Ed Stein: Broadway Comes to the OC

No time for let up tonight - gotta keep those feet moving and hammer the rags D - which can be hemmed in by a nasty fore check and cycle game - but must be aware of the rags counter which has killed the ducks in the past - hoping to see Montour stay in the lineup tonight - his speed is a welcome addition on the back end -

They're very beatable if you can score goals. I'm trying to remember what's that's like. Good luck!

Hank back in there tonight after a few weeks off from injury.
Could be rusty, could be awesome, we'll see. Rangers win & they're in the playoffs tonight.

They're very beatable if you can score goals. I'm trying to remember what's that's like. Good luck!
- arh777

I thought LA did carry a lot of the play last night, but we got the timely goals & Raanta stood strong in net. Like I said above, Hank (Lundqvist) back in goal tonight.

Condolences to you and your wife, Ed.

Condolences to you and your wife, Ed.
- duxcup07

Thanks, we appreciate it.

Damn Ed - completely missed the Wife's mom died - be well -

Damn Ed - completely missed the Wife's mom died - be well -
- dozerD10

Thanks

I’m sorry to hear about your mother-in-law. We’ll be patient in the meantime.



That was quite the game yesterday! This group finally broke through the 5 goal mark, and it’s good to see them play some of their best hockey of the year against a team like the Rangers. Strong transitions and Getzlaf’s dominance was the story line. It was a team effort, but Getzlaf was good. Eaves has worked out great, and has found the back of the net 6 times now since being traded for (13 games). Carlyle mentioned the difference lately has been the balance of offense throughout the top 3 lines. Nevertheless the 4th line has been effective as well. There were some precarious moments earlier in the homestand when Carlyle opted for the 4th line, and they played good minutes.

It’s a team game, and it really seems like this group is preparing themselves to win in the postseason. Fun time to be a Ducks fan!

Rangers mailed it in hung hank out to dry and still had the better of it for most of the game. Ducks are fighting for first place in the division rangers have nothing to play for locked into the first wildcard hank was rusty. Imho ducks are a middling team playing in a weak conference you may win a game in the playoffs but that's it so good luck have a nice summer.

Rangers mailed it in hung hank out to dry and still had the better of it for most of the game. Ducks are fighting for first place in the division rangers have nothing to play for locked into the first wildcard hank was rusty. Imho ducks are a middling team playing in a weak conference you may win a game in the playoffs but that's it so good luck have a nice summer.
- Bobd62

I wouldn't call us a middling team. More like a hopeful contender. If things break our way and we stay healthy then i'd say we eaisly make it to the conference finals. With alot of luck maybe stanley cup. That's when it get dicey. I mean we have playoff experience. We have talent. Mostly it just hasn't come together until now. Patrick eves has been really good for us. It's like he's been playing with getzlaf for years not weeks. Silverrburg and rackell have really answered the bell. Cogliano is having a bounce back year. So far if this level of play keeps happening I'd give us a chance.

Rangers mailed it in hung hank out to dry and still had the better of it for most of the game. Ducks are fighting for first place in the division rangers have nothing to play for locked into the first wildcard hank was rusty. Imho ducks are a middling team playing in a weak conference you may win a game in the playoffs but that's it so good luck have a nice summer.
- Bobd62

The "King" isn't exactly a world beater. Going into the game yesterday his GAA was 2.65 with an average save %. Raanta has better stats, and with 26 games under his belt, his better play isn't an aberration.

Worry about your own team. If the playoffs started tomorrow, you play Montreal, and you're winless against them.

I’m sorry to hear about your mother-in-law. We’ll be patient in the meantime.



That was quite the game yesterday! This group finally broke through the 5 goal mark, and it’s good to see them play some of their best hockey of the year against a team like the Rangers. Strong transitions and Getzlaf’s dominance was the story line. It was a team effort, but Getzlaf was good. Eaves has worked out great, and has found the back of the net 6 times now since being traded for (13 games). Carlyle mentioned the difference lately has been the balance of offense throughout the top 3 lines. Nevertheless the 4th line has been effective as well. There were some precarious moments earlier in the homestand when Carlyle opted for the 4th line, and they played good minutes.

It’s a team game, and it really seems like this group is preparing themselves to win in the postseason. Fun time to be a Ducks fan!
- IGotTheMemo

Maybe they can put together a Devils-esque cup run. Great goaltending, sound defense and deep forward lines.

Maybe they can put together a Devils-esque cup run. Great goaltending, sound defense and deep forward lines.
- Ed Stein

That's the plan.

The "King" isn't exactly a world beater. Going into the game yesterday his GAA was 2.65 with an average save %. Raanta has better stats, and with 26 games under his belt, his better play isn't an aberration.

Worry about your own team. If the playoffs started tomorrow, you play Montreal, and you're winless against them.
- quackup

True but the Rangers also have the best road record in the NHL (didn't show it last night) so I'm actually fine with them as the top wildcard team switching over & playing in the Atlantic divisions bracket & starting Game 1/2 on the road.

Hank has been inconsistent this year, maybe age is catching up with him & nagging injuries, fortunetly Raanta has been a very solid backup.

The final road trip of the year kicks off tonight as the Ducks take a tour of western Canada. They’re currently on their longest win streak of the year at 4 games. They’ve been good as of late. Tonight’s foe is the Vancouver Canucks, whom the Ducks have had mild success against this year. They’re 2-1-1. Not bad. With how things have been going as of late, you’re kind of hoping it’ll be a deer in headlights type of game. Just a mean pummeling. We haven’t heard the jovial Ducks fan from last year with the quacker. I swear, I could see the hair standing up on the entire lower bowls neck every time that guy got to quacking. We’ll see what happens. Maybe the quacker will show, and maybe we’ll witness fresh Vancouver roadkill. That’d be nice.

Now that the Kings have shown their true colors and have gotten back to the Kings of old, it’s nice to be able to contemplate whom will be the first round playoff opponent. What’s there to say about LA? They couldn’t close out the Yotes a week or so back, and then they couldn’t even score a single goal against the Rangers. Anaheim scored six against the best road team in the NHL. Just look at the math people. It’s not that hard to see why the Kings are on the outside looking in. Moreover, with the depleted prospect pool we’ve heard so much about; it just reminds me of Stannis Baratheon believing in hoopla; galavanting all around Westeros to no avail. Stannis was dethroned by Brienne the Beauty. He lost the Battle of the Blackwater and then went north. Is that equivalent to being out of the playoffs two years ago and trading a top 15 pick and a SCF caliber goaltender for a rental? Don’t get mad at me for just asking questions that need to be asked. LA’s time is done, even Davos knows. Even Davos.

So I’m thinking the Sharks will turn things around down the stretch, and only foresee them being an opponent in the semifinals. There’s a chance Anaheim meets Nashville, St. Louis, Calgary and Edmonton in the first round. They’ll play both of their divisional opponents at the end of this road trip, so we’ll have a better idea by then.

True but the Rangers also have the best road record in the NHL (didn't show it last night) so I'm actually fine with them as the top wildcard team switching over & playing in the Atlantic divisions bracket & starting Game 1/2 on the road.

Hank has been inconsistent this year, maybe age is catching up with him & nagging injuries, fortunetly Raanta has been a very solid backup.
- RustyKuntz

nashville has our number like detroit used to

That was a good win on Tuesday. It was good that this group was able to switch to a defensive mindset early in the second, yet still be effective. They drew 4 minor penalties against a team that doesn’t take many penalties. Nevertheless, when looking at areas where this team can be better the power play is circled in red. They’re at 17.7%, and this group is better than that. The power play woes started when this team was only averaging 2 power plays a game earlier this month.

Lately, there has been more emphasis on drawing calls, and we’ve seen the Ducks get more power play opportunities. Opportunities are important, but they need to capitalize. Fowler’s gone ice cold, and he’s on the number one PP unit.

Early in the year this group was second only behind the Blue Jackets in PP%. What’s changed in that time, where now they’re 23rd overall? Insulting. For the amount of talent and skill on this team 17.7% is a joke. The power play was atop the league when Perry and Kesler were in the kitchen waiting for the upper defense to be exploited by tape-to-tape passes. It’s just irritating that this group gets entry, moves the puck well, and even garners good opportunities, but opportunities doesn’t mean crap. It’s imperative for the power play to finish.

The Jets are a horrendous PK group, and I don’t think they’re the most disciplined group either. Tonight is the night for the power play to be the difference maker. 17.7% will only work if you want to go golfing in April. Draw some calls, exploit the man advantage and score.

Tonight is the night as to why we’re hockey fans! Edmonton, boasting the prodigy Connor McDavid, has brought second life to a dead Oilers franchise, as they have found themselves neck and neck with the Ducks atop the Pacific division. McDavid wants to be #1, but Anaheim isn’t having it. Let’s cut to the chase, people have criticized the Kesler signing. Who else would these heretics rather have matching up against McDavid than #17? The word kryptonite needs a sentence here. Kesler could make McDavid his generation’s Alexander Ovechkin, because the bus stops at the semifinals _!

What does McDavid do that makes him great? I refered to him as the “Kingslayer,” as he likes to lull you and that it’s a dagger to the back, with regards from Tywin Lannister. Seriously though, you always got to be mindful that he has a 7th gear. I’m sure we all remember how he’s one of the few people to beat Fowler, get inside position and score. The best counter to a player of this caliber is persistent harassment. Nothing over the top, but the instant McDavid is comfortable that’s GG right there.

On his left wing is game puck thief Patrick Maroon. Jared Boll and him had a staring contest, but clearly Maroon’s time in Edmonton has made him a changed man. I hate Maroon, but I’m proud of him.

So anyways, the storylines are just about as ripe as it gets for this one. Should make for a great game!

Tough game yesterday. What’s there to say? An insurance goal would have gone a long way, and the opportunities were there. What did the Oilers do well? I thought they did a really good job of winning 50/50 puck battles high along the boards in their defensive zone then immediately doing a chip, area pass to the center who was gaining speed to counter-attack. That’s a strong breakout tactic that put Anaheim on their heels many times, and gave them a few 2-1s. What made it even more difficult, is if you watch Connor McDavid when he starts to skate in his defensive zone as he’s starting a breakout it’s one, two, three, four, five, six powerful, explosive strides, and at that point he’s the fastest player on the ice. The guy could probably give Mathew Fraser a run for his money on the squat rack. Obviously, teams pick up habits from their best players, and it was apparent that there was a lot of emphasis by the forward group on quickly hitting top speed for breakouts.

I was pounding my keyboard yesterday conjuring McDavid’s demise, but the guy is good, and he’s been the best player on the ice the past 2 meetings. He uses his speed really well so that it doesn’t provide as many opportunities to hit and harass as you’d think there’d be. Clearly, the guy is use to having a target on his back, and has a lot of tools he uses to counter that. I’d never talk this extensively about a player on an opposing team, but the Oilers have been officially resurrected by #97, and they’ll be standing in the way of a Conference Finals berth, so it’s good to note these things.

Calgary is happening tonight. It’s the final regular season road game of the year. They’re going to play them twice in a row. There than here, which’ll inevitably play a substantial part in playoff seeding. Home ice advantage through the first two rounds is still up for grabs. Personally, I think Carlyle can get more out of matchups than Boudreau did. Looking at factors like coaching staff, FO% and how the lines are more concrete, I see a more mature group than previous years. That doesn’t guarantee anything, but it’s something to build off of.

I like how Carlyle uses the 80/20 rule. Negating Johnny Hockey's time and space is a no brainer, but if this team is going to have success they need to execute their game plan. It starts with strong breakouts, and when the passes aren’t hitting guys sticks as they’re in stride the neutral zone turns into a losing battle. We have some defensemen that are capable of spearheading the rush. That’s an option. Outside of that there’s dump-ins, forecheck, finding soft areas, outworking the defender, getting creative and beating the goaltender. Only one special teams unit has been great, and the power play still needs more opportunities. The list goes on and on. I see a roster that has the ability to achieve anything, but that’s on them. Make no mistake though, the time is right now for excellence in the execution department.

Mmm....

I love the smell of roast Duck...

Mmm....

I love the smell of roast Duck...
- Flamin_Irishmin

Do you only eat Duck once every other decade?

Mmm....

I love the smell of roast Duck...
- Flamin_Irishmin

you need flames to roast a Duck ...I guess the Flames were were put out

Mmm....

I love the smell of roast Duck...
- Flamin_Irishmin

Looks like we are going to be seeing alot of each other the next few weeks. I'm looking foward to it. I curious though. You think you gotta better chance against Edmonton. Because id think you you rather play us instead. That way you could try to use your speed against us. Aginst the oilers you'd be the slower and smaller team. The double whammy.