11-3-05 Anaheim at Colorado

at Colorado, 6 PST, FSNW2

Site — Pepsi Center.

Radio — 1090.

Records — Ducks 7-5-0-1; Avalanche 6-4-0-1.

Record vs. Avalanche (2003-04) — 2-1-0-1.

Update — The Ducks' many health issues are slowly coming to resolution. Left wing Travis Moen may return tonight after sitting out three games because of a strained right knee. With Moen back, the Ducks sent center Aaron Gavey to their minor-league team in Portland, Maine. Center Ryan Getzlaf (shoulder strain) will travel with the team but probably won't be ready until Friday against San Jose. Defenseman Sandis Ozolinsh (broken rib) and right wing Corey Perry (concussion) remain on injured reserve and won't make the trip. Center Sergei Fedorov (groin) went through a light skate for the third consecutive day. Colorado has gotten an offensive lift from defenseman John-Michael Liles and rookie forward Marek Svatos.

This is a good test for the Ducks, Preds had overachieved so far this year and Avs should be a much tougher opponent for us.

Sykora & Lupes really need to step up if we want to win this one.

Hopefully Selanne will seriously punish the Avalanche...as long as Vaananen and Laaksonen are not on ice during those goals :D

Rookie Ryan Getzlaf was taken off injured reserve and flew with the team to Denver, but it is unclear whether he will play tonight. Getzlaf hurt his left shoulder when he slid into the boards in a game Oct.23. Carlyle wouldn't commit to saying Travis Moen was ready to return to the lineup for tonight's game against the Avalanche, but the signs were there. "Travis is close," Carlyle said. "Travis is with the hockey club right now."

The Ducks reassigned center Aaron Gavey to Portland (AHL).

OC Register (http://www.ocregister.com/ocregister/sports/pros/article_748700.php)

Good thing Gavey was sent down. He didn't do squat in the games he was here. I love how Kunitz has been flying. He knows this is his chance to impress and taking every opportunity to shine. I know Andy Mac and Teemu are going to roll tonight. The question is whether we can get secondary scoring from Heds/Nieds/Loops. Our defense must be good tonight and this will be our biggest test so far this year. We've had some success lately with sub-500 teams. Giguere has to be huge again like he was against Nashville and control those rebounds. If we give the Avs second chances, they'll kill us. I expect alot of Scott Nieds as he is coming on strong lately. It'll be a good game tonight.

I assume J-S will be in goal this evening; correct?

I assume J-S will be in goal this evening; correct?

Unless he's been swallowed by his giant, illegal pads, yes he's starting.

Unless he's been swallowed by his giant, illegal pads, yes he's starting.

Great, thanks.

Colorado's line-up will be confirmed shortly with the Joel Quennville show commencing soon. I'll be curious to hear whether Dan Hinote will be dressing tonight or if he's still not healthy yet.

Good thing Gavey was sent down. He didn't do squat in the games he was here.

In 20 minutes of total ice time. What were you expecting?

Should be a good game. Against all odds, I'll predict a tie. As the zamboni is getting ready to prep the ice for the shootout, a freak accident will occur and the Pepsi Center scoreboard will rip loose from it's moorings leaving a huge hole at center ice. Don't worry, nobody will be hurt, but the video of the event will be spectacular.

A win tonight would be huge. We still haven't beaten anyone good.

For the Ducks special teams is the key to this one. Colorado boasts top 5 rankings in both PP(3rd) and PK(5th). You stop them there you should win this game.

Yeah, I know Getzlaf played well his last 2 games before he got hurt. But before that, he was rather invisible. With him gone, the Ducks have been winning. I am not saying that he causes them to lose when he is playing, but maybe the team has just found some chemistry with the players they have had healthy the past four games.

With them winning, inserting him in the lineup... even if it won't happen til tomorrow... might interrupt the rythym the Ducks have going right now. They are WINNING! Heck, if Federov was ready to play today, I would still argue that it would be better to wait til the team lost a game to put Federov back in. Just my opinion, thats all.

Yeah, I know Getzlaf played well his last 2 games before he got hurt. But before that, he was rather invisible. With him gone, the Ducks have been winning. I am not saying that he causes them to lose when he is playing, but maybe the team has just found some chemistry with the players they have had healthy the past four games.

With them winning, inserting him in the lineup... even if it won't happen til tomorrow... might interrupt the rythym the Ducks have going right now. They are WINNING! Heck, if Federov was ready to play today, I would still argue that it would be better to wait til the team lost a game to put Federov back in. Just my opinion, thats all.

Jeremy's Iron

A win tonight would be huge. We still haven't beaten anyone good.

I consider Nashville and Calgary to be good teams. The other wins were games they should have won and did...if not those are bad losses.

Should be a good test for this team on the road. Colorado is a tough place to play and they are still a pretty good team despite losing Foote and Forsberg. Hopefully some of the momentum from the home stand will carry over.

Yeah, I know Getzlaf played well his last 2 games before he got hurt. But before that, he was rather invisible. With him gone, the Ducks have been winning. I am not saying that he causes them to lose when he is playing, but maybe the team has just found some chemistry with the players they have had healthy the past four games.



I'd send him down to Portland if not now then when Fedorov is back.

Dan Hinote is confirmed playing tonight.

Tanguay - Sakic - Hejduk
Brunette - Turgeon - Svatos
Konowalchuk - Laperriere - Laaksonen
May - McLean - Hinote

Skrastins - Blake
Liles - Brisebois
Vaananen - Clark

That's the line-up unless one of Bob Boughner or Kurt Sauer dress in place of Brett Clark, but I doubt it. Joel Q loves Clark.

So maybe an outside chance Getzlaf comes back tonight?

anyways the ducks need to play physical once again. Colorado is not an overly physical team so thats one place the ducks have an advantage.

If the ducks can finish a positive in special teams they have a good chance of winning. I'd love to see the PK put up another zero tonight.

Lastly, get traffic in front of the net (Lupul, Niedermayer, Moen, Fedoruk, Hedstrom i'm looking at you)

Bryzgalov in net tonight . . .

Looks like Getzlaf is back.

also Moen

Sykora scores! Ducks 1-0

Kunitz makes the play down below the goal line.

1-0, Sykora!

Robbie Nieds is playing strong on the pk.

Lupul would've had a short handed breakaway had he not been held up there at the boards.

I just wish someone on the pp will just skate the puck toward the net and take a shot. When you start doing that, the penalty killers will respect the puck carrier more, opening up passing lanes.

Ducks running around with their heads cut off. Avs lead 2-1

some bad defensive zone coverage by the Ducks in that period...

lines:

Hedstrom-Niedermayer-Lupul
Fedoruk-McDonald-Selanne
Kunitz-Pahlsson-Sykora
Moen-Konopka-Getzlaf

Salei-Niedermayer
Carney-Marshall
Vishnevski-DiPenta

Bryzgalov

healthy scratch: Brennan

Ducks running around with their heads cut off. Avs lead 2-1
Yes and thanks to Anti Laxative.

Sakic scores. This game is getting away from us.

Sakic; we're pretty much done for tonight.

Next goal is huge.

Vaananenenenenen with a big blast from the point. Thank God Bryz makes the save.

Kind of a weak penalty there on Salei.

Kind of a weak penalty there on Salei.

Kind of? I thought you actually had to touch him for it to be a penalty.

Is it me or the Ducks particularly bad tonight. No one is playing well.

Kind of? I thought you actually had to touch him for it to be a penalty.

Hejduk sold it pretty well too. Not sure if anyone else is getting the Avs broadcast, but I'm gonna go out on a limb and say their announcer wants Turegon to get his 500th. He's screaming whenever Turegon has the puck.

They're playing freaking horrible, yet they're only down a goal going into the 3rd.

Nice setup by Scotty Nieds to set up Lupul on that goal. 3-2 going in to the 3rd. As bad as they've played (I agree with your assessment Jerky), they can still win this.

Bad game so far for the Ducks yet they are only down by a goal thanks to a nice play by Scott Nieds.

Now they are a goal away from stealing a point on the road. I'm hoping we see a great period from the Ducks in the third.

Interesting.

Every game we've played for the past two weeks, the team we're playing apparently "plays bad." Surely it couldn't be that the Avalanche are playing well. ;)

The Av's are playing well, but the Ducks are playing bad versus how they've played the last few.

Geezus, Sykora comes a few millimeters from tying the game.

Ducks aren't gonna tie this if they keep going to the box.

Wow, Sykora even had two or three steps on Laaksonen and Laaksonen absolutely BLEW past him.

Either Laaksonen is much, much faster than Sykora(which is not the truth), or Sykora put in absolutely no effort there to back-check.

4-2 Avs with four minutes to go.

Rob Nieds gets hooked down by Blake near the Avs blueline trying to get to Laaksonen and he ends up scoring a breakaway goal shorthanded. Don't know how he got by Sykora, but he did. Bryzgalov had made 3 very good saves on Tanguay in the period.

Don't turn channels to the Kings game just yet, folks!

Ducks score short-handed with the goaltender pulled.

30 seconds left; 4-3 Avs.

Ok, now it's game over... 4-3 Avalanche win.

The Ducks never gave up and came very close to tieing it up there at the end.

Good game, folks. :handclap:

Good effort in the third. The Ducks came on strong but Bryz couldn't save us in the end. Can't complain though because Bryz kept them in the first two periods when the Ducks were awful.

What a frustrating game to watch.

Poor Bryzgalov was playing 1 on 5 so much of the game. The defensive zone play was horrendous. Too many penalties again, a few were marginal like the Sykora 'interference' at the end of the game, but they were completely outplayed and were lucky to even be in the game.

Interesting.

Every game we've played for the past two weeks, the team we're playing apparently "plays bad." Surely it couldn't be that the Avalanche are playing well. ;)

It's a combination of both. Colorado played well in the first two periods and the Ducks coverage in their zone was bad and they didn't show signs of having a lot of energy.

-Frustrating loss. Ducks did not play well at all in the first 2 periods but probably deserved at least a point based on their effort in the third. Bryzgalov definetly deserved better.

-3 huge saves by Bryzgalov on Tanguay...hate to see him let one in on a Laksonen break away like that.

-Refs kinda screwed us again. Sykora interefence penalty was B.S. It's either interference on the Colorado D-man or it's diving on Sykora but it's not interference on Sykora. All sykora is trying to do is stay onside. Rob Niedermayer got tripped a little bit and it easily could have given the Ducks a 5 on 3, instead Laksonen gets a breakaway and makes it 4-2...I understand that would be a tough borderline call for the refs to make, but it's frustrating when the Avs score shorthanded a second later.

-Getzlaf...he looked ok in his return, I'd still like him to go to Portland for a while.

-McDonald...first average game for him in a while, not as much jump from him tonight, same with Selanne.

-Sykora...better game from him and he was within an inch of tying the score early in the third.

-Moen, Fedoruk and Konopka...it's 3-1 your team is not playing well...isn't this when you drop the gloves to wake up your teammates?? guess not... :shakehead

-Scott Niedermayer is definetly starting to make things happen...love to see him step around defenders into the slot and take his point shot.

-Refs kinda screwed us again. Sykora interefence penalty was B.S. It's either interference on the Colorado D-man or it's diving on Sykora but it's not interference on Sykora. All sykora is trying to do is stay onside. Rob Niedermayer got tripped a little bit and it easily could have given the Ducks a 5 on 3, instead Laksonen gets a breakaway and makes it 4-2...I understand that would be a tough borderline call for the refs to make, but it's frustrating when the Avs score shorthanded a second later.

I fail to see how that play could have been interference on Ossi Vaananen or be diving on Petr Sykora.

Yes, he was attempting to stay onside, but he was still moving into Vaananen and clearly setting a pick.

Perhaps you didn't get to see a good replay of it or not, because your evaluation of the play is completely off. Vaananen wasn't even looking at Sykora; he was concerned with the puck carrier. How could it be a diving penalty on Sykora when Vaananen never initiated body contact to begin with? What exactly would he be diving about?

That's about as clear of an interference penalty as you can get.

Setting picks at the opposing blue-line is a clear no-no.

I fail to see how that play could have been interference on Ossi Vaananen or be diving on Petr Sykora.

Yes, he was attempting to stay onside, but he was still moving into Vaananen and clearly setting a pick.



I saw the play twice and Vaananen was preventing Sykora from staying onsides.

Thats the way the Anaheim announcers saw it as well.

Hejduk sold it pretty well too. Not sure if anyone else is getting the Avs broadcast, but I'm gonna go out on a limb and say their announcer wants Turegon to get his 500th. He's screaming whenever Turegon has the puck.
I know. Don't jinx him or anything McCloed!

Winless since opening night on the road. We still have yet to beat a good team.

Well, it's both frustrating & promising at the same time.

We lost only by 1 goal to a healthy Avs while missing what 4 of our starters (Feds, Ozo, Getzlaf, Perry) so it's not that bad.

Keep the faith guys!

Wasn't that frustrating of a loss for me because they didn't deserve the win. Colorado just out-talented the Ducks in this one. I don't know how Tanguay found Blake open like he did, but it's hard to stop goals like that from going in. Games like this one are where we need Fedorov.

They played almost the entire second period in their end and only lost by one.

Bryzgalov did very well. The Ducks are solid in net, which is nice.

Too many penalties...

For the record, the only time a loss is frustrating to me is when the Ducks lose because the other team's goalie played amazingly...

Wasn't that frustrating of a loss for me because they didn't deserve the win. Colorado just out-talented the Ducks in this one. I don't know how Tanguay found Blake open like he did, but it's hard to stop goals like that from going in. Games like this one are where we need Fedorov.

They played almost the entire second period in their end and only lost by one.

Bryzgalov did very well. The Ducks are solid in net, which is nice.

Too many penalties...

For the record, the only time a loss is frustrating to me is when the Ducks lose because the other team's goalie played amazingly...

One of the few people who will admit Colorado was the better team.

Thanks for the unbiased evaluation. :handclap:

One of the few people who will admit Colorado was the better team.

Thanks for the unbiased evaluation. :handclap:

The Ducks themselves are saying they played bad, no mention of how Colorado was simply the better team. Anaheim had a really bad game and still only lost by 1.

Here are some quotes for you:

"I didn't think we were very good," Duck Coach Randy Carlyle said. "Our execution was nowhere near where it needed to be."

"We're a better team than that," said right wing Joffrey Lupul, who scored two goals. "We can skate with this team, in their building or in our building."

"The first two goals were a prime example of poor defensive zone coverage," Carlyle said. "How can you fault the goaltender when the guy is untouched?"

"That was the worst we've played, especially in the first and second periods," forward Niedermayer said. "[Bryzgalov] held us in the game."

LA Times (http://www.latimes.com/sports/la-sp-ducks4nov04,1,256355.story?coll=la-headlines-sports)

The Ducks themselves are saying they played bad, no mention of how Colorado was simply the better team. Anaheim had a really bad game and still only lost by 1.

Oh, since professionals said it, it MUST be true!!!!

:propeller :propeller :propeller

Oh, since professionals said it, it MUST be true!!!!

:propeller :propeller :propeller

Well your trolling over here saying how your favorite team played great, so I'm just trying to point out for you that while the Avs had a pretty good game the Ducks had a very bad couple periods, thus a 4-3 win for Colorado. Now you can return to your own board.

First Ducks' game I got to watch.....wasn't very impressed the first two periods, the Avs were just dominating them in all aspects.

It's really too bad the puck *magically* stopped on the goal line early in the third though..or it would have been 3-3 and who knows what the outcome would have been then.

If the Ducks played all three periods like the 3rd one (or hey even if they played two periods like that), I think they could have come out winners.

Ah well, hopefully they do better tonight. Good things though:

PK, they stopped the Avs on 7 PPs I think...

Bryz, made a bunch of good saves to keep Ducks close.

-Frustrating loss. Ducks did not play well at all in the first 2 periods but probably deserved at least a point based on their effort in the third.


This has been the Ducks M.O. all too often this year. One period does not a game make.

One of the few people who will admit Colorado was the better team.

Thanks for the unbiased evaluation. :handclap:

No one is trying to take anything away from Colorado's win last night, we're just pointing out that our team didn't play well. Colorado was the better team last night, but this Ducks team has the potential to play better. This is the Ducks board so of course observations on how the Ducks played will be put in the game day thread.

Well your trolling over here saying how your favorite team played great, so I'm just trying to point out for you that while the Avs had a pretty good game the Ducks had a very bad couple periods, thus a 4-3 win for Colorado. Now you can return to your own board.

Actually, I've done absolutely no trolling on this forum by it's definition.

I'm not sure what your gripe is about, but people _are_ allowed to venture onto other boards and discuss the sport.

Again, please take a look at the board rules and educate yourself as to what a 'troll' really is. I've done none of that, and will continue to post here within the rules.

Take care!

We didn't deserve the point, with as many bullets as we dodged during that game. Looked like a completely different team than the one we saw beat Nashville. Still, nice way to come on towards the end.

Adding to the torture was having to watch the Colorado broadcast. Worst announcers in the game. At the first period intermission, the anchor informed us that it was a good thing the Avalanche had scored two goals since Giguere only allowed two-and-a-half per game. Giguere wasn't playing, genius.

I thought nobody could be worse than Steve Kelly, but these guys were so freakin' smug I had to hit the mute button before the urge developed to throw something at the television. Carney nicely breaks up a 2-on-1 and "the pass went off a defender's stick." What? Colorado does anything and it's "WHAT A BEAUTIFUL DUMP-IN BY LAAKSONEN!" I usually find Divealanche.com to be sort of retarded, but I may actually make a donation to the site now. The Avs media team is entirely deserving of the ridicule.

Yeah...McLeod is taking some getting used to...I like McNab though. :cry:

Anyhow, I got a club-level seat for this one, got to see the Ducks up close for the first time in about 3 years. And for the first time ever, I got to see Scott Niedermayer play in person. Wow...I can see why everyone harps about him, the guy was EVERYWHERE, including diving down low behind the net to set up the 2nd Ducks goal. Special Nieds didn't impress me as much--I'd like to see him play more LW like he did during the Ducks Cup run.

Selanne seems to have the wheels back, and overall the Ducks are a really fast team. They were winning races to the puck all game long. Bryzgalov was superb, denying Tanguay on at least 3 chances.

BTW, is Sykora a UFA after this season? It doesn't seem like he fits in with the Ducks' plans any longer.

I usually find Divealanche.com to be sort of retardedThat's because it is.

Please don't allow an awful Doug McLeod to cause you to falsely praise a site with no legitimacy. ;)

A few things: The Avs played a pretty ugly game last night as well. I'm sure some of it had to do with forcing the puck to Turgeon Avs fans don't exactly love McLeod either. Really lacks knowledge of the game. For example I don't think he's mentioned once that Laaksonen played for DU. I like McNab, he's a Pioneers so I'm biased Even though I like watching the game delayed a bit on tivo I'm thinking of muting the game and just syning it up to Mike Haynes call on the radio. divealanche is retarded. The constant homophobia leads me to think he's over compensating I really like Lupul. You've got a good player there

divealanche is retarded. The constant homophobia leads me to think he's over compensatingHe's simply a Wings fan living in Colorado. Enough said.

He's simply a Wings fan living in Colorado. Enough said.
If he hates it so bad here, why doesn't he go back to Detroit? Maybe because it's a Bladerunneresque hellhole?


Topic:McNab to the Olympics

Avalanche television analyst Peter McNab has been hired by NBC as one of its hockey commentators for the 2006 Olympics in Italy. (http://www.denverpost.com/avalanche/ci_3181382)

Regardless of your opinion, at least they didn't hire McLeod. :eek:

Good to see Teemu rebound. :handclap:

If he hates it so bad here, why doesn't he go back to Detroit? Maybe because it's a Bladerunneresque hellhole?Precisely. The number of Wings fans you see in other cities and other arenas has nothing to do with their fan base being anything special (as they're so fond of claiming). It has everything to do with the fact that people can't wait to get the **** out of Detroit. People move away from Detroit. No one moves to Detroit.

One of the few people who will admit Colorado was the better team.

Thanks for the unbiased evaluation. :handclap:
Wait, who is saying Colorado wasn't better?

The ducks played a poor game compared to their previous 5 or 6, they made several unforced errors.