And the winner is… posted by Andy Charles

 Well, we’ve made it to the halfway point of the season, so it is time to hand out a few awards to the deserving, the hopeless and the sensational.

Team of the season: I’m going to take the New Jersey Devils here since they are the one team to impress me more than I had expected. I thought Chicago and San Jose might be the quality of the West and so it has proved. The Devils; well I saw them as a decent playoff team but not the halfway top seed.

Martin Brodeur has been predictably brilliant, but the Devils continue to get offense from a team that lacks star quality after Zach Parise. And the biggest surprise among them? Has to be Andy Greene with 23 points in 37 games, already doubling any output he has managed in four NHL seasons.

Bust of the season: Plenty to choose from here but (sad for me since I am a fan) the Anaheim Ducks should try for the Anaheim Sucks. Twelve points out of the playoffs in the West and not even the best team around Los Angeles.

The goals haven’t been too hard to find and they have the scoring, but the defense has been shoddy despite Scott Niedermayer and Ryan Whitney being in town. They do have the talent to get out of their predicament and some NHL Predictions suggest they will, but it is not going to be easy given the strength of the West.

Surprise of the season: No doubt for me – has to be the Colorado Avalanche. Just on top of the Northwest Division after a season predicted to be dogged by youthful struggles. A brilliant free agency signing of goalie Craig Anderson has helped but Wojtek Wolski is finally becoming the player many thought he could be and watch out for Chris Stewart as well – the next top class power forward.

What's Brewing in Anaheim? posted by Jeff Ponder

J.S. Giguere is a Conn Smythe Trophy winner, Stanley Cup Champion and a 4-time 30-game winner.  There is no way any team would want to dump a guy with these credentials, right?  Think again.

The Ducks have had some unbelievable years with Giguere manning the pipes.  Giguere made his first strong impression on the NHL when he stole the playoff spotlight in 2003, winning the Conn Smythe Trophy as the best player in the playoffs while playing for the losing team in the Finals.  Giguere rolled on after that mark, being a large contributor to the Ducks' Stanley Cup Championship in 2007.  But a mediocre season in 2008-09 saw 27-year old Jonas Hiller steal the Orange County spotlight.

Hiller flew out of the gates in 2008 and took the starting job in Anaheim before Giguere could even get in any groove.  The Swiss goalie racked up a 2.39 GAA with an impressive .919 save percentage in 46 games played.  He then was named the starter for the Ducks in the playoffs, and was lights out in the first round.  Hiller and the eighth-seeded Ducks upset the first overall San Jose Sharks, then took the Semi-Final Series with Detroit to 7 games, losing in Detroit.  In the 13 total games played, Jonas accumulated a .943 save percentage, which was still tops in the league as Pittsburgh skated around with the Stanley Cup. 

The Anaheim Ducks then raised some eyebrows Monday when they acquired 23-year old goaltender Justin Pogge from Toronto with a conditional draft pick.  Pogge has not been the hottest goalie in the league, but is still regarded as a high prospect.  The Maple Leafs simply did not have any room left for Pogge to develop.  Starter Vesa Toskala will be expected to get most of the playing time while recently-signed Swedish prospect goaltender Jonas Gustavsson will most likely be inheriting the back-up role. 
Continue reading "What's Brewing in Anaheim?"

Ducks' Defense Still Staggering posted by Jeff Ponder

It was no shock to the city of Anaheim when all-star defenseman Chris Pronger was traded on NHL draft day.  The real shock may come during the 2009-10 season when the Ducks still put out a strong defensive lineup on opening day.

Pronger saw his tenure with the Ducks end at three seasons after a Norris Trophy nomination and a Stanley Cup Championship in 2007.  But Anaheim did not see their defense depletion stop there; puck-moving defenseman Francois Beauchemin agreed to a three-year, $11.4 million deal with the Toronto Maple Leafs on July 5th.  He even had a few harsh words about not being re-signed for his former GM Bob Murray and Anaheim Ducks management.

“Yeah, I am a little bit disappointed by them,” Beauchemin said on a media conference call, “Obviously, I had four great years there. When you play in a place for four years and win a Stanley Cup, it’s always tough to leave, but at the same time, when they don’t want you, it’s time to move on.”

The Ducks did lock up captain Scott Niedermayer to a 1-year deal worth $6 million on July 1st.  Murray said that Niedermayer “was paramount” to keep on the Ducks.  Scott put up an impressive 59 points in 82 games last season, which was the fifth time he amassed 50 or more points in his 16 seasons in the NHL.  Not only is Scott capable of quarterbacking a power-play or moving in on an offensive rush, he adds the ability to lead and take control of game situations in every aspect. 

Added just before the trade deadline last season, Ryan Whitney is another strong defenseman to have on any blue line.  Whitney is another fast defenseman that can carry the puck out from his zone and make smart passes.  He is also very strong on the power-play.  He does not possess the booming shot of Pronger, but he is very agile and can thread the needle on the pass.  Not being  a very physical defenseman, Ryan plays his position well and is rarely caught up ice on an odd-man rush.
Continue reading "Ducks' Defense Still Staggering"

Ducks Re-Sign Scott Niedermayer to 1-Year, $6 Million Contract posted by Jeff Ponder

As expected, the Ducks have brought back their captain.

Scott Niedermayer, the man who made up his mind to return to the Ducks just before the NHL Draft on Friday, has signed a 1-year deal reportedly worth $6 million.  The Ducks traded star defenseman Chris Pronger on draft day, knowing that Niedermayer wanted to return to his team. 

Scott registered 59 points from the blue line in 2008-09, which is a steady drop from his career-high 69 points in the 2006-07 campaign.  His abilities have steadily decreased in that time, but is still considered a strong 2-way defenseman.  Scott's best attribute though may be his leadership abilities on the ice though, which is very important to have in an ever-changing Ducks roster.  With the addition of Ryan Whitney in the 2009 Trade Deadline, the Ducks still have a formidable power-play even after the loss of Chris Pronger.

Niedermayer's return could mean the return of brother Rob, a defensive forward that is currently an unrestricted free-agent with the Ducks as well. Continue reading "Ducks Re-Sign Scott Niedermayer to ..."

Retirement questions return for Ducks posted by Andy Charles

As the hockey-watching world concentrates on the final two rounds of the NHL play-offs, the people of Orange County are again on retirement watch as questions about Scott Niedermayer and Teemu Selanne’s future again rear their ugly head.

For the third season running, the Ducks go into the summer trading and draft season not knowing if two of their prized veterans are going to be around at the Honda Center again next season, and it’s becoming more and more of a worry as the years tick on and the veterans get older.

Niedermayer is coming off a great season, adding 10 play-off points to a 59-point regular campaign and as usual showing the grit and heart that should be expected of a captain.

Likewise Selanne showed few signs of slowing down, apart from one spell out injured, although his chemistry with the Ducks rookies wasn’t quite as strong in the post-season and his best performance came in the sickening game seven defeat by Detroit, when he intriguingly had less ice-time than grinders like Drew Miller and Todd Marchant.

Selanne has already inferred that his decision is linked to whatever Niedermayer decides to do, but is the time right for the Ducks to sever ties early and move on?

No doubt, Niedermayer would be a huge loss, but Ryan Whitney’s arrival at the trade deadline gives the Ducks a player who could easily fit in to the No 1 pairing with Chris Pronger, and there would be a chance to re-sign Francois Beauchemin as well and return him to a bigger role.

Up front, after the top line, things do not look so solid and Selanne’s departure could make that worse…but would you place a hockey bet on it?

posted by Andy Charles

As the hockey-watching world concentrates on the final two rounds of the NHL play-offs, the people of Orange County are again on retirement watch as questions about Scott Niedermayer and Teemu Selanne’s future again rear their ugly head.

For the third season running, the Ducks go into the summer trading and draft season not knowing if two of their prized veterans are going to be around at the Honda Center again next season, and it’s becoming more and more of a worry as the years tick on and the veterans get older.

Niedermayer is coming off a great season, adding 10 play-off points to a 59-point regular campaign and as usual showing the grit and heart that should be expected of a captain.

Likewise Selanne showed few signs of slowing down, apart from one spell out injured, although his chemistry with the Ducks rookies wasn’t quite as strong in the post-season and his best performance came in the sickening game seven defeat by Detroit, when he intriguingly had less ice-time than grinders like Drew Miller and Todd Marchant.

Selanne has already inferred that his decision is linked to whatever Niedermayer decides to do, but is the time right for the Ducks to sever ties early and move on?

No doubt, Niedermayer would be a huge loss, but Ryan Whitney’s arrival at the trade deadline gives the Ducks a player who could easily fit in to the No 1 pairing with Chris Pronger, and there would be a chance to re-sign Francois Beauchemin as well and return him to a bigger role.

Up front, after the top line, things do not look so solid and Selanne’s departure could make that worse…but would you place a hockey bet on it?

Western Conference Rolls Along! posted by Joshua Tarkoff

I have a confession to make. I love the Canucks. I really have loved them ever since the worst trade in NHL history when my beloved Panthers gave Luongo away for nothing. I know he is great and that team has a ton of fast guys with a lot of talent. For some reason, I really want them to win. What a job they did last night finishing off the Blues. Hey some big time people picked the Blues to win, since they were so hot coming down the stretch. So,no prediction is even needed for Vancouver. All I know is, I do not know of any team that wants to face the Canucks in the 2nd round.

Onto the series that are still going on...Sharks/Ducks. What a series this is. I think this is the best one we have going (no disrespect to NJ/CAR). It is a bit tough in Florida to be able to watch all of this series, but every second that I have seen has been awesome. Huge hits, I mean huge and every goal has been hard fought. I think this series will come down to who makes the least number of mistakes. That was especially true last night. Both teams are solid and the difference is going to be very small. I have to go with SJ here, they did not win President's trophy for nothing. 7 games, but this will take its toll on whoever ends up winning here.

Detroit is quietly doing its championship thing as usual. They really are an amazing organization. For years I know I have thought they were too old, but somehow they keep on doing it. Hossa this year has been a huge add on and he continues to shine in the playoffs. The series with the Bluejackets will not last much longer, although I must give them a hand for making it into the playoffs this year. It is just unfortunate that they ran into Detroit. 

Signed 2007 Stanley Cup Winning Team Jersey posted by Lori

I have a Ducks jersey that is signed by the entire team during their winning season of 2007. They signed it in December 2007.  It is in MINT condition.  I got it from the Ducks and GoCountry105 radio station, during their Christmas toy drive in Anaheim.  If you are interested in buying it, please contact me at ramgirl2002@yahoo.com.  At your request, I will email 4-5 pictures of the jersey.

Mike Brown is a Duck posted by Andy Morris

After getting very little time on the ice this season at Vancouver, the Canucks traded Mike Brown to the Ducks last week. He was enjoying his day off when his cell phone rang and the general manager told him to pack his bags. The Ducks were playing the Predators the next evening in Nashville and Brown needed to get there ready to suit up. He left Vancouver a little before 11:00 P.M. that night for a trip to Nashville via Toronto. Flying all night, he set down in Nashville about 9:30 the next morning. After meeting his new teammates, he took a long nap before the game that evening.

Mike played over eleven minutes in his debut game with the Ducks, which was more time on the ice than he had at Vancouver this season. In fact, he had only played in 2 games for the Canucks this year. He was pumped up and ready to play, as he tied for a game high 4 hits and had 2 shots on goal. Two nights later Brown saw extensive action again in Calgary as the Ducks beat the Flames. His first home game in Anaheim will be Wednesday, February 11th against those same Flames.

At 23 years old Brown admits he is playing on adrenaline for his new team. A good hockey bet tip is that he will continue to produce for the Ducks as his career is taken to a new level. Coach Randy Carlyle is happy with Brown. “He’s going to go out there and provide energy, try and hit and be a physical force… I expect him to be first on the forecheck and be a physical player,” the coach said.

Mike stated he is excited about the weather in California. He used to spend summers at relatives in San Diego. “It’s good to get out of that rain and cold,” he noted, referring to Vancouver. He also stated that his new teammates and team staff have been very welcoming to him. He intends to return their hospitality by playing hard and tough for the Ducks. “I play a physical game, get under guys’ skin and I’ll fight if I need to fight… I’m always kind of looking to agitate,” he stated flatly. His record bears him out, as he had 11 fighting majors in 20 games with the Canucks this year.

Weighing in on Recent Blues News posted by Jeff Ponder

The Blues have made a few changes in the past week.  Let’s take a look at how the Blues are making headlines:

Manny Legace placed on waivers; clears and heads to Peoria in the AHL

Manny Legace has officially seen his last day as a St. Louis Blue.  Around 11:00 a.m. Friday, Blues President John Davidson announced that the veteran goaltender would be put on waivers, and if he clears he would be assigned to the Peoria Rivermen of the AHL.  The team also called up rookie goaltender Chris Holt, recently signed to a pro-contract.  Manny was not so happy-go-lucky after hearing the news.

"It's extremely tough," Legace said Friday afternoon. "You play your heart out for a team, and the minute you hit a little bit of a rough patch, they dump on you. It was very hard to hear."

John Davidson dismissed Manny’s comments, simply stating, “Manny has his own opinions; I'm not going to speak to Manny's opinions.”  He elaborated on the team’s move by stating that they gave him a chance to play his best in St. Louis, but has faltered this season. 

After looking at the stats and watching Manny’s play, it was obvious that he would be moved by the Blues.  Being an unrestricted free-agent this summer, Legace did not prove that he belonged as the starter any longer.  There is just one question that arises from putting him on waivers; was there even an attempt of a trade?  Legace was selected as an All-Star last season, plus he was always heralded as a strong goaltender even as a backup in Detroit.  If the Anaheim Ducks can get a sixth-round pick for Brad May, Legace could not get the same, if not more?  I find that very hard to believe.
Continue reading "Weighing in on Recent Blues News"

Kings' win streak at 8, ties club record (AP)

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Ryan Whitney of the Anaheim Ducks and Tim Gleason of the Carolina Hurricanes were chosen Thursday to replace injured defensemen Paul Martin and Mike Komisarek on the U.S. Olympic hockey team. Whitney and Gleason were selected from the pool of players who participated in the team's orientation camp last summer. [read full article]

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