Anaheim Ducks general manager Bob Murray made is very clear when he said "there's not a chance in Hell" that he trading away goalie Jonas Hiller.
Murray told ESPN.com that all the Hiller trade rumors can go away because he is not trading away his blue-chip netminder.
“I'm tired of hearing about the rumors. I can tell you Jonas is not going anywhere.”
That sounds pretty cut and dry to me. With Viktor Fasth, Frederik Andersen and Jon Gibson all making names for themselves in the Ducks system, Hiller seemed like the obvious candidate to be dealt away. With his history of health problems and impending free agent status it just made the most sense.
Well, you can forget that nonsense.
Hiller is 23-4-4 with 2.35 goals against and three shutouts. He's won 14 games in a row, tying him for the second longest winning streak among goalies in NHL history. He has started 17 of the Ducks 21 homes game and is 14-0-2 on home ice. Hiller was recently named one the NHL three stars by posted a 3-0-0 record with a 1.67 goals-against average, .941 save percentage and one shutout to help the League-leading Ducks become the fifth team in NHL history to win 17 or more games over an 18-game span.
Hiller seems to have finally shaken off all of the lingering effects from the vertigo spell that had seemingly derailed his career.. He now looks like a goalie capable of backstopping his team to another Stanley Cup crown.
I'm glad Murray spoke out against the trade rumors. The last thing the Ducks or Hiller needs are distractions. This team has already overcome so much with all of the injuries and having to play in one the leagues toughest divisions. The focus should be on winning and thanks to a smart GM that's exactly what's going to happen.
***
The Anaheim Ducks are for real and so are there chances of chasing down the clubs second Stanley Cup title. This is not just me, the hack blogger at Hockeybuzz blowing smoke out of my you know what. At 35-8-5, the Ducks have proven they are legitimate contender and everybody around the NHL and beyond knows it.
After knocking off the Detroit Red Wings 1-0 the other night at the Honda Center, the Ducks improved to 19-0-2 at home. They remain the only NHL team without a regulation loss at in their own building. They also continue to annihilate franchise records along the way and in case you forgot, this season is the teams 20th anniversary. Talking about celebrating in a big way.
Head coach Bruce Boudreau has been blessed with an abundance of talent circulating throughout the organization. In fact the teams talent pool is so deep that even the Marianas Trench is envious.
(rim shot)
It has been a real treat to follow and cover this team over the last couple of season and look forward to seeing what lies ahead for this team.
Thanks for reading!
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