in a new uniform before all is said and done. Each day brings more rumors with names like John-Michael Liles and Paul Stastny now popping up in Colorado and the will-they-or-won’t-they storyline concerning Brad Richards and the Dallas Stars still a hot topic in the media. And the blockbuster events last weekend proved that seemingly no player is untouchable at the trade deadline. Look for many more teams to get in on the action and make significant moves over the next few days before the trade freeze hits the NHL at 3 p.m. on Monday.

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Phoenix Coyote’s Shane Doan Suspended

Oct 19

Posted by EB in News | No Comments

In an effort to crack down on blindside hits, the NHL is enforcing their newly drafted rules in a suspension to Phoenix Coyote’s captain Shane Doan. Doan will be suspended 3 games for a hit against Dan Sexton of the Anaheim Ducks.

The distinction of a suspension or not was reviewed from a few angles: 1. Sexton released the puck well before the hit and 2. Doan’s angle of impact. Some may argue that the hit was legal, and since Sexton was not injured so therefore no foul on the play. These are of course subject to interpretation, legality of the hit that being, but to only suspend players who have another goes against the principal of the rules; to be proactive and avoid player injury.

Doan will miss games against the Los Angeles Kings, Carolina Hurricanes and the Montreal Canadiens. His return will be against the Ottawa Senators on Tuesday, October 26.

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