Fri, 28 April 2006  The Mighty Ducks produced another mighty big win to even the series at two games apiece. In a critical game against their first round opponent, the Calgary Flames, the Ducks grinded out a 3-2 win in overtime. Sean O'Donnell was the unlikely offensive hero, blasting a huge slapshot past a screened Miikka Kiprusoff. With two goals this season (and only 23 in almost 800 career games), O'Donnell is definitely much better known for his defensive, gritty play. However, the playoffs always produce unlikely heroes. Up 2-0 on goals by Teemu Selanne and Ryan Getzlaf, the Ducks were put on their heels by two quick goals by Jarome Iginla in the third period. With the game tied after regulation, the stage was set for "Odie," as his teammates call him. Kiprusoff (27 saves) and Jean-Sebastien Giguere (25 saves) were both solid in this game, but neither were as spectacular as some of the previous contests. Perhaps the best news for the Ducks was the much-improved penalty killing job they did, blanking the Flames on all six attempts. Another continued surprise was the play of rookie phenom Dion Phaneuf who registered another -2 for the game. He and his defensive partner, Roman Hamrlik are a combined -12 in the first four games of this series. The critical game 5 continues on Saturday night. Category: sports -- posted at: 1:07 PM Comments[1] |
Wed, 26 April 2006  After losing the first game, the Ducks said all the right things... that it was only one game... that they didn't expect to sweep the Flames up in Calgary. They also did the right things... they came back and played a gritty, inspired second game to tie the series... they had tight defense... they scored timely goals. Conventional wisdom would think that Anaheim would come back with a similar effort on Tuesday night at home. Unfortunately, they didn't. Instead, they played even for about half the game, then disappeared for the rest, losing 5-2. The loss puts them down 1-2 in the series against Calgary. The Flames scored three power play goals for the game, giving them five goals with the man-advantage in the last two games. On paper, the Ducks outshot the Flames for the game, but once again Miikka Kiprusoff displayed why he's one of the best, if not the best, goalie in the league. The Calgary defense also cleared away all rebounds and rarely let the Ducks have a second chance at any loose puck. Francois Beauchemin, the rookie defenseman acquired in the Fedorov trade, scored two power play goals for the Ducks, but the rest of the team was unable to solve the puzzle of Kiprusoff. Jean-Sebastien Giguere faced 24 shots and only saved 19 of those. After the game, he said that he needed to play better. That may be true, but the same could be said for the whole Ducks team. Five different players scored for the Flames, and none of them were named Iginla. Some of Calgary's scoring highlights included Chuck Kobasew notching the game-winner, Robyn Regehr getting a goal and an assist, playoff veteran Darren McCarty scoring his second goal of the series, and Florida cast-off Kristian Huselius getting a goal and two assists. The two teams continue their hard fought series on Thursday in Anaheim. Category: sports -- posted at: 11:27 AM Comments[0] |
Mon, 24 April 2006  Each game of the playoffs will be a battle. This much appears true. There have been surprises though. Last night's surprise was that the Calgary Flames' Miikka Kiprusoff is human. That's the only way to describe a night where he allowed four goals on 20 shots in a 4-3 loss to the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim. With the win, the Ducks tied the series 1-1. Scott Niedermayer elevated his game and contributed offensively as well as defensively. In the first game, he was solid in his own end, but failed to make much of an impression on the scoreboard. In game two, he controlled much of the play when he was on the ice and was particularly brilliant on a shorthanded goal scored in the first period. After an amazing defensive play where he stole the puck, he raced in alone to score on Kiprusoff. The Ducks also got goals from Chris Kunitz, Joffrey Lupul, and Samuel Pahlsson. They opened the game with inspired play and jumped out to a 3-0 lead. The Flames battled back but were unable to tie the game. Pahlsson's goal became the eventual game-winner when Dion Phaneuf scored a power play goal with less than five minutes to play. Jarome Iginla and Kristian Huselius also scored for the Flames who seemed to wake-up in the second half of the game. Perhaps the bigger story in Calgary is the play of Roman Hamrlik and Dion Phaneuf who were a combined -7 on the night. For the series, they are a combined -9. Phaneuf looked tentative for the second straight night, but veteran Hamrlik didn't look any better. This was no more apparent than the power play where the Flames did score two goals, but ended up 2-for-13 on the night. However, the Ducks were worse at 0-for-6 with the man-advantage. The Ducks hope to continue their improved work ethic at the Pond on Tuesday night for game three. It's now a best-of-five series. Category: sports -- posted at: 12:04 PM Comments[0] |
Sat, 22 April 2006  This wasn't how the Ducks imagined their first game of the playoffs: Jean-Sebastien Giguere a late scratch, their top line neutralized, the star rookies playing like... rookies. Game one went to overtime where Darren McCarty (of three Stanley Cup Rings fame) scored the game-winner 9:45 into the sudden death period. Ilya Bryzgalov, getting a surprise start after Giguere opted out with a "lower body injury," played very well (as he has all year), stopping 28 of 30 shots. However, the real goalie issue for the ducks was Miikka Kiprusoff who made 33 saves on 34 shots. Kiprusoff was brilliant, and this was no more evident than in the second period when the Flames were outshot 15 to 7. Jeff Friesen, a deadline acquisition bomb thus far, scored the lone goal for the Ducks. The Flames answered with goals by Tony Amonte and McCarty. Star rookie, Dion Phaneuf hardly shined in this opener, but neither did any of the other stars like Selanne, Iginla, and Niedermayer. The tight, defensive game still had plenty of offensive rushes, but Scott Nidermayer was unable to take charge as he has so many times in this season. Game two of the series will be played in Calgary on Sunday. Category: sports -- posted at: 11:50 AM Comments[0] |
Tue, 18 April 2006  It may have seemed like a meaningless game, but the Kings 3-0 shutout against the Sharks had plenty of importance when analyzed closely. Many puzzles were solved in the final games of the season including the following: Question: How do you get Jeremy Roenick to produce? Answer: Break his ankle and put him on the ice when you're out of the playoffs. His three points in two wins were what the Kings needed consistently throughout the season. Question: What can be done to make the special teams click? Answer: Miss the playoffs. Their dreadful power play and even worse penalty killing were amazing in the final two games. They killed off all ten disadvantages they had, scored two power play goals, and even netted a shorthanded goal. In the game against Calgary, they even killed off a two-man advantage and looked good doing it. Question: Who's the number one goal? Answer: Okay... this one wasn't answered. Jason LaBarbera was excellent at the beginning of the season, winning his first five starts with a 1.40 GAA and .947 save percentage. He ended the season with two wins, a 0.50 GAA, one shutout, and a .986 save percentage. Unfortunately, the rest of the season was pretty bad for him. Meanwhile, Mathieu Garon ran hot and cold throughout the season, starting slowly, but winning 31 games and getting honored with the December Defensive Player of the Month Award. However, he ended up with a mediocre 3.22 GAA and very average .894 save percentage. Do the Kings chalk this up to inexperience? Or do you they go out and find a true #1 goalie who's established? Tough call. Look at Christobal Huet right now. Question: How do you get the Kings to play with passion? Answer: Send Sean Avery home. Yes, he has skill. Yes, he plays with passion. Yes, he can be a good team player. However, his selfish, me-first, attention-gathering choices and attitude distracted the team... oh, and I guess the idea of playing for Luc Robitaille helped too! Question: What will happen to Dave Taylor? Answer: Sorry... this one is hard to answer too. However, the final two games and many of the games before show that he did assemble a team that can compete. Teams don't make it to first in a division by mid-year through flukes. They get there through talent and hard work. The fact that the Kings collapsed might have to do with chemistry or coaching or any of a dozen other factors. The final two games weren't meaningless when you think about how damaging it would have been to lose six straight games to end the season instead of winning two straight. It's not Taylor's fault the Kings collapsed at the end of the season for two years. At the same time, it's not 100% Andy Murray's fault either. In the end, it's a combination of the players, the injuries, and the motivational techniques used by Murray. Most of Dave Taylor's transactions weren't that bad. No homeruns, but nothing that shows he's incompetent... no Mel Bridgeman-esque things going on. There was no way that Taylor could have predicted that Anson Carter and Mark Parrish would be duds at the trade deadline. I could go on, but that'll be saved for another time. Question: What's a good way to honor Luc Robitaille if you're out of the playoffs? Answer: Win two games to end the season and play with the intensity that he brought to the game. Note: Our next Podcast focuses on the end of the season, so we're delaying it a little more. Thanks for you patience! Category: sports -- posted at: 11:27 AM Comments[0] |
Mon, 17 April 2006  The Mighty Ducks of Anaheim recovered a little bit of their momentum by closing out the regular season with a hard fought 4-3 win over the Calgary Flames... their first round opponents in the playoffs. This was the Duck's first win after a three-game losing streak. Anaheim's effective blend of youth and experience provided the scoring once again, and Jean-Sebastien Giguere was solid in net, stopping 29-of-32 shots. The Ducks got multi-point games from Chris Kunitz (1 goal and 2 assists), Ryan Getzlaf (3 assists), and Andy McDonald (1 goal and 1 assist). Corey Perry and Teemu Selanne also scored goals for the Ducks. Selanne's goal was his 40th of the season. Quite a rebound from his not-so-sweet 16 he scored last NHL season in Colorado. The penalty-filled game was a pre-cursor to the opening round of the playoffs that will begin in Calgary. In all, there were a combined 22 man-advantages in the game. The Flames, so hot in the stretch run, have now lost two straight games. Although both games were meaningless in the standings, they probably didn't want to enter the "real season" with a losing streak. Category: sports -- posted at: 9:15 PM Comments[0] |
Sun, 16 April 2006  This isn't necessarily the way the Kings wanted Luc Robitaille's Los Angeles career to end - out of the playoffs and playing only for pride - but the 2-1 win over the Flames wasn't without some positives. The Kings continued to dominate the shootout, Jason LaBarbera proved that he can make some big saves, Los Angeles didn't fold after San Jose tied the score, and the Kings played some inspired hocky. Now 6 and 1 in the sudden death shootout, Los Angeles scored the only goal of the shootout when Pavol Demitra used a slick shoulder fake to backhand the puck over Miikka Kiprusoff's outstretched leg. The Flames, having already wrapped up a playoff position, were no push-overs. They came at the Kings with intensity and several rushes. LaBarbera was up to the task and made 42 saves on 43 shots... including all three in the shootout to preserve the victory. The Kings only goal in regulation was by Pavol Demitra, taking advantage of a great pass from Jeremy Roenick as Demitra jumped out of the penalty box. Although Luc didn't score, the crowd was left with a wonderful memory of the game and his words at the end as he addressed the crowd. Category: sports -- posted at: 4:59 PM Comments[0] |
Fri, 14 April 2006  Two lackluster efforts amounted to an ending of the Kings' playoff hopes. The Ducks' poor effort in a 2-1 loss against the Oilers mathematically eliminated Los Angeles from the playoffs for the third straight season. Even if the Ducks had managed a win, the Kings also played poorly in a 3-0 loss to the Phoenix Coyotes. The penalty-filled game, featured three instances of 5-on-3 power plays in the first period alone. Special teams was at the heart of the Kings' problems once again. Two power play goals and a shorthanded goal by the Coyotes in the second period were too much for the Kings to overcome. Saturday's game against the Flames will be the final home game for Luc Robitaille who will be honored prior to the dropping of the puck. Hopefully the Kings can dig deep and play for pride, Luc, and their jobs. The Ducks, already assured of a playoff spot, have now dropped two straight games. Their recent losses to the Flames and Oilers have revealed a few glaring weaknesses. Chief among them is their inconsistent effort... a problem they had during the first half of the season. They have shown time and time again that they can match up with any team when they are skating and working hard. However, they exhibited little of that against Calgary and Edmonton. With the loss, they drop to sixth in the Western Conference. They hope to rebound on Saturday against the extremely hot San Jose Sharks. Category: sports -- posted at: 9:27 PM Comments[0] |
Thu, 13 April 2006 The Vancouver Canucks lost to the San Jose Sharks last night in overtime 5-4. What does this mean? Mathematically, it means there's the slightest glimmer of hope that the Kings could make it into the playoffs. Of course, world peace may be more attainable. The Oilers and Canucks are what stand in the way of the Kings making the playoffs. The San Jose win also clinched a playoff spot for the Sharks... a feat that would have seemed nothing short of a miracle back in January. They join the Stars and Ducks as Pacific Division representatives in the playoffs. San Jose and Anaheim have had similar up and down seasons that looked bleak in the first half of the year. However, since January, the Sharks and Ducks have turned their seasons around. The Ducks face off against the Oilers and the Kings take on the Coyotes tonight. If the Oilers manage to even tie the Ducks, the Kings' season is over. Their game agains the Coyotes will be nothing more than bragging rights of who's the best of the worst. As is common, the Kings will be without at least one key player... Aaron Miller underwent successful hip surgery and will likely miss the match. Meanwhile, the Ducks, who have clinched a playoff spot, hope to rebound after a disappointing shutout loss to the Calgary Flames. Category: sports -- posted at: 11:00 AM Comments[0] |
Wed, 12 April 2006  What can you say when the highest-scoring left wing in NHL history decides it's time to hang-up the skates? Luc Robitaille announced yesterday that he will retire after the end of this season. Although fans and friends knew this day would come, the announcement leaves a huge void in the world of active NHL players. Although he wasn't as effective on the ice this year, the 40-year-old veteran still had a bigger heart than most of the other players in the league. Robitaille was always a class act and never gave up. A ninth-round draft pick of the Kings in 1984, he overcame language barriers and criticism of his skating to become the Rookie of the Year, a Stanley Cup Winner, and the record holder for most goals in a Kings' uniform. Those are just some of the awards and decorations that he gathered throughout his career. It doesn't even begin to scratch the surface of the number of first and second-team all-star selections he received. However, his career can't be summed up merely by his awards and statistics. Robitaille donated his time, energy, and money to promote hockey in Southern California and help families in need. His work with charities includes the Ronald McDonald House, Music Cares, the Starlight Foundation, benefit hockey games for AIDS and Cancer research, and Shelter for Serenity (a foundation that he and his wife, Stacia, created to help Hurricane Katrina victims rebuild their lives). Although Luc played for the Pittsburgh Penguins, the New York Rangers, and the Detroit Red Wings, his heart was, and always will be, in Los Angeles. He even brought the Stanley Cup to Los Angeles after winning it with the Wings in 2002. A classy move by such a classy guy. His nickname was "Lucky," and that's exactly how Kings' fans felt with him playing in Los Angeles. Thanks for the memories, Luc! One of my favorite interviews with him is a Celeb Q&A by ChannelOne.com.
Category: sports -- posted at: 11:12 AM Comments[0] |
Wed, 12 April 2006  The Mighty Ducks of Anaheim have been one of the hottest teams in the NHL... but so have the Calgary Flames. This round of the battle went to the Flames, 3-0. Calgary's win can be summed up in two words, "Miikka Kiprusoff." In a few more weeks, his play may be summed up as "Vezina Trophy." Kiprusoff blanked the Ducks even though the Flames were outshot 32-25. He made several spectacular saves, including a fast a furious flurry during the second period when the Ducks had 13 shots on goal. Category: sports -- posted at: 10:56 AM Comments[0] |
Tue, 11 April 2006  We're back from Spring Break!
With the majority of my workshops, conferences, and vacation behind me,
it's time to make this blog regular for the playoffs and rev up the
Podcast! Category: sports -- posted at: 11:53 AM Comments[0] |
