Well, Ducks fans now know how the Calgary fans feel. There's not a single "objective" fan that thinks the Ducks didn't deserve a W last night. Problem is you have to earn the W, not deserve it.

Now down 0-2, my heart says we're still in it, my head says probably not. I think we have to win the next two for any realistic chance. Took 4 penalties last night, and it was the kids (Montour, Theodore, Manson, Holzer) that got called. Also tough when 1/3 of your D corp is out. It is what it is though. Bottom line, Talbot stopped everything he had to (was screened on the goal he gave up), and Gibby didn't (1st goal, short side, clear view, needs to be stopped. 2nd goal lucky bounce, Gibby had no chance).

I'm afraid Perry might be the Ducks version of Dustin Brown. He didn't look good at all last night.

Oh well. On the bright side. I have plenty of alcohol for the Sunday game.

Oh down 0-2? Well take it from a preds fan it could go to a game seven...

Oilers look good ...

Seriously how are the ducks down 2-0
- Redmile247

Bro- I know you're frustrated, but yeah- there's no rational argument that the ducks "shoulda" won the first game.
other than maybe - if they stayed outta the box a little more or got more bounces. "
But yeah- that's a narrative that could probably be said about 95% of hockey games.


Game 2 on the other hand- praise be to talbot

Being down 0-2 isn’t a good way to start a series. It is frustrating as a fan, and I can see the discouragement of this group. They’re doing a lot of things right, and they did sure up some areas that needed improvement. Nevertheless, outcomes of games are determined by goals, and Edmonton is getting the job done in that area.

Talbot has been the difference maker, and if this team can’t beat that guy then things will end quickly. He’s making the timely saves and they’re scoring the timely goals. Things will continue to trend against the Ducks unless they turn things around this Sunday and reestablish their footing. What are these things that must change? Gibson needs to be the best player on the ice, and that hasn’t been the case. Perry needs to win a (frank)ing puck battle in the offensive zone. IDK what’s going on there, but this not even one and done and 200ft the other way doesn’t cut it right now. The third line could have had possession in the offensive zone numerous times, but a lost puck battle put an end to that. A timely goal from the 3rd line would go a long way, and that starts with Perry winning puck battles, keeping the puck on his stick, and creating time and space. Otherwise, some wherewithal from depth guys to just take it upon themselves to get the puck through the neutral zone and dumped into a reasonable area would bode well. Lastly, no surprise here, this team must score. Beat Talbot. Find a way to get the puck past him.

Who’s going to step up, dig deeper and turn this thing around?

Well, Ducks fans now know how the Calgary fans feel. There's not a single "objective" fan that thinks the Ducks didn't deserve a W last night. Problem is you have to earn the W, not deserve it.

Now down 0-2, my heart says we're still in it, my head says probably not. I think we have to win the next two for any realistic chance. Took 4 penalties last night, and it was the kids (Montour, Theodore, Manson, Holzer) that got called. Also tough when 1/3 of your D corp is out. It is what it is though. Bottom line, Talbot stopped everything he had to (was screened on the goal he gave up), and Gibby didn't (1st goal, short side, clear view, needs to be stopped. 2nd goal lucky bounce, Gibby had no chance).

I'm afraid Perry might be the Ducks version of Dustin Brown. He didn't look good at all last night.

Oh well. On the bright side. I have plenty of alcohol for the Sunday game.
- quackup

Well. No real fan is objective. All you can do is not watch and look at the stats if you wana really be objective. The ducks worked hard. Played well. But i refuse to call it bad luck or blame the refs. Nobody knew that the oilers could play this well defensively. We knew about talbot. I mean winning a game 2-1. That's not normal for Edmonton.

I know McDavid is an otherworldly talent. And I'm glad the Ducks are mostly containing him. But I have to admit I underrated Adam Larsson. He looks fantastic on the ice. Before I start my full apology tour, I'd like to just say I missed on my assessment of the Taylor Hall trade.

Well,isn't this just priceless. Ducks have outplayed the oil and are down 2-0. Oil have got all the lucky bounces. Ducks have been dominant and have nothing to show for. Now you feel Flames pain. QuackQuack,

Just saying, McDavid can't be touched without drawing a penalty. Not blaming the refs for either loss, but there is definitely some special treatment for the NHL's new poster boy.

Carlyle is being out coached and I'm surprised he has not yet played the obvious ace in his deck: put Perry and Getzlaf back together and it's been driving me nuts the last two games. This team needs a spark and there must be a massive shift in momentum.

A talent like Perry playing on a line with Shaw and Vermette is a waste.

McLellan is outcoaching Carlyle so badly, the team is so focused on McDavid that it's like a perpetual power play.
- JLO961

McLellan can't outcoach a doorknob. You'd know that if you actually understood the game. He's not a bench coach you want in the playoffs...5-6 years of failure with the Sharks should give you a clue.

Just saying, McDavid can't be touched without drawing a penalty. Not blaming the refs for either loss, but there is definitely some special treatment for the NHL's new poster boy.


- getzlaugh

C'mon...so friggin tired of hearing crap about preferential treatment in games. The kid is fast and slippery...and the goon squad the ducks are fielding doesn't help the cause. Maybe, if Kesler start flopping again you'd get some calls

C'mon...so friggin tired of hearing crap about preferential treatment in games. The kid is fast and slippery...and the goon squad the ducks are fielding doesn't help the cause. Maybe, if Kesler start flopping again you'd get some calls
- puckhog

There's no preferential treatment. Connor doesn't need a step to beat people, he can walk around the best defenders in the world even when they've got a gap. and as u mentioned, it's not just on the fly, he's slippery and can beat guys in small spaces too.
So often the only option is to clutch and grab.

In fact they didn't call a couple obvious impediments on him last night.
But whatev, some calls go your way and some don't

C'mon...so friggin tired of hearing crap about preferential treatment in games. The kid is fast and slippery...and the goon squad the ducks are fielding doesn't help the cause. Maybe, if Kesler start flopping again you'd get some calls
- puckhog

I get a kick out of people who don't think superstars get calls. Crosby gets them, Mc David gets them, Kane gets them. It's nothing new, and it's not just hockey, LeBron James gets calls, Tom Brady gets them, etc. It's the way it is in pro sports and it's both ignorant to deny that it happens and it's a waste of time to complain about them. The fans that complain about great players getting calls are probably just jealous that their team doesn't have a player of that caliber.

sink or swim . this is not impossible but it starts next game with a W

I get a kick out of people who don't think superstars get calls. Crosby gets them, Mc David gets them, Kane gets them. It's nothing new, and it's not just hockey, LeBron James gets calls, Tom Brady gets them, etc. It's the way it is in pro sports and it's both ignorant to deny that it happens and it's a waste of time to complain about them. The fans that complain about great players getting calls are probably just jealous that their team doesn't have a player of that caliber.
- duxcup07

Thing about everyone of those guys u named is that they're pretty much better than everyone else. So the opposition has to do whatever it can to contain them. Which includes clutching, holding, interfering, etc.

Those guys have earned that reputation to get the benefit of the doubt. Because players are forced to impede them ALL the time. Any "soft" calls they may have gotten are probably totally offset by the calls they didn't

End of the day, whatever, I guess we'll agree to disagree. But I haven't seen a call for Connor in this series that wasn't warranted. In fact, he coulda drawn a couple more imo.

Just saying, McDavid can't be touched without drawing a penalty. Not blaming the refs for either loss, but there is definitely some special treatment for the NHL's new poster boy.

Carlyle is being out coached and I'm surprised he has not yet played the obvious ace in his deck: put Perry and Getzlaf back together and it's been driving me nuts the last two games. This team needs a spark and there must be a massive shift in momentum.

A talent like Perry playing on a line with Shaw and Vermette is a waste.
- getzlaugh

Can't be touched? He was dragged down by Getzlaf on what would've been a clean 2-on-1 and got nothing. He's constantly held and obstructed. The reality of the situation is the best players in the world are so good that opposition players have to take liberties against them all the time so it's natural to eventually start calling some of the countless infractions. Call it preferential treatment, Oilers fans have seen so much go uncalled that it's nice to see him get some calls.

I'm still confused by things that get called over things that don't (for both sides), but such is the nature of reffing in the NHL.

Can't be touched? He was dragged down by Getzlaf on what would've been a clean 2-on-1 and got nothing. He's constantly held and obstructed. The reality of the situation is the best players in the world are so good that opposition players have to take liberties against them all the time so it's natural to eventually start calling some of the countless infractions. Call it preferential treatment, Oilers fans have seen so much go uncalled that it's nice to see him get some calls.

I'm still confused by things that get called over things that don't (for both sides), but such is the nature of reffing in the NHL.
- MaximumBone

Yeah, that one was pretty blatant.

On another note, other than hating him with a passion for the next week and a half, I've always been a fan of Getzlafs.
but he kinda tends to fly under the radar when the words "best players in the world" get thrown around.
But He is absolutely in that conversation. Such a beast. Can't be stopped really

Just saying, McDavid can't be touched without drawing a penalty. Not blaming the refs for either loss, but there is definitely some special treatment for the NHL's new poster boy.

Carlyle is being out coached and I'm surprised he has not yet played the obvious ace in his deck: put Perry and Getzlaf back together and it's been driving me nuts the last two games. This team needs a spark and there must be a massive shift in momentum.

A talent like Perry playing on a line with Shaw and Vermette is a waste.
- getzlaugh

You mean like when Getzlaf bulldogged him to the ice in front of a ref and there was no call? yep special treatment all right.

Thing about everyone of those guys u named is that they're pretty much better than everyone else. So the opposition has to do whatever it can to contain them. Which includes clutching, holding, interfering, etc.

Those guys have earned that reputation to get the benefit of the doubt. Because players are forced to impede them ALL the time. Any "soft" calls they may have gotten are probably totally offset by the calls they didn't

End of the day, whatever, I guess we'll agree to disagree. But I haven't seen a call for Connor in this series that wasn't warranted. In fact, he coulda drawn a couple more imo.
- HB77

Even though I'm a Ducks fan, I think I can also be an "objective" one (though others may disagree). I can take the homer glasses off every now and then.

Excellent post. I agree with every word of it.

McDavid is fast. Crazy explosive fast. Our D could have been called with a holding penalty EVERY time he had possession of the puck and was skating up ice.

McLellan can't outcoach a doorknob. You'd know that if you actually understood the game. He's not a bench coach you want in the playoffs...5-6 years of failure with the Sharks should give you a clue.
- puckhog

It's funny that Carlyle couldn't split up Rakell and Getzlaf at home to get one of them away from Larsson and Klefbom. I guess Carlyle isn't a doorknob.

Even though I'm a Ducks fan, I think I can also be an "objective" one (though others may disagree). I can take the homer glasses off every now and then.

Excellent post. I agree with every word of it.

McDavid is fast. Crazy explosive fast. Our D could have been called with a holding penalty EVERY time he had possession of the puck and was skating up ice.
- quackup

Well said.

It was zero indictment of the ducks.
It's the same for the 6 dmen on the 29 other teams as well.
He's extremely tough to deal with.

That said, the ducks have done an admirable job thus far and I'll bet Carlyle understands a few minor penalties are gonna come because of it

It's funny that Carlyle couldn't split up Rakell and Getzlaf at home to get one of them away from Larsson and Klefbom. I guess Carlyle isn't a doorknob.
- yzermaneely

It's even more funny that you're on a couch expecting a cup winning coach to read your analysis here...now that's funny

Well said.

It was zero indictment of the ducks.
It's the same for the 6 dmen on the 29 other teams as well.
He's extremely tough to deal with.

That said, the ducks have done an admirable job thus far and I'll bet Carlyle understands a few minor penalties are gonna come because of it
- HB77

It just happened. Cogliano got knocked down behind the net and gets no call. Corey Perry runs into Mc David in what the network announcers called incidental contact and Perry got the call against him. Because it was Connor Mc Jesus. That's the way it is with superstars.

It just happened. Cogliano got knocked down behind the net and gets no call. Corey Perry runs into Mc David in what the network announcers called incidental contact and Perry got the call against him. Because it was Connor Mc Jesus. That's the way it is with superstars.
- duxcup07

I've see plenty of calls on the exact same incidental collision. What you're saying is that no ref has ever called that unless there was a star involved? On that same collision, Perry had ample of time to avoid it, he saw what was going down but he chose to take the risk. Didn't pay off.

Welp. I called it. Being more aggesisive paid off. All year this team has been better when they attack. Staying back and playing defensively only gets us in trouble. Silverberg what can i say. Been telling you guys for years he can score. #ohahsilverberg. Damn. In need to start getting paid for my analyst. So. It's your move Edmonton

It just happened. Cogliano got knocked down behind the net and gets no call. Corey Perry runs into Mc David in what the network announcers called incidental contact and Perry got the call against him. Because it was Connor Mc Jesus. That's the way it is with superstars.
- duxcup07

ANd they missed 2 calls that coulda went Connors way. One pretty blatant

For any call Connor gets, the miss at least the same

I don't know what to tell you if you don't think they're desperate to try and stop him and don't make numerous infractions to do it. You can't see his blinding speed and the insane stuff he can do even in small spaces? Dude, no homer here, but we're watching the development of one of the best players to ever play. Of course you need to push the envelope to try and stop him. And because of those skills they earn the benefit of the doubt because the refs understand what it takes to contain him

And I'm not complaining about the reffing. Just responding to you. It is what it is in the playoffs. They let more go. Fair enough


Anyways- congrats on the win.
Big game 4 comin up