Bleacher Report - Anaheim Ducks

Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics : Canada's Men's Hockey Team

Scott Weldon — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 13:36:37 -0500

It's a tough struggle to pare down the available Canadian players for the men's Olympic hockey team. Anyone you keep displaces three worthy candidates. I have placed an emphasis on speed and international/NHL playoff experience and success. I've arrived at this team as the one I think will have the best chance of succeeding for Canada.

Forwards

First line: LW Rick Nash C Ryan Getzlaf RW Jarome Iginla

Second line: LW Dany Heatley C Sidney Crosby RW Steven Stamkos

Third line: LW Brenden Morrow C Mike Richards RW Jeff Carter

Fourth line: LW John Tavares C Joe Thornton RW Corey Perry

Extra forward : Patrick Marleau

Jarome Iginla is your veteran presence in this lineup. He's still quick and strong with a great shot. Ryan Getzalf almost willed his duck team past the Red Wings last year in the playoffs. He's a force of nature out on the ice and should be difficult to deal.

Then throw in big quick Rick Nash. The sniper is on a pace to score fifty. He was one of the few Canadian forwards to create chances at the Turin Olympics.

Sidney Crosby is a great playmaker who is strong on his skates and whose engine is always running. It's good to have another Stanley cup winning captain on the team. Steven Stamkos has never been my favourite Canadian international but he had a good rookie year and he's a better sophomore.

Canada left a lot of youngsters off the team in Turin in an attempt to recreate the Salt Lake success. I'm recommending against that. If there are quick young scorers available I say take them.

The Russians didn't pass on Ovechkin for Turin because he was too young. I didn't want Dany Heatley or Joe Thornton for this team. They were useless at Turin together but it's impossible to argue with their numbers. Probably they should play together.

The checking line is Mike Richards , Jeff Carter, and Brenden Morrow.

Carter and Richards have been great checkers for Canada in the past at the world juniors. They're fast, strong and can score putting defensive pressure on other teams top lines. Brenden Morrow was Canada's best defensive forward. He's coming back from injury last year that may have slowed him significantly. Still I'd like to try him as the third checker.

My last line has the aforementioned Joe Thornton, young scorer John Tavares and Corey Perry. Thornton is the best playmaker in the game. Unfortunately he plays the game at half speed and he seemed overwhelmed at the Olympics last time.

If he is again switch in speedster Patrick Marleau on this line. He's been strong at the world's. Tavares is a streak who puts the puck in the net. Corey Perry is another youngster with a great world junior and NHL resume. Here's a chance to add Olympic gold to it.

Defense

First PR Chris Pronger Dan Boyle

Second PR Shea Weber Drew Doughty

Third PR Dion Phaneuf Duncan Keith

Fourth PR Mike Green (Dan Hamhuis)

One of the greatest weaknesses of the Canadian team at Turin was lack of offense from the defense. Throw in the fact that Chris Pronger was playing on one foot and couldn't keep up with the Swiss let alone the Russians and it's obvious that this Canadian team needs to be healthy and needs to have offensive skills.

Dan Boyle has been one of the best Canadian puck movers since he won a cup with Tampa Bay. He's quick and smart with the puck and runs a great power play. Chris Pronger is big and rangy and has a point shot.

As long as he's healthy he can skate enough, especially on NHL size ice to be effective. Anyone who gets hurt before the tournament needs to be subbed out for a healthy player who can skate.

Shea Weber is a big kid who hits hard and has scored 20 from the blue-line. Drew Doughty is anchoring an LA defense that's becoming one of the stingiest in the league.

He's playing twenty-three minutes a night and is a plus player in LA. Dion Phaneuf has tons of bad press and still doesn't always look responsible on his blue-line. Yet he was great world junior player on the big ice.

He's a good skater with a big left shot and he hits like a tank. I have to keep him. Duncan Keith has been great in Chicago. He had a couple of panicked moments when faced with Detroit’s speed in the playoffs. Brent Seabrook might be the safer choice, but I'll accept the offensive skill.

Mike Green fills my need for another top end offensive defenseman at the Olympics. You'd take Paul Coffey on your Olympic team and you need to take Mike Green as well despite some moments of panic he had in last years playoff.

I'd stick with seven defenseman and Dan Hamhuis and Brent Seabrook would be my first choices as an eighth or injury replacement defenseman.

Goalies

Starter: Roberto Luongo

First Back-up: Chris Mason

Second Back-up: Martin Brodeur

This is a scary situation for Canada. Martin Brodeur is getting too old to depend on in these situations. He's had some old man moments to intersperse with his great play the last couple of playoffs. His numbers still warrant it, so I've chosen him to be on the team.

Roberto Luongo hopefully won't turn out to be Canada's next Mike Liut. He showed vulnerability in the playoffs when faced with Chicago's speed. Hopefully, Canada will be good enough not to need the best goaltending to do well at these Olympics.

My pick for the last year has been Steve Mason but right now he has worse numbers then Pascal Leclaire. I choose Chris Mason as Canada's second goalie because he had a great last year for St Louis and is doing well again this year.

The Left Behind

Some players I could luckily eliminate because of injury. Marc Savard, Cam Ward, Eric Staal, Ryan Smyth, Pierre Marc Bouchard, and Devin Setoguchi are all hurt.

Vincent Lecavalier just isn't playing well enough to be considered. Dustin Penner is too darn slow. Martin St Louis is another guy having a good year but I just like the youth that Tavares and Stamkos bring, a little better. Brad Richards is having a great year as a playmaker in Dallas.

He'd be on my list if Crosby, Richards(Mike), Getzlaf and Marleau weren't ahead of him. Toews, Sharp and Cammalleri deserve consideration. I just think Stamkos and Tavares are better. Brent Burns hasn't seemed to recover his offensive edge and is a little too risky on the defense without it. Bouwmeester likewise is a great skater but his offensive prowess doesn't justify his risk-taking.

Robyn Regehr is slowing down a bit. Scott Niedermeyer has been coughing up the puck in his own zone all year long. You can't have that at the Olympics. Marty Turco, Ray Emery and Carey Price have all had good years so far.

I just don't trust Price and Emery. Turco has a better track record but I'd probably pull him in to replace Brodeur as the veteran and Brodeur has better numbers and a better track record. Steve Mason has had a poor start to his sophomore year.

Canada's chances

I think Canada at home will be under incredible pressure. The offense looks good and the defenseman seem fast, tough and skilled. If they get decent goaltending I think this team can win gold.

If they're shut out of the medals on home soil in an NHL sized rink, expect a federal government inquiry and perhaps some sort of referendum. Steve Yzerman might get his spot in the hall of fame revoked. All that said this team has to do better then the seventh they managed at Turin. There's no way Canada is the seventh best hockey nation in the world. I'm calling them for the Gold.

Gold: Canada

Silver: Russia

Bronze: USA

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Anaheim Ducks' Inconsistent Play Exposed By San Jose Sharks

SK — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 03:21:49 -0500

It's rough playing the second night of back-to-back games.

The team is usually showing fatigue. By the time the third period rolls around, it's understandable to see the team struggling.

That's what happened to the Ducks on Saturday night when they battled the San Jose Sharks in a 3-2 loss.

Funny thing is, it was the Sharks who played their second game of a back-to-back, not the Ducks.

Could have fooled me.

This season, the Ducks have been completely incapable of keeping their momentum going from game to game.

Just when it looks like they've turned things around and have found the fire they need to play physical and win games, they follow up a victory with an embarrassing loss.

The Ducks are defeating themselves. They are getting outplayed by simply not showing up for the entire game.

Inconsistent.

The puck dropped and there was aggressive play from Anaheim. The Ducks were controlling the puck, dominating down low, and cycling well.

Once again, the second line combination of Evgeny Artyukhin and Teemu Selanne was showing promise. Saku Koivu's return to the line-up, an added bonus, made this line an extreme positive for the Ducks.

But if there is one thing the fans in Anaheim know better than most, a one-goal lead is never safe.

Case in point, the Ducks took a step back, cooled their heels and began to play chase. Chase the Sharks, chase the puck, and chase the play.

Inconsistent.

If there was one very important lesson has been learned from Saturday's game, it is this: the defensemen need to continue to shoot the puck.

James Wisniewski had a great shot from just inside the blue line and Ryan Whitney's bullet to the back of the net are the types of goals the Ducks need to win games.

However, when those are your ONLY goals, there is little to no chance of beating a team like San Jose.

The big offensive names from San Jose did their part, they scored goals. Joe Thornton and Dany Heatly took care of the offense for their team, as they're expected to do.

While yes, Corey Perry has continued his point streak to a career high 14 games, he did not score a goal. The offense simply did not do their job.

Inconsistent.

Maybe it was their inability to get the puck over the blue line during the third period. Perhaps the Ducks should watch the video on a great defensive effort, and take some notes from the Sharks.

One thing is for sure, no matter how many chances the Ducks had to get the job done, the simple matter is that a better, stronger, more determined team once again outplayed them.

If the Ducks want to win games, they must find a way to play hard, move their feet, and shut down their big opponents.

Consistently.

GO DUCKS!!!

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Ducks-Lightning: Power Play Fuels Anaheim to Victory

SK — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 13:06:47 -0500

Thursday night's 4-3 victory over the Tampa Bay Lightning meant more to the Ducks than most will realize.

Typically, moral victories don't mean a thing. They don't win games and they mean squat in terms of standings.

However, when you're the team bringing up the rear in the Western Conference, moral victories can often mean just as much as real ones.

For the first time in what seems like an eternity, the Ducks were able to take advantage of the power play, physical play, and big-named superstars on the roster.

Finally.

Scoring three of their four goals, the first by Teemu Selanne coming just as the man advantage expired, was a huge boost for the Ducks looking to turn any negatives into positives. In fact, just watching the Ducks get more than one shot off during a power play seemed like a small victory.

The Ducks are still struggling in many areas, like playing during the second period, for example, but the fact of the matter is they've shown improvement.

Most importantly we saw key players Corey Perry, Ryan Getzlaf, Bobby Ryan, and Selanne...playing defense. I know, it seemed unreal to me too, but there they were, moving their feet, finishing their hits, pressuring the puck. It was a pleasant surprise, and it paid off for them.

This is definitely progress, and two points that no one can complain about, but now comes the real test.

The Ducks have a huge opponent on Saturday. We're talking about an outstanding San Jose Sharks team (once again). They're not going to sit back and allow Anaheim to walk over them. The Sharks have no reason to do Anaheim any favors, and they won’t. Expect a sharp puck-moving team with the ability to make you look stupid if you're caught standing around.

But here's something to remember. Anaheim has the ability to do that to teams too, and we saw that for the first time against Tampa Bay. The Ducks definitely started the game with some solid puck movement and quality chances. Breakaways were looking fantastic, and who would have thought that maybe Evgeny Artyukhin might be a good match for Selanne?

Most importantly, the Ducks showed what they can do when they playing a tough physical game. Above all, the best players on the ice for the Ducks were just that—their best players. That needs to continue if the Ducks want to pull out of the hole they're in.

Unfortunately, with this positive spin comes a negative one.

Midway through the first period, James Wisniewski hobbled off of the ice and into the locker room, where he would remain for the rest of the game. X-rays were negative, but there is a strong likelihood his foot will need some rest. Expect a call-up soon.

This is just one solid game...

Hopefully there are many more to come.

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Reasons the Anaheim Ducks Are Losing

Eric LaForge — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 14:32:29 -0500

After last year's disappointing loss in the second round of the playoffs, it looked like the Ducks were going to rebound this year. However, that hasn't happened. In fact, just the opposite has happened; the Ducks can't get any points and are dead last in the Western Conference.

There are a number of things that have been going wrong for them this season, but you never would have been able to have predicted some of them.

Right now, penalties are killing the Ducks . These penalties are the biggest reason that they are losing games.

However, these penalties also come from the physical style that the Ducks are playing. They do take a lot of penalties, but they are also having trouble in some other areas, as well.

Defense in general is a huge problem for the Ducks. They have a terrible penalty kill and have also let in the fifth-most goals in the NHL. This is partly because the defense is giving other teams too many opportunities, but it's also because Hiller has not been himself lately.

Right now, Hiller is ranked 21st in the league in save percentage. I would have to say that he's in a bit of a slump, because he usually plays better than this. I wouldn't be too worried about him because he should be able to start playing better as the season moves on.

Another problem that the defense is causing is in the attacking zone. Since the defense is having a hard time keeping the puck out of the net, the offense has to put the puck in the net more often. The Ducks do not have a bad offense, but they don't have good enough shooters to make up for the trouble the defense is causing.

The Ducks are ranked 15th in the NHL in goals scored. That would be acceptable if the Ducks were playing better defense. Unfortunately, the offense is consistently having to bail out the defense.

The biggest example of this was the 7-4 loss against the Red Wings a few days ago. The Ducks were able to score four goals, but the defense blew the game. They gave the Wings way too many opportunities at the end. Even though they scored three goals in the third period, they let the Wings score five in the same time frame.

We could see the offense trying to bail out the defense, and the defense giving the Wings chances that they just shouldn't be giving. That's been happening to the Ducks the entire year. We saw it against Toronto and Columbus last month, as well.

Until the defense for the Ducks starts playing better, you can expect to see them lose a lot of high-scoring games.

The Ducks also need to become more disciplined and play a cleaner style of hockey. That way, they will spend less time on the penalty kill and more time in the attacking zone, which would play to their strength.

If that doesn't happen, the Ducks are going to be in for a long year.

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Crazy Solutions To End the Anaheim Ducks' Losing Trend

SK — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 02:38:29 -0500

It's so hard to stay positive after watching the Ducks take one point out of a possible eight on their recent road trip.

Watching them suffer through 60 minutes against Pittsburgh Monday night was like watching a train wreck.

For the hundredth time.

The Ducks now have a few days off before they return to the Honda Center for a seven game home-stand. Between now and then, fans will likely keep their eyes and ears open to the possibility of a trade.

No matter what happens, the need a change. Something to get this team on track.

It's been said before, but a team with this much talent shouldn't be this bad.

Sure, a bad night here and there would be understandable, excusable. However, watching this team spiral out of control only to find themselves firmly on the bottom of the pile, the bottom of the Western Conference standings (6-10-3), that is not understandable.

So now the questions remain. What is the problem? We're not just talking about a despicable power play anymore. We've moved beyond discussions of terrible defense, confused penalty kills, and inconsistent goaltending.

There is something deeper here.

I've already given tough love in my open letter to the team . I think we're seeing individuals trying to be superstars. We're seeing auditions for Team Canada in the form of 11 and 12 game point streaks. We're watching goaltenders try to out perform one another.

This is a team, divided.

I can honestly imagine them sitting in small cliques, like in high school, talking about one another behind their backs.

"He was out of position."

"He missed the net...again!"

"He thinks he's better than the rest of us."

Of course they aren't playing like a team. Can you imagine wanting to help co-workers finish a project when they take the credit for your success and point the finger when there is fault? Or when you work overtime, while everyone else sits around and watches?

The top line is scoring, but they're not playing defense. Watching Ryan Getzlaf give up the puck to everyone not wearing a Ducks jersey is tiring. Seeing Bobby Ryan and Corey Perry waiting for the puck to find their stick is frustrating.

No one should be rewarded for playing half a game.

It's time to send a message. Take a stance.

Sit Getzlaf, Perry, or Ryan for a game. Why not? Let those guys see that just because they score the goals doesn't mean they run the room.

Switch up the lines.

Let Ryan Carter (when he returns) center the top line. Give that guy some minutes for playing hard. Carter and Mike Brown have shown some chemistry together, a team spirit, let them play 20 minutes for the next game. Todd Marchant, he's got a shorthanded goal, let him run the next power play, our big names can't seem to get it done, give someone else a chance.

Throw Petteri Nokelainen into a top six slot just because he's working hard.

Hey Teemu Selanne, you don't want to play defense? Next game, five minutes of ice time, tops.

Sheldon Brookbank has been completely neglected and scratched (or playing minimal minutes), during the next game, he takes Ryan Whitney's spot and Whitney takes in the view from the press box.

Forget the battle in the net. Give it to JS Giguere with a clean slate. Remember when you were in school and the teacher said, "Everyone has an A at the beginning of this class, it's yours to keep if you work for it." So give him the goaltending A, and let him work to keep it.

If he can't manage that, something tells me Jonas Hiller will be much better prepared to step in and take over if necessary.

If all of these ideas sound completely crazy, absolutely absurd, certifiably whack-o...who cares? This team is already suffering.

Who's to say this isn't going to wake up Joffrey Lupul and force him to take a few more shots? This might make James Wisniewski fire the puck at the net, instead of three feet wide every time. Maybe Giguere needs confidence from his teammates without having to ask for it.

Right now, the obvious things aren't working, so why not try something extreme?

Does anyone have any better ideas?

GO DUCKS!!! GO GET YOUR ACT TOGETHER!

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