NHL FanHouse

Corey Perry On a Roll, Ducks Are Not

Susan Slusser — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 11:00:00 EST

Filed under: Ducks

After nearly making it into the Western Conference finals last year, then re-signing Scott Niedermayer and obtaining Saku Koivu, the Ducks appeared poised for a sure-fire playoff spot.

Instead, Anaheim is struggling to find its footing, with a division-low 19 points, making the Ducks the West's counterpart to inexplicably slow-starting Carolina. The talent level is unquestioned, but the postseason is going to be a dream unless the Ducks get it going fast.

Anaheim does have one good roll going. Corey Perry is riding a 15-game scoring streak.

"Things have been going personally well, but it's not leading to too many wins for the team," Perry told FanHouse by phone. "Personally, I feel like I'm playing well, like I'm leaving it all out on the ice."

Perry (28 points in 22 games) believes his hot streak might be related to getting prepared for the season early, thanks to Team Canada and going to the Olympic camp in Calgary during August. The experience was a good one for Perry, who called it "a great four days." Now, his play to start the season should help put him in a good position for the final Canadian roster.

"It's going to be interesting," Perry said. "They're going to name the team in a month, so it's down the stretch. It's going to be a tough team to pick and it's going to be a fun team to watch."

The Ducks were a fun team to watch in recent years, defined by sort of a rough-and-tumble physicality as well as skilled players such as Perry and Ryan Getzlaf, whose own scoring streak ended last week at 11 games. There's no secret why the two men have interlocking hot streaks; they've been linemates for years and one always knows where the other is on the ice.

"I don't think we've played a game without each other," Perry said. "And being friends off the ice definitely helps with the chemistry and bonding. And it also helps when a guy like that is always thinking pass before shooting."

On the defensive side, however, the Ducks had a major change. In the offseason, bruising defenseman Chris Pronger was dealt to Philadelphia. Did that throw off the Ducks' dynamics?

"I don't think the chemistry changed," Perry said. "We added personnel to the team and it's starting to come together. When you lose a guy like Chris Pronger, that's a lot of minutes to eat up. He's one of the best defensemen in the league and you can see what he brought to the team. But we're still going to play a forechecking, grinding game every night."

The flip side of that is that Anaheim has taken a lot of unnecessary penalties, and the team is second in the league in total minutes penalized. Combine that with the second-worst penalty kill in the NHL, and the results are, well, poor.

Perry said that issue is addressed every day. The Ducks talk about being smarter when it comes to penalties all the time. A goal-saving penalty, fine. Lots of little hooking and tripping calls, eliminate those, and maybe the Ducks will be at full strength more often.

Anaheim wrapped up a brutal four-game road trip last week that saw the team give up 18 goals and earn just one point. The Ducks have won only two road games, period. Now, they are home for seven in a row, and they've earned two wins, including last night's shootout victory over Calgary, and lost to league-leading San Jose by one goal.

"It's been a tough start," Perry said. "We're playing well at certain points and all of a sudden there's a lapse for 20 minutes. We haven't put 60 minutes together. We don't know how good a team we can be yet."

Corey Perry On a Roll, Ducks Are Not originally appeared on NHL FanHouse on Tue, 24 Nov 2009 11:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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2-on-1: Playoff Pretenders & Contenders

Christopher Botta — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 12:00:00 EST

Filed under: Avalanche, Bruins, Coyotes, Ducks, Lightning, Senators, Thrashers

Every Monday during the season two of our hockey writers will debate one topic. It's the 2-on-1. This week, Chris Botta and Adam Gretz break down who's for real and who isn't at the quarter-pole of the NHL season.

Chris Botta: In dealing with contenders and pretenders, Adam, let's start off with a pair of teams that no one in our business had sniffing the playoffs. I'm talking, of course, about the Colorado Avalanche and the New York Islanders. My position is that we are still at least another 20 games away from knowing if they are legitimate contenders for playoff berths. However, both should be congratulated for already making something of their seasons when everyone thought they'd be playing for Taylor Hall. Do you think the Avalanche and Islanders are for real as playoff contenders?

Adam Gretz: Yeah, I figured the draft lottery would be the only thing these teams would be playing for this season, but if I had to pick one as a serious playoff contender right now, I think I'd still lean toward Colorado, even with their rough stretch over the past two weeks.

I think the Islanders deserve a ton of credit for what they've been able to do this season because even when they're not winning, they're still in just about every game. But when I look at the roster I just don't see a serious playoff contender. At least not yet. Especially in a division that has Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, New Jersey and the Rangers. I just can't see the Islanders competing with that group all season, especially with some of the other improved teams around the Eastern Conference.

"I said to captain Shane Doan, 'I don't think you guys are The Little Team That Could.' He said, 'Shush, don't tell anyone. I know we've got a good team, but we don't want anyone to know it.'"
-- Christopher Botta on the Coyotes' Solid Start Of course, that's not to say that Colorado is a slam-dunk playoff team, either, but of the two, I think the Avs have a better shot. Especially since they don't have to compete with the Atlantic Division teams.

Chris Botta: I agree that the 'Lanche have the better shot of the two teams right now. Unless Garth Snow decides to use -- or is allowed to use -- the $147 million in cap space he has to acquire a veteran defenseman and maybe also a solid forward, the Islanders are not quite ready for prime time. That's far from the end of the world. Thanks to John Tavares being even better as a 19-year-old than most thought, the Islanders are actually ahead of schedule.

There are three other teams in the East surpassing expectations: Ottawa, Tampa Bay and Atlanta. My feeling is the Lightning are the least surprising. When your lineup starts with three studs like Martin St. Louis, Steven Stamkos and Vincent Lecavalier, as long as you get decent goaltending you should be able to contend for a seventh or eighth seed. Cory Clouston has done a fine job with the Senators, and that's with Jason Spezza not scoring. I'm telling you, Adam, I don't know how much you have seen of the Thrashers, but they are fun to watch. I'll admit that part of me is rooting for them because John Anderson's style has a lot of entertainment value.

Are you a true believer in Ottawa, Tampa Bay or Atlanta? I should add that it's hard to get a read these days. Let's face it: with the shootout, a record like the Bolts' unwieldy 8-4-7 doesn't always provide the most accurate picture.

Adam Gretz: Of the three teams you mentioned, I'm definitely a believer in Atlanta. Before the season I had them as a contender for the No. 8 playoff spot (and John Anderson was my sleeper for coach of the year). Not saying they'll get in, but I think they can hang around, especially if they keep Kovalchuk (even if it's a Jay Bouwmeester-desperation attempt that ends up blowing up in their faces). I think their top-four on defense is as good as they've ever had, and Maxim Afinogenov is actually scoring some goals. If they ever get Bryan Little going again I think this could absolutely be a dangerous team at the bottom of the playoff picture.

I think the biggest surprise out of those three, to me, is Ottawa. Here's a team that didn't have any offense to speak of a season ago when they had a two-time 50-goal scorer in the lineup. Take Dany Heatley's production out of that equation and I figured the bottom would just fall out. Mike Fisher has had a nice bounceback season, and Michalek seems like he's starting to settle in as well.

Still, at the quarter point, if I had to rank them in order of playoff probability I think I'd go 1) Atlanta, 2) Ottawa, 3) Tampa Bay.

Chris Botta: This is the part of our conversation where I'd want to take a reverse-angle look and talk about the teams in the East we thought would be good but are near the bottom of the pack. Fact is, there aren't any. The only top-talent team that has only been so-so is Boston, but for all the Bruins' struggles they are 10-8-2 and in the top eight. When they get Marc Savard back, they should climb higher. So let's move on to the West.

Besides Colorado, the other happy surprise in Phoenix. While the Coyotes are a nice Cinderella tale for their Slap Shot, who-ownz-the-team existence, a record of 13-9-2 seems about right for them. They have talent, experience and one of the best goalies in Ilya Bryzgalov.

When they were in New York a few weeks ago, about a half-dozen reporters showed up at the Coyotes' morning skate at the Garden to write the obligatory stories about how they're overcoming the odds and some unique circumstances. I said to captain Shane Doan, "I don't think you guys are the Little Team That Could." He said, "Shush, don't tell anyone. I know we've got a good team, but we don't want anyone to know it."

Adam Gretz: Funny you mention the Coyotes and people showing up to write about them. I saw them in Pittsburgh during the second week of the season and there was nobody there covering them. I think the post-game locker room session had me, an AP reporter and one Phoenix radio guy. It was almost as if people had already given up on them.

For me, I'm kind of shocked by the slow starts from Anaheim and St. Louis. With the Blues, they overcame injuries to just about every player on the roster last year (or so it seemed) and found themselves in the top-six of the Western Conference. I figured that with a healthy team, young guys having another year of experience (playoff experience) under their belts would be huge. But here we are. I'm not sure if it can be blamed on the European hangover or expectations that might have been too high coming in, but a .500 record isn't what I had this team pegged at. Not at all. On the plus side, David Perron is starting to pick it up but guys like Patrick Berglund and T.J. Oshie have been rather large disappointments.

Speaking of which, what's up with the Anaheim Ducks? Ryan Getzlaf and Corey Perry are looking great, but they currently have the worst record in the Western Conference, third-worst overall. This is a team that knocked out the team that won the Presidents Trophy last year, and took Detroit to a Game 7. I think in the long run the Chris Pronger trade could really benefit them, not only with Luca Sbisa, but the boatload of first-round picks, but in the short term their defense has gone from a rather menacing group to one that is far less intimidating.

Chris Botta: You nailed it, Adam. There are several nice surprises this year -- Colorado and the rest of the team we've mentioned. The Ducks are really the only major disappointment so far. Wouldn't it be something if they decide to re-tool and move Scott Niedermayer to a contender for another package of picks and prospects, like they got for Pronger? On the bright side, Anaheim could re-build in two trades. I don't like their chances of turning around their season in a significant way. When Niedermayer started thinking about a trade and Jean-Sebastian Giguere said he'd rather retire than be a backup -- I would love to see the Ducks call his bluff -- it just doesn't seem to be their season.

Rapid Fire time. Individual performances at the quarter pole:

Biggest Surprises: Chris -- Matt Moulson, Maxim Afinogenov; Adam -- Moulson, of course, and Dustin Penner.

Biggest Duds: Chris -- Jason Spezza (one goal in 18 games), Michal Rozsival (sixth d-man making $5 million a year); Adam -- Mike Komisarek.

Player Most Likely to Take Off: Chris -- Phil Kessel; Adam -- Evgeni Malkin has been off to a slow start, he's due to bust out.

2-on-1: Playoff Pretenders & Contenders originally appeared on NHL FanHouse on Mon, 23 Nov 2009 12:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Knuckle Puck: Why Don't We Know What Refs Intend to Do?

Kevin Schultz — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 12:45:00 EST

Filed under: Ducks, Flames, Maple Leafs, NHL Videos, NHL Discipline

Each and every Saturday this season I'll be taking a look at the random happenings and absurdities that occur in the world of hockey. Feel free to suggest stories, complain or otherwise babble at me via electronic mail.

Seriously. What's with you hockey fans, teams and players? Why don't you know what refs are thinking about doing? Why don't you know what they intend to do? More importantly, you should know why the ref is intending to do what he hasn't done yet but will since he intends to do what he's about to do.

Confused? So am I, and so is the majority of the hockey world.

But the people that aren't confused are the most important segment of all -- the folks in the stripes and in charge of NHL officiating. They think we should know what they intend to do, as Dennis LaRue showed us on Wednesday. A source inside of Starbucks in Manhattan, where the NHL offices are located, spoke to me on condition of anonymity this week. The source spoke about how the folks in the league office get their morning coffee. They don't say a word until a few minutes after the server asks for their order. He or she should know what they're intending to order.**

Now that's got to be a frustrating job.

In order to help the general public (i.e. the rest of us) have a better understanding of the "intent to blow" rule, I've created a helpful guide that you can practice at home. Remember, it may take a while for the people around you to warm up to this rule, but in the long run, it will certainly be beneficial.

-- If you take the train to work, don't buy a ticket. Simply tell the conductor that you intended to buy one and he or she will understand.

-- If you drive to work, don't use your turn signal. You intend to do it but haven't gotten around to it yet. Other drivers should know that.

-- When you get to work, sit in front of the computer and read FanHouse all day. If your boss complains, tell them that they should know you intended to do work.

-- If you are the boss, here's a fun trick for year-end performance reviews. Don't give any promotions or raises. Just keep telling anyone who asks that you intend to do it. You should be able to work that angle until the end of next year.

-- If you have kids and forgot to play with them like you promised, just tell them that you intended to do it. They'll understand.

-- At the supermarket, smash your cart into someone else's. You can get away with it if you tell them that your intent was to politely go around them.

YouTube of the Week

Olli Jokinen fighting. That statement alone should be funny, nevermind the accompanying video.

Knuckle Pucker of the Year Nominee
Each week, we'll nominate someone who deserves to be recognized for their outstanding service and commitment to giving me something to write about. By the end of the year I'll come up with some way to declare a winner. Today's nominee is...

... front row Ducks fans! Thanks to a few bad eggs sitting in the front row Thursday night a nice gesture by Scott Niedermayer turned into an all out brawl. The horrified look on Niedermayer's face -- similar, I would imagine, to a child watching the animals fight at a zoo -- says it all. So, thanks to the folks in the front row of Thursday night's Ducks game for showing us how to turn a great situation into an awful one in less than three seconds.

Jokes I Can't Resist Making
-- Think this is bad? You should see what happens at their houses on Christmas morning.
-- In all fairness, the stick was made of solid gold and coated in bacon.
-- They were just doing what they see George Parros do every night.
-- Come on guys, it isn't even Sidney Crosby's stick.

(**May or may not have actually happened)

Knuckle Puck: Why Don't We Know What Refs Intend to Do? originally appeared on NHL FanHouse on Sat, 21 Nov 2009 12:45:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Scott Niedermayer Attempts to Give Away Stick, Angry Fans Brawl

Adam Gretz — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 10:10:00 EST

Filed under: Ducks, Lightning, NHL Videos

Anaheim Ducks defenseman Scott Niedermayer decided to celebrate his team's 4-3 overtime win (in which he scored the game-winning goal) against the Tampa Bay Lightning by giving his stick to a young girl seated in the front row.

Unfortunately, that's when the lower bowl of the Honda Center turned into the thunderdome and fists started to fly. (Video of the incident after the jump.)

As soon as the stick went over the glass the chaos started, and you had to feel for Niedermayer as he stood on the other side, helpless, watching the madness unfold after attempting a nice gesture.

In an interview immediately following the fight, Niedermayer confirmed that the stick was supposed to go to the young girl.

Scott Niedermayer Attempts to Give Away Stick, Angry Fans Brawl originally appeared on NHL FanHouse on Fri, 20 Nov 2009 10:10:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Stamkos' Submission for Goal of the Year

Kevin Schultz — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 01:25:00 EST

Filed under: Ducks, Lightning, NHL Videos

One of the main reasons for the success of the Tampa Bay Lightning over the last month or so has been the coming of age of 2008 first overall pick Steven Stamkos. The Bolts are 6-2-4 in their last 12 and Stamkos, who leads the team in goals and points -- yes, ahead of Vinny Lecavalier and Martin St. Louis -- has 10 goals and four assists over that span. Even more impressive, he has accounted for 28% of the team's total goals scored.

Thursday night, Stamkos scored a spectacular goal that is reminiscent of John Tavares' goal from last year's World Junior Championships. Tavares knocked a rebound up in the air with his stick and then swatted it in for an impressive goal. As the saying goes, like 2009 first overall pick, like 2008 first overall pick.

The Lightning were down 3-1 in Anaheim during the second when Lecavalier fed a wide open Stamkos from behind the net. Netminder Jonas Hiller stops Stamkos' initial shot attempt but as Stamkos falls down, he bats the puck in over Hiller's right shoulder. At that point, all the Ducks netminder and defenders can do is stand in awe. And so will you when you check out the video, which is posted after the jump.

Stamkos' Submission for Goal of the Year originally appeared on NHL FanHouse on Fri, 20 Nov 2009 01:25:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Rick Nash's One-Legged Shootout Goal

Kevin Schultz — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 12:45:00 EST

Filed under: Blue Jackets, Ducks, NHL Videos

On Wednesday night, the Columbus Blue Jackets were embarrassed on their home ice with a 9-1 loss against the Detroit Red Wings. On Friday night, the team bounced back when the Anaheim Ducks came to town and won, 3-2.

Thanks to Rick Nash, they also received the all important style points. Nash broke out a new move in the third round of the shootout against Ducks netminder J-S Giguere.

With the Blue Jackets up 1-0 in the shootout, Nash had a chance to put the game away if he could beat Giguere. Well, not only did he beat him, but he did it on one leg. Literally. Video after the jump.

Nash pulls a sharp left at the bottom of the circle, picks up his left leg, dekes, and beats Giguere. The goalie seemed to stay with the play pretty well but it seems that the obvious gimmick -- look! a distraction! -- worked perfectly anyway. That would end it and the Blue Jackets would go on to earn their 10th win of the year and staying within two points of the Blackhawks, who beat Toronto by the same margin, in the Central.

Rick Nash's One-Legged Shootout Goal originally appeared on NHL FanHouse on Sat, 14 Nov 2009 12:45:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Pink Slip Index: Complications in Carolina

Kevin Schultz — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 12:00:00 EST

Filed under: Blues, Ducks, Flyers, Hurricanes, Lightning, Maple Leafs, Panthers, Wild, NHL Coaching

In the NHL, coach firings are as common as parking tickets in New York City. Throughout the NHL season I'll be taking a bi-weekly look at five coaches who are the most likely to get fired. Be advised your local coach may be axed at any moment. Consider this fair warning.

Things have changed quite a bit since our last look at coaches with warm cushions. For one, the Lightning are making me look bad at 3-1-3 since the last installment. The Leafs have won a few games and things have gone from bad to an Alexander Daigle brand of awful for the Hurricanes. We'll take a look at all of that and more after the jump.

Off the List (for now):
John Stevens, Philadelphia Flyers (Previous Rank: 4). The Flyers have won five in a row since we last checked in and are sixth in the conference. Nothing to worry about, John.

Peter DeBoer, Florida Panthers (5). The Cats got hammered twice over the weekend by the Caps but are still 4-2 since we last checked in. Basically, there are more folks in a lot more trouble than DeBoer.

Free Passes: Barry Trotz, Nashville Predators. Jacques Lemaire, New Jersey Devils (who will be listed here as long as Lou Lamoriello is in charge).

No. 6: Rick Tocchet, Tampa Bay Lightning (1). There was some disagreement in other parts of the blogosphere about Tocchet topping the last list. No matter if you agreed or disagreed, I think we can all say that the Lightning are playing some solid hockey at the moment. They're 5-1-3 in their last seven and Steven Stamkos is destroying defenders' lives with his play. This run has cooled off Tocchet's seat so much I was going to completely take him off the list. Then he went and called out Vinny Franchise and dropped him to the third line, blatantly pandering to me to keep him on the list. So here he is with his own special spot at six since he's either completely bat poop crazy or playing job roulette with Oren Koules.

Seat status: Confusing.

No. 5: Ron Wilson, Toronto Maple Leafs (2). Things have turned around for the Leafs since my last look at them. They've actually won a few games and could have a few more under their belt if they could just figure out how to work that darned overtime. They're 2-1-4 since we last checked in, and that includes a 5-1 spanking of Detroit on Saturday, which nobody saw coming. Things are looking up in Leaf Land but we're keeping Ron on the countdown since October was a complete and utter FAIL. You can't forget about something like that so quickly.

Seat status: A warm spring day.

No. 4: Randy Carlyle, Anaheim Ducks (3). This week, Carlyle cools off slightly and moves to the fourth position. I'm still a firm believer that he'll get a fair shake in Anaheim and likely will last the season barring a major turn of events. However, the Ducks got the dubious honor of giving the winless Leafs their first victory -- on home ice, no less! -- but have showed a very mild resiliency going 3-2-1 since we last checked in on them. Carlyle cools off as the Ducks break even and we put some more volatile candidates in front of him.

Seat status: One of those hot summer nights where you wake up sticky because the AC is broken.

No. 3: Todd Richards, Minnesota Wild (NR). The Wild struggled early this season and I gave Richards a pass in the first edition of PSI since he's a first-year coach. That usually provides a little Teflon with which to deflect criticism. However, Richards makes our list this time since the Wild have continued to stumble. The more they stumble, the less of an excuse "brand new head coach" becomes. They're 7-10-1 on the year, second to last in the Western Conference, and are owners of an awful 2-8-1 road record. I fully expect the brass in Minnesota to give Richards some time but this being the NHL and all, hey, you never know.

Seat status: Lukewarm.

No. 2: Paul Maurice, Carolina Hurricanes (NR). The Hurricanes finished sixth in the East last year and made it all the way to the conference finals before getting swept by the eventual Stanley Cup champs. Injuries can be to blame, as Eric Staal and Joni Pitkanen are hurt and Eric Cole has missed time. Losing Cam Ward last Saturday was a death blow to a team already in last place. But with the Kings extending the Canes' winless streak to 13 and Carolina winning two of 17 overall, it would appear as though Maurice is as good as gone. This team has been outscored 30-10 in their last seven games -- all regulation losses. And if you can't even make it to overtime in Gary Bettman's Everybody Gets a Point Most of the Time League, you're really doing something wrong.

So it seems like Maurice is an open and shut case to go, right? Well, not exactly.

As Bob Harwood over at Canes Country points out, the Canes have put themselves in a bind not only with players but with the coaching staff, too.

"[Canes GM Jim Rutherford] has severely limited himself on what he can do regarding the coaching staff because of his recent three year signing of head coach Paul Maurice. If he were to fire Maurice, he would officially have two ex-coaches on the payroll because the team is still paying Peter Laviolette."

Yeah, so under most any other set of circumstances Maurice is a sitting duck. Now that he's at the helm of a failing team that gave him an extension over the summer and is already paying one guy to not coach them? That's a big bullet for one GM to bite. Maurice is second on our countdown because his seat is unquestionably hot. But, as the evidence points out, he's probably not going anywhere soon.

Seat status: Molten lava. But the extension and Laviolette deal means the Canes will likely have to bite the bullet.

No. 1: Andy Murray, St. Louis Blues (NR). When the Blues went 9-1-1 to sneak into the playoffs last year, there were some rumblings that run may have saved Murray's job. The team was promptly swept by the Canucks and many of its young stars have struggled during the early going this season -- and are killing my keeper league fantasy team -- despite a kind of deceiving 6-7-4 record. TJ Oshie has six points in 13 games, Patrick Berglund has four in 16 and David Backes has three in 17. But maybe after a 6-1 rout of Vancouver on Tuesday things are turning around. We'll see.

Seat status: Southern style chili cheese dog.

Right now, Murray tops our list since he doesn't have a complicated situation like Maurice, a "rookie" excuse like Richards, a Stanley Cup ring with the team like Carlyle or a recent hot streak like the rest. So if anyone is getting axed in the next week or two, it's this guy. Unless Lou Lamoriello gets up on the wrong side of the bed one day, but I digress.

Pink Slip Index: Complications in Carolina originally appeared on NHL FanHouse on Fri, 13 Nov 2009 12:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Fight of the Week: Princeton's Favorite Son Drops Them Again

Bruce Ciskie — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 16:00:00 EST

Filed under: Blue Jackets, Canucks, Ducks, Penguins, Predators, Rangers, Sharks, Wild, NHL Fans, NHL Fights, NHL Videos

Every Friday, FanHouse sifts through the rubble and picks the best NHL fight, with the help of HockeyFights.com.

A light week on the card, but there was a relatively surprising bout and some pretty good ones to choose from. Highlighting it is our favorite former Princeton player, a gentleman who has made a name for himself by being a really good fighter. Of course, the big news of the week involved a team captain dropping the gloves with a random defenseman.

Huh? Fight of the Week: Marek Zidlicky vs. Sidney Crosby

Sometimes, guys are obviously planning to fight before they drop the gloves. Others are clearly spontaneous. This one falls under the latter. Crosby and Zidlicky had enough of using their sticks, and decided to use fists instead. Watch it here.

Beatdown of the Week: Kent Huskins vs. Jared Boll

Boll is one of the league's real up-and-coming heavyweights, and he dominated this scrap. It started with a hard hit on Huskins by Boll, and quickly became a fight. Just as fast as it started, Boll emphatically ended it. He then proceeded to stand over his conquest like a predator stands over lunch. Watch the fight here.

Runner-Up: Dane Byers vs. Tanner Glass

This was a little quick for most fans' tastes, but some really good punches were thrown. Byers got off to a quick start, but Glass got the last laugh, or "shot," if you prefer. Check it out here.

Fight of the Week: Wade Belak vs. George Parros

Parros is a top fighter, and he got all he could handle in this one from Thursday night. The Predators might not have done much to stay in the game, but Belak more than held his own against one of the best.

There is some solid back-and-forth between the two, and the ending is kind of a surprise. Too bad for the Ducks' TV people that the fight was over by the time they got the "Tale of the Tape" graphic ready.

Fight of the Week: Princeton's Favorite Son Drops Them Again originally appeared on NHL FanHouse on Fri, 06 Nov 2009 16:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Fight of the Week: Heavyweights

Bruce Ciskie — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 16:00:00 EST

Filed under: Bruins, Canucks, Ducks, Flames, Maple Leafs, Oilers, Stars, Red Wings, NHL Fights, NHL Videos

Every Friday, FanHouse sifts through the rubble and picks the best NHL fight, with the help of HockeyFights.com.

It's no secret what we're looking for in a good fight. It needs to have intensity, some good back-and-forth action, and there is some longevity needed. If two guys trade a flurry of punches for seven seconds, it's not nearly as impressive as a high-quality 30-second fight.

This week's top fight has a little bit of everything.

Beatdown of the Week: Krys Barch vs. D.J. King

King played in just one game last season, but he showed no rust in this quick putaway of Barch. Watch the fight here, but don't blink, because you might miss the action.

Runner-Up: Colton Orr vs. George Parros

While the fight itself was okay, the news happened when Orr shoved the linesman who appeared to be trying to break up the bout prematurely.

(Orr, by the way, is not going to be punished any further for that, beyond the misconduct penalty he got at the time.)

Orr and Parros are experienced at this sort of thing, and it's no surprise they can get together and give the fans a good slugfest. Watch the video here.

Runner-Up: Brad May vs. Tanner Glass

May held a real heavy edge in experience on Glass, so you might think he would control this fight. Instead, the youngster did very well against May, even ducking out of the way as May threw a roundhouse that would have knocked Glass into the middle of the Olympic break. Watch the video here.

Fight of the Week: Steve MacIntyre vs. Brian McGrattan

This was easily the best dance of the week. McGrattan is the better fighter, and he won this one hands-down. But it wasn't just about that. MacIntyre made a good showing of himself by simply competing, and he showed he can hang with one of the league's better fighters.

It's not hard to fathom that these two -- playing on division rivals -- will go again this season.

Fight of the Week: Heavyweights originally appeared on NHL FanHouse on Fri, 30 Oct 2009 16:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Pink Slip Index: Which Coach Will Be First to Go?

Kevin Schultz — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 10:00:00 EST

Filed under: Ducks, Flyers, Lightning, Maple Leafs, Panthers, NHL Coaching

In the NHL, coach firings are as common as parking tickets in New York City. Throughout the NHL season I'll be taking a bi-weekly look at five coaches who are the most likely to get fired. Be advised your local coach may be axed at any moment. Consider this fair warning.

We've made it through the first month of the NHL season and not one coach has gotten fired yet. That's got to be some kind of record. This is the NHL! Coaches are fired for lots of reasons and sometimes no reason at all. How is no team displeased enough to have fired a coach yet? And what have you got to say for yourself, Lou Lamoriello? Why is your finger not on the trigger?

As it turns out, a lot of teams have actually surprised us and played well, helping their coach's job security in the process. Before the season I named a few coaches whom I thought were starting the year on the hot seat. More than a few of them have been saved by solid starts. Joel Quenneville and the Hawks are 7-3-1 and atop the Central. John Anderson and the Thrashers started the year 4-1-1 before dropping their last two against good teams and the Kings may have saved Terry Murray's job by grabbing 17 points in 13 games to lead the Pacific.

The good news for me -- I was afraid I wouldn't have anyone to write about -- is that not every team is off to such a hot start. The Ducks have struggled out of the gate, the Flyers and Canucks are both hovering around .500 and Toronto has been an unmitigated disaster losing six of their first eight by two goals or more. So I'd like to take the time to thank those teams for lighting a fire under their coach's respective chairs.

So today, I present to you the first in a season-long series of coaches-on-the-hot-seat rankings. Five coaches. Five teams. Five fanbases that want blood -- sweet, sweet blood. We'll start at number five and head on through to numero uno, my prediction for the coach to get the axe first.

No. 5: Peter DeBoer, Florida Panthers. DeBoer is only in his second year with the Panthers and had some success last year as the team finished ninth in the East, missing out on the playoffs by losing a tiebreaker to the Canadiens. But in the NHL it's all about 'what have you done for me lately' and the Panthers have started this season 2-7-1 and are averaging 2.2 goals per game. Add that to their 29th-best ranking in goals allowed and things are not looking good. Personally, I don't believe the Horton trade rumors, but if they're crazy enough to trade him firing DeBoer will look sane in comparison.

Seat status: STEAMY

No. 4: John Stevens, Philadelphia Flyers. I said before the season that this could be a make or break year for Stevens and the Flyers. They had a talented roster and only improved it during the offseason. However, they've been short on postseason success and are 5-4-1, already nine points behind the division-leading Penguins in the tough Atlantic. The Penguins went on to win the Stanley Cup last year after firing their coach down the stretch. That means there will be copycats, and if the Flyers continue to be mediocre Stevens may be sent packing to shake things up.

Seat status: STEAMY

No. 3: Randy Carlyle, Anaheim Ducks. The Ducks have had a lot of success under Carlyle. In four seasons they've won a Cup and made another trip to the conference finals. The last two years have been less successful but nothing that should threaten a coach's job. But the Ducks are 3-6-1 to start this season, with the latest defeat being a 6-3 drubbing by the winless Leafs in front of the home fans. Half the reason Carlyle is on this list is because there really aren't a lot of other people to put here. The other half is because of the random stinkers the Ducks have put forth this season: 5-0 home rout by St. Louis, 4-1 opening-night loss to San Jose. He's not going anywhere yet -- he'll get a fair shake -- but the early news is not good.

Seat Status: TOASTY

No. 2: Ron Wilson, Toronto Maple Leafs. It's been a fun season already in Toronto. The team has started 0-7-1 before showing some life the last two games on, of all places, the road in Anaheim and Dallas. Fans are outraged. The media is making jokes. Wilson has already gotten a vote of confidence from the GM. All key ingredients to canning a coach. However, there's one thing standing in the way: that vote of confidence was actually legit. The problem with this team is not Wilson and GM Brian Burke knows it. The seat is very warm but there will be little action here. Move along.

Seat status: CALIENTE

No. 1: Rick Tocchet, Tampa Bay Lightning. The lame thing about NHL coaches this season is that there's no one you can point at and yell 'DEAD MAN WALKING!' A lot of thought-to-be-crappy teams are good. A lot of good teams are mediocre. A very small handful of teams are very bad. The Lightning are not very bad. But the Lightning are off to a bad start (4-3-3) and are led by a coach who was interim for most of last season and was hired by the previous coach. That latter is the coaching kiss of death, which is why I believe Tocchet will be the first to go this year. And also because anything goes at Cirque du SoLightning.

Seat status: CALIENTE MÁS UNO

Coaches recieving a free pass this time around: Alain Vigneault, Vancouver Canucks. Barry Trotz, Nashville Predators. Paul Maurice, Carolina Hurricanes. Jacques Lemaire, New Jersey Devils (listed simply because his boss is Lou Lamoriello).

The Pink Slip Index: Which Coach Will Be First to Go? originally appeared on NHL FanHouse on Fri, 30 Oct 2009 10:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Puck Talk: Heading Out West

Bruce Ciskie — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 16:00:00 EST

Filed under: Avalanche, Ducks, Kings, Sharks, Red Wings, Western

There are a number of compelling stories in the NHL's Western Conference. Not only are the Colorado Avalanche off to a ridiculous start, but the Los Angeles Kings are playing great, San Jose is lurking, and Anaheim is still plagued by bad penalties and not enough offense.

FanHouse's Susan Slusser joins us from her West Coast perch this week, as we examine these issues and talk about her beloved Red Wings' slow start. Listen after the jump.

Listen to the podcast above, or click here to download the file.

Puck Talk: Heading Out West originally appeared on NHL FanHouse on Thu, 29 Oct 2009 16:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Colton Orr Faces Suspension After Shoving Official During Fight

Bruce Ciskie — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 14:25:00 EST

Filed under: Ducks, Maple Leafs, NHL Fights, NHL Videos, NHL Discipline

Monday night's Maple Leafs win over Anaheim featured plenty of penalties. In fact, five of Toronto's six goals were scored with the extra attacker.

Besides Anaheim's trademark undisciplined play, there was also a pretty intense fight. During the first period, Toronto's Colton Orr hooked up with Duck George Parros for an impressive heavyweight bout. While the fight was clean, Orr risked suspension by shoving an official during the bout. Video after the jump.

It's going to be tough for Orr to shove this aside (pun intended) as an accident. He pretty clearly stuck his right hand out and shoved the linesman on purpose, and that's a no-no.

Orr received a misconduct for the shove, and he is awaiting the call to the NHL carpet. A two- or three-game suspension is the minimum you can expect out of this. It's one thing if Orr is blindly reaching out and happens to hit the official. However, the eye in the sky doesn't lie. Orr's actions were clearly intentional.

Colton Orr Faces Suspension After Shoving Official During Fight originally appeared on NHL FanHouse on Tue, 27 Oct 2009 14:25:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Maple Leafs Finally Get a Win

Adam Gretz — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 09:00:00 EST

Filed under: Ducks, Maple Leafs

Newsmakers in the NHL: During the regular season it's our weekday look at the previous night's action and some of the story lines taking place around the league. Have a tip or something you want linked? Send it in to nhlfanhouse@gmail.com.

Maple Leafs 6, Ducks 3: It took nearly a month, but after eight consecutive losses to open the season the Toronto Maple Leafs are finally on the board with their first win thanks to a 6-3 victory in Anaheim on Monday night. Niklas Hagman recorded a hat trick (all three goals coming on the power play), while Jonas Gustavsson, making his first start in three weeks, stopped 20 shots -- including a highlight reel save in the first period -- to earn his first NHL win.

Monday's Other Games

The New York Islanders have now lost five games in overtime, and six games by one goal, after dropping a 3-2 decision in Montreal. Roman Hamrlik scored the game-winner in overtime for the Canadiens, who have now won four in a row ... all with Jaroslav Halak in net. [Box Score, Recap]

Chicago receives goals from Dave Bolland, Patrick Kane and Troy Brouwer, while Cristobal Huet makes 20 saves in a 3-1 win against Minnesota. [Box Score, Recap]

Potentially a costly win for the Rangers as they knock off Phoenix 5-2. The problem? Marian Gaborik might be injured. [Box Score, Botta's Recap]

Loose Pucks

-- There have been rumors floating around that Ilya Kovalchuk and the Atlanta Thrasers are closing in on a contract extension. Nobody knows for sure what's going on with that, but what we do know is that Kovalchuk is going to miss the next four weeks with a broken bone in his right foot. [AJC]

-- Dallas Stars forward Steve Ott is meeting with NHL discipline czar Colin Campbell. [Defending Big D]

-- Offseason acquisition John Madden is loving his time in Chicago. [Chicago Tribune]

Video Of The Day

Roman Hamrlik scores the game-winning goal in overtime for Montreal.

Tuesday's Key Games

Flyers vs. Capitals: Great Eastern Conference game in Washington as the Capitals host the Flyers. The first meeting between these two teams back on October 6 was a classic that saw Mike Richards record a hat trick and Alex Ovechkin score two goals.

Avalanche vs. Oilers: After scoring just one goal in his first nine games, Paul Stastny has three in his past two as the Avalanche ride a modest two-game winning streak into Edmonton. The Avs have recorded a point in eight consecutive games.

Red Wings vs. Canucks: The Red Wings look to snap a three-game losing streak in Vancouver. Detroit has dropped four of its past five games, and only has eight points in nine games this season.

Maple Leafs Finally Get a Win originally appeared on NHL FanHouse on Tue, 27 Oct 2009 09:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Evgeni Artyukhin Suspended Three Games for Slew-Foot

Bruce Ciskie — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 20:15:00 EST

Filed under: Ducks, Stars, NHL Videos, NHL Discipline

Just because Chris Pronger has departed doesn't mean the Anaheim Ducks are no longer capable of dirty hockey.

In a move that would have likely made Pronger proud, Anaheim forward Evgeni Artyukhin took out Dallas defenseman Matt Niskanen with a slew-foot during the Stars' 4-2 win Wednesday night. While the on-ice officials didn't notice the play, the NHL did. Artyukhin was suspended three games for the hit.

Before we go any further, check out video of the hit.

The official six feet away was obviously watching for hot girls in the stands, because there's really no excuse for missing something so obvious.

The NHL, however, doesn't watch for hot girls in the stands, so they acted quickly to get Artyukhin off the ice.

Artyukhin, who was suspended for two games Jan. 19, 2009, now is considered a repeat offender under the terms of the Collective Bargaining Agreement. Accordingly, Artyukhin forfeits $34,756.11 in salary based on the number of games (82) in a season, rather than the number of days (193). The money goes to the Players' Emergency Assistance Fund.

Congrats on your new status with the NHL, Evgeni!

Meanwhile, Niskanen is said to have a head injury. He is out for Thursday's game at Los Angeles, and his status beyond that is up in the air. It marks just the seventh time in his 174-game NHL career that Niskanen has sat out.

Evgeni Artyukhin Suspended Three Games for Slew-Foot originally appeared on NHL FanHouse on Thu, 22 Oct 2009 20:15:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Third Period Rally for Rangers; Sedin to Miss 4-6 Weeks

Adam Gretz — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 08:00:00 EST

Filed under: Ducks, Rangers, NHL Injuries

Newsmakers in the NHL: During the regular season it's our Weekday look at the previous night's action and some of the storylines taking place around the league. Have a tip or something you want linked? Send it in to nhlfanhouse@gmail.com.

Rangers 3, Ducks 0: After the Rangers and Ducks skated to a 0-0 tie through the first two periods on Sunday, the Rangers had an offensive explosion of sorts in the third period, scoring three goals, including a pair in the final six minutes. Rookie forward Artem Anisimov scored his first career goal for the blue shirts, while backup netminder Steve Valiquette stopped all 18 shots he faced to record his third career shutout. The Rangers outshot the Ducks by a 38-18 margin.

After the jump: Daniel Sedin out, picture of the day, Monday's key games

Daniel Sedin To Miss 4-6 Weeks: The Canucks have stumbled out of the gate in the opening weeks of the season, and it keeps getting worse. The team learned this weekend it will be without forward Daniel Sedin for the next four-to-six weeks due to a broken foot. The Sedin twins have both been extremely durable in recent years, including Daniel, who has played in 646 of a possible 660 games in his career.

In four games this season the 29-year-old winger has zero goals and four assists. Speaking of injury problems for the Canucks, Pavel Demitra's rehab is not going as well as planned. Consider this from head coach Alain Vigneault: "Without getting into specifics, his rehab is not going as well as we had planned ... All I can really say is, it's not going as quickly as he had wanted to at this time." [Canucks]

Sunday's Other Game

Canucks beat the Kings in a shootout. [Box Score, Recap]

Loose Pucks

-- What to expect from John Tavares. [Puck Prospectus]

Picture Of The Day

No interesting video's from Sunday's action, so we'll switch things up a bit and go with the picture of the day (actually, it's from Thursday). Behold, the awesomeness of net camera's.

Monday's Key Games

Maple Leafs vs. Rangers: Toronto is one of two team's in the NHL still looking for its first win, and it's coming off a rather dismal 5-2 loss to the Penguins on Saturday night. On the plus side, the Maple Leafs get a Rangers team playing the second half of back-to-back games. Vesa Toskala has been awful for Toronto in his first three starts, posting a 4.98 goals against average to go with a .824 save percentage.

Devils vs. Capitals: The Capitals look to end a three-game losing streak as they host Martin Brodeur and the New Jersey Devils. The Devils come in having won two in a row.

Flames vs. Blackhawks: Chicago finally gets to play a game on home ice as it welcomes the Calgary Flames in for a rematch of last year's Western Conference Quarterfinals.

Third Period Rally for Rangers; Sedin to Miss 4-6 Weeks originally appeared on NHL FanHouse on Mon, 12 Oct 2009 08:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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George Parros Kisses the Proverbial Canvas, Launching Wild Comeback

Bruce Ciskie — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 11:15:00 EST

Filed under: Ducks, Wild, Western, NHL Fights, NHL Videos

It's often said that a fight can turn around a hockey game. This was definitely true Tuesday night in St. Paul.

Entering this season, Minnesota Wild forward John Scott had three NHL regular season fights to his credit. Anaheim's George Parros was the veteran of 82. It may have seemed odd, then, for Scott to challenge Parros to a scrap in the third period Tuesday. However, the Ducks led 3-0 at the time, and the Wild were almost literally going through the motions in their home opener. Oh, how things can change with one punch. Video after the jump.

The Wild launched a three-goal rally shortly after Scott's decisive fight win. Mikko Koivu, Petr Sykora, and Eric Belanger scored in regulation to tie the score. In overtime, the Wild benefited from a dumb penalty by Ducks defenseman James Wisniewski, who took a roughing minor. Andrew Brunette scored a power-play goal for the first win of the Todd Richards era, 4-3.

While the anti-fight zealots will laugh such a notion off, there's no question Scott's fight was a momentum-changer. It got the crowd going and jumpstarted the home team for the first time all night.

George Parros Kisses the Proverbial Canvas, Launching Wild Comeback originally appeared on NHL FanHouse on Wed, 07 Oct 2009 11:15:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Bob Murray Nervous With Season Near

Susan Slusser — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 15:00:00 EST

Filed under: Ducks, FanHouse Exclusive

Bob Murray is entering his first full season as Anaheim's general manager, and he's feeling comfortable enough that his family has just moved out from Chicago to join him.

The transition so far: a little uncertain. One of Murray's daughters is entering her third school in three years and not too happy about it, and Anaheim has had 100-plus degree temperatures for more than a week. Where's that 72 degree year-round temperature dad promised?

Murray sounds first-day-of-school apprehensive himself when it comes to starting his first full season as the Ducks' GM.

"I'm probably as nervous as I was when I took over from Brian (Burke)," he tells FanHouse by phone. "I don't feel established in any way, shape or form. You're always trying to prove yourself in this business, and you'll always be judged on the changes you make. So you wonder: Will there be any chemistry? Is this group going to gel?"

Murray knows he's taken things in a slightly different direction. The big, bad Ducks, physical and with a fearsome defense, needed more scoring, so he traded biggest and baddest defenseman Chris Pronger. That freed up some cap room, allowing the team to re-sign captain Scott Niedermayer.

"I don't feel established in any way, shape or form. You're always trying to prove yourself in this business, and you'll always be judged on the changes you make. So you wonder: Will there be any chemistry? Is this group going to gel?" The salary cap is now Murray's primary responsibility after three-plus years as the team's senior vice president of hockey operations. "Everything revolves around where you are money-wise," Murray says. "This year, next year, three years from now -- that's the job. When we won the Cup in '07, we thought we had a chance to win right away, and put ourselves in some financial hardship; for two years, every morning I'd wake up and hope (Jean-Sebastien Giguere) didn't get hurt, because that would have killed us. Every day, you have to know where your dollars are, and next year, you have no idea what the cap will be."

After re-inking Niedermayer, the Ducks then signed longtime Canadiens captain Saku Koivu to a one-year deal in July, and obtained forward Evgeny Artyukhin from Tampa Bay. Former Ducks top pick Joffrey Lupul, traded to Edmonton to get Pronger three years ago, returns to Anaheim ... in the Pronger deal with Philadelphia.

Now Murray is eager to see how it all fits together. Like everyone else, he assumes Koivu will play on a line with fellow Finn Teemu Selanne, and that Corey Perry and Ryan Getzlaf will remain together. Will Bobby Ryan stay with them? What will the defensive pairings look like? That's what the fast-approaching exhibition schedule is for.

And then things get going for real, with the Ducks determined not to get in the kind of hole that nearly sunk their season last year. As Murray notes, when Anaheim won the Cup in 2007, they got off to such a strong start that later injuries didn't derail them, but a bad start, given the difficulties of the NHL schedule, can be deadly.

Last season, It took a big burst by Anaheim in the second half to salvage things.Then the Ducks steamed past top-seeded San Jose in the first round and pressed the Wings to seven games in a terrific conference semifinals series.

Things won't be easier this time. Many of the teams in the conference have upgraded or changed coaching staffs or both.

"It's no fun," Murray says of the conference, then quickly amends that. "I should say that it's competitive, and that's great, but here in the Western Conference, good teams don't make the playoffs. Two points on Oct. 10 are the same as two on March 20. Our conference, our division, is tough."

Asked for specifics, Murray says that Los Angeles is maturing and improving, Dallas was dealing with injuries last year. St. Louis, Chicago, Columbus, the teams in the Northwest, all good. And of course there is Stanley Cup Finalist Detroit, which ousted the Ducks. "I don't even talk about them," Murray says with a chuckle.

The Ducks' most immediate problem: the Sharks, who will be at Honda Center on Oct. 3 for the opening night of the regular season. The Sharks earned the Presidents Trophy last year only to get dumped by the Ducks.

"San Jose is a very good hockey team. And we know for sure San Jose doesn't like us," Murray says. "So of course, we've got San Jose right off the friggin' open."

The thought of opening night in one month switches Murray from nervous to eager, though.

"The first time I was a general manager (with the Blackhawks from 1997-99), I wasn't ready," Murray says. "I want things to go well, and I'm ready to go. Let's get it going, here and now."

Bob Murray Nervous With Season Near originally appeared on NHL FanHouse on Tue, 08 Sep 2009 15:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ducks Add Size; Capitals' Jose Theodore Will Enter Camp as No. 1 Goalie

Adam Gretz — Sat, 15 Aug 2009 10:10:00 EST

Filed under: Capitals, Ducks, NHL Coaching

Newsmakers in the NHL: During the regular season it's our daily look at the previous night's action. During the offseason, it's our link dump that looks at some of the storylines and moves taking place around the league three times per week. Have a tip or something you want linked? Send it in to nhlfanhouse@gmail.com.

Ducks Acquire Evgeny Artyukhin For Drew Miller

On Thursday, the Anaheim Ducks added some bulk to their lineup by acquiring 6-foot-5, 254-pound winger Evgeny Artyukhin from the Tampa Bay Lightning for forward Drew Miller and a third-round pick. Artyukhin, 26, played in 73 games with Tampa Bay this past season, registering six goals to go with 10 assists and 151 penalty minutes. One of the biggest players in the NHL and capable of dropping the gloves, Artyukhin will add even more toughness to an already big, and physical, Ducks lineup.

Miller, 25, has six goals in 53 NHL games.

Jose Theodore Will Enter Camp As No. 1 Goalie

Washington Capitals goaltender Semyon Varlamov was one of the top stories during the 2009 NHL playoffs, as he took over for a struggling Jose Theodore and not only helped the Capitals overcome a 3-1 series deficit in the first round of the Eastern Conference playoffs, but also helped lead the team to Game 7 of the conference semifinals. His stellar play, apparently, wasn't enough to earn him the No. 1 goaltender job heading into training camp this year ... at least not yet.

Head coach Bruce Boudreau said on Thursday, via Tarik El-Bashir of the Washington Post, "Right now Jose is the No. 1 guy and the other two young men have got to come in and play the way they did last year and try to push him out."

He continued: "Jose won 33 games for us last year, and like the year before when Cristobal Huet got hot down the stretch, Varly came in and did a great job where we just couldn't take him out. But that was 13 games ... It doesn't make up for 12 years of experience. I've seen an awful lot of goalies come in at a young age and go into a slump for a year or two. I think Jose has earned and deserves the right [to be] the No. 1 guy." [Washington Post]

Loose Pucks

... An excerpt from The Book Of Rebuild, Chapter 1: And Burke said, Let the Marlies bring forth prospects, the talent yielding potential, and the draft pick yielding fruit after his kind, whose potential is in itself, upon the Marlies: and it was so. [Pension Plan Puppets]

... What sort of impact will Jay Bouwmeester's arrival in Calgary have on Dion Phaneuf? [Matchsticks & Gasoline]

... Ticket information for the Winter Classic at Fenway Park will be announced on Monday. [Boston Globe]

Ducks Add Size; Capitals' Jose Theodore Will Enter Camp as No. 1 Goalie originally appeared on NHL FanHouse on Sat, 15 Aug 2009 10:10:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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NHL's Top 50: Ryan Getzlaf (No. 19)

Adam Gretz — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 12:00:00 EST

Filed under: Ducks, NHL Fans, NHL Videos

FanHouse's Adam Gretz takes a look at his top 50 players in the NHL. No. 19 is Anaheim Ducks forward Ryan Getzlaf .

If I were taking into account age and long-term upside, and compiling a list of the Top 50 players I'd want to build my team around for the next 10 years, Ryan Getzlaf would definitely be in my top-10, probably in my top-five. As it stands right now, I have him at No. 19 overall, and No. 6 among centers.

The NHL's Top 50 Players: See the Entire List

The Numbers: Ryan Getzlaf
Ryan Getzlaf	Goals	Assists	Points	Pim
Career Totals	88	182	270	303
Average Per 82 Games	24.6	50.1	74.6	83.6

Draft Year: 2003

Like Philadelphia, the Anaheim Ducks made out like bandits in 2003 coming away with Getzlaf at No. 19, and Corey Perry at No. 28

Why He's On My List

Getzlaf is the complete package as a hockey player: big, strong, great playmaking abilities, goal-scorer, fighter. Everything you could ever possibly want. His goal numbers have remained steady for the past three seasons (his goals-per-minute numbers have actually gone down a little bit) while his assist numbers have skyrocketed. His 91 points were good enough for sixth in the NHL during the regular season, and he continued to elevate his game in the playoffs, recording 18 points (also good enough for sixth in the NHL) in 13 games. Two-time All-Star, Stanley Cup champion, and a player that's going to be an elite performer for the next 10-plus years.

Obligatory YouTube Video

Getzlaf scores a shorthanded goal against the Minnesota Wild during the 2008 playoffs.

NHL's Top 50: Ryan Getzlaf (No. 19) originally appeared on NHL FanHouse on Mon, 03 Aug 2009 12:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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NHL's Top 50: Scott Niedermayer (No. 41)

Adam Gretz — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 12:00:00 EST

Filed under: Ducks, NHL Fans, NHL Videos

FanHouse's Adam Gretz takes a look at his top 50 players in the NHL. No. 41 is Anaheim Ducks defenseman Scott Niedermayer.

The Anaheim defense has experienced some significant changes in the past year. Gone are Chris Pronger and Francois Beauchemin; In are Ryan Whitney, Luca Sbisa and Nick Boynton. In terms of toughness and physicality, it's a night-and-day transformation, but an upgrade in terms of youth and long-term potential (while also stocking the cupboard with draft picks).

One player that's returning, at least for the short-term, is 17-year veteran Scott Niedermayer. The 35-year-old is coming back for at least one more season after signing a one-year deal worth over $6 million earlier this offseason. He talked about his decision to return to the Ducks with our Susan Slusser in early July.

The NHL's Top 50 Players: See the Entire List

The Numbers: Scott Niedermayer
Scott Niedermayer	Goals	Assists	Points	PIM
Career Totals	162	530	692	746
Average Per 82 Games	11.4	36.9	47.5	51.6

Draft Year: 1991

The third overall pick in 1991 -- after Eric Lindros and Pat Falloon -- Niedermayer is one of just seven players from that first round still active in the NHL. He's played more games (1,183) than any player taken that year.

Why He's On My List

A world-class skater, and a workhorse when it comes to ice time (he averages nearly 27 minutes per game, even at the age of 35), Niedermayer has been one of the best defensemen in the league since he made his debut in 1992. He's won four Stanley Cups, a Norris Trophy and the 2006-07 Conn Smythe Award. His age hasn't slowed him down, as his three best seasons -- statistically -- have all come within the past four years, including this past seasons 59-point performance when the Ducks advanced to the Western Conference Semifinal.

Obligatory YouTube Video

A fine example of Niedermayer's puck-rushing abilities as he takes it coast-to-coast in Game 2 of the 1995 Stanley Cup Final against the Detroit Red Wings.

NHL's Top 50: Scott Niedermayer (No. 41) originally appeared on NHL FanHouse on Thu, 23 Jul 2009 12:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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