Ducks Gameday—Rucchin in the house
by Earl Sleek on Feb 11, 2009 8:11 AM PST
84 comments
Calgary Flames (31-18-4, t-3rd in west) at Anaheim Ducks (27-24-5, t-5th in west)
Uh-oh: the last time these two teams met, Matt Fenwick won a lucky shirt.
As well-deserved as tonight's ceremony will be to honor Teemu Selanne, Anaheim's franchise leader in games-played, I'm thrilled that former captain and record-holder Steve Rucchin will attend his first game in Anaheim since 2004. What a hero Steve Rucchin was -- I know he's no hall-of-famer, but can't the Ducks find Rooch some bullshit ambassador job a la Brett Hull (minus the terrible GM decisions) or Luc Robitaille?
As always, it's an important game tonight -- the Ducks are in a 2-games-in-10-days stretch where the western bubble creeps ever closer, and theoretically will close in on Anaheim's league-leading 56 games played. Despite the fact that the Ducks continue to sit in the top eight points-wise, their playoff odds aren't stellar -- in fact, if you use a coin-flip method for the rest of the season schedule, the Kings currently have better playoff odds than the Ducks (not so if you use the weighted method, though). Still, it's not a rosy outlook, and GM Bob Murray will have some tough decisions in the coming weeks leading up to the trade deadline (I'll do that post next week when we see where that bubble really sits).
One thing that could help the Ducks, certainly, would be better starts to their games -- in 8 of the last 10 games, they have allowed the opponent to score first. In those same 10 games, the Ducks have scored the game's second goal 8 times. If the Ducks could bring that sort of desperation to a scoreless game, it'd help the stretch run considerably.
Prediction: Ducks 4, Flames 2. Goals by Pronger, Selanne, Pahlsson (the scratch), and Rucchin.
Go Ducks.
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yup
“time to pay the fiddler” quote from chet in wierd science
a pic of him with his flat top with those words at the bottom would have been a great pic..
that describes our season right now as im guessing were gonna get passed up by a bunch of team with the peverbial “games in hand”
man was that a great movie at the time….remember also “how would u like all your friends here to know..that you were a bra…..ON YOUR HEAD!!! MUHAHAHAHA”
yea we need the win tonite big time….heres being optomistic that it will happen
El Spade-o
by SPADE-IN-VICTORHELL on Feb 11, 2009 8:25 AM PST reply actions
hehe
thanks for coming thru
El Spade-o
by SPADE-IN-VICTORHELL on Feb 11, 2009 12:25 PM PST up reply actions
Whoa
So THAT’s where Rucchin is? Honestly didn’t realize he was still in the NHL. It’s the same feeling I get when Keith Carney shows up.
Well, I think he’s done playing, and he seemingly has very little planned for his post-hockey life. That’s why I think the Ducks should step in and give him some token position — he’s still a very popular guy in Anaheim, I think, and I wouldn’t even raise any stink if they retired his number (sorry, Carter).
http://www.battleofcali.com/
He was clutch in that SCF game 7 year … but most of my memories involve him being “that good center who always gets injured.” These are hazy memories.
Even though you qualified the ambassador of fun idea, it still seems like dancing with the devil. Definitely a be careful what you wish for situation.
by jamestobrien on Feb 11, 2009 9:17 AM PST up reply actions
Yeah, but that ’03 cup year was probably the only time in Anaheim that Rucchin got to play his proper role — secondary center behind Oates. For so much of his Anaheim career, he was the glue on the Kariya-Selanne line — probably playing in a role that was above his abilities, yet nobody seemingly could do the job better.
Strangely, I don’t remember Rucchin as being very injury-prone, but it could be some selective memory. The main injury I recall is when Ray Bourque cross-checked Rucchin face-first into a Teemu Selanne slapshot — that took him out of the lineup (and pretty much screwed the team) for a long while.
http://www.battleofcali.com/
Some statistics since the All-Star Break
I’ve compiled some spreadsheets for the last seven games, if anyone’s interested. It’s of course a pretty small sample, but shows a bit about who’s been performing well lately. All tables are sorted by position, then average ice time per game.
Even strength:
Note that there are two empty-net goals-against in these numbers that give minuses to Selanne (2), Pronger (2), Ebbett (2), Ryan (2), Montador, Getzlaf, and Niedermayer. Even so, the basic pattern is that the top line (plus Marchant) are kicking ass — everyone else could do much better in goals-against.
Power play:
Still quite efficient despite not scoring in the last three games. Pahlsson continues to shine when it comes to the power play producing goals, though Bobby Ryan is the point-producer.
Shorthanded:
Not too much to say here — pretty thin results. Still, good on Marchant for filling in nicely, and good work Brett Festerling — still has yet to be on the ice for a post-ASG-break goal-against in any manpower situation.
http://www.battleofcali.com/
I'll be there tonight
I probably won’t make it in time to see Selanne honored, however. Damn 7:05 starts.
People who save up for a rainy day are like milk. And milk goes good with cookies, so you should have those people over for cookies.
Have fun tonight! I wouldn’t worry too much about missing the ceremony — it’s likely to be lame and there should be plenty of replays later — but I definitely would be tempted to try to meet Rucchin. If that’s in your plans, may want to skip out on the second period a bit early.
http://www.battleofcali.com/
Oh wow, I may as well skip out on the first period a bit early.
People who save up for a rainy day are like milk. And milk goes good with cookies, so you should have those people over for cookies.
I really hope the Ducks KO the Flames tonight. C’mon, “oh great mustache” and knock out Iginla and Langkow. It’s the only chance the Kings have of beating the Flames tomorrow night, since they had to fly all the way from New York with really no rest.
Fuck you, Denis Gauthier. You deserved that 5-game suspension.
It’s the only chance the Kings have of beating the Flames tomorrow night,
Obama got taken out of office? Seemingly the Kings are near-invincible under that administration.
since they had to fly all the way from New York with really no rest.
The Kings should really look into those automated-engine planes that don’t demand so much foot-pedaling. Helps immensely.
http://www.battleofcali.com/
Doesn’t matter, it’s just another game I’m not gonna be able to see because of school. Gonna miss Saturday night’s game also because of work. Should get the game Monday against the Thrashers, as well as Wednesday at the Pond.
Obama got taken out of office? Seemingly the Kings are near-invincible under that administration.
The only loss since then was against a Canadian team. They’re 1-1-0 against Canada since Obama’s inauguration, so I give them a 50/50 chance of beating the Flames.
The Kings should really look into those automated-engine planes that don’t demand so much foot-pedaling. Helps immensely.
Really? I thought those were just a myth.
Fuck you, Denis Gauthier. You deserved that 5-game suspension.
By the way, Sleek, that sportsclubstats.com site is really cool. I’m even able to check up on the odds of Manchester United defending their English Premier League title is.
Although it’s really weird. According to this page, if the Ducks win, they have a 47% chance of making the playoffs. If they lose, that percentage goes all the way down to 32%. I don’t know if that number depends on results of the other games on the schedule, or if it pretends that there are no other games on the schedule, but it’s really interesting, nonetheless.
So, Ducks fans, apparently y’all want the Avalanche, Coyotes, and Canadiens to win. That makes sense, since you probably want the Wild, Stars, and Oilers all to lose. But anyway, that’s my new favorite non-BoC site.
Fuck you, Denis Gauthier. You deserved that 5-game suspension.
Yeah, I really like the site too, but it’s only my favorite after the Ducks win.
You’ll note that there’s two settings in the upper left — 50/50 or weighted. Generally I like the idea of weighted — it considers record and Home vs. Road — but I’m not sure I believe its methodology. I’ve seen some weird numbers come out of that.
Besides, at this stage most games do have a coin-flip feel to them, and I’m not convinced that 50/50 won’t ultimately prove to be more accurate.
http://www.battleofcali.com/
Would a safer alternative be to just take the percentages from the 50/50 and weighted methods and average them out? I don’t know, but still, I’m a huge fan of baseball sabermetrics, so whenever I can attribute that to other sports (NHL, NBA, even the EPL), I’m all for it.
Fuck you, Denis Gauthier. You deserved that 5-game suspension.
Maybe that’s not a bad approach — I really don’t know much about the founders of the site, but I suspect that hockey isn’t their main function or focus. And I’m not really sure how much home (field/court) matters in other sports, but I get the sense that they “overweight” their advantages.
Not hard to do, really. Hockey’s a weird sport. There’s really nothing to say that the worst team in the league can’t beat the best team in the league maybe one time out of ten — depends on the night.
http://www.battleofcali.com/
Selanne
here’s where I debunk that female sports fan thing…
*tears…
haha
GO DUCKS!! Girlwithapuck.blogspot.com
Cripes — I actually have to head out for an hour or so — just saw that crap by Bertuzzi — but I’ll be back sometime in the 2nd (I think).
http://www.battleofcali.com/
It was clean, he got Ebbet with his shoulder. But if that had been Pronger on Cammy, it’d be an automatic 5 game suspension for a shot to the head. Yay for double standards.
Don't bRuin your life. Make love with a Trojan
I hate Hayward! It was a clean hit with the shoulder, Ebbet got caught with his head down. Hayward is crying about how Phaneuf “got away with one” and how the Ducks never “get away with one”. Pass the tissue. Fuck you Hayward!!
by chris in torrance on Feb 11, 2009 8:43 PM PST reply actions
Sorry i’m not on board with that one. Shoulder…with a big fat arm in front of it. That was a high hit.
GO DUCKS!! Girlwithapuck.blogspot.com
Looks bad on the YouTube replay, and that lately seems to be the driving factor.
I think they gave Pronger a penalty as a knee-jerk reaction to there being a high hit on the ice, though.
B-MOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!
(I’m back.)
http://www.battleofcali.com/
Yeah… on the replay they showed it looked much more like an elbow than a shoulder. So don’t blame Hayward for that.
Honestly do you guys just wait for the slightest sign of Hayward signing to the Ducks and say “YES! Now I get to complain about him on the internet!”
People who save up for a rainy day are like milk. And milk goes good with cookies, so you should have those people over for cookies.
Also, “Hayward signing” is supposed to be “Hayward siding”
I need an edit button… GET ON IT SLEEK
People who save up for a rainy day are like milk. And milk goes good with cookies, so you should have those people over for cookies.
Aw, c’mon. It was only one “I hate Hayward”, and it wasn’t even from me. For a 61-minute game, that’s not too bad.
http://www.battleofcali.com/
Nice. Avoiding the off-the-subject “edit button” remark by going back on the real subject of Hayward. But you can’t fool me.
People who save up for a rainy day are like milk. And milk goes good with cookies, so you should have those people over for cookies.
Honestly do you guys just wait for the slightest sign of Hayward [siding] to the Ducks and say "YES! Now I get to complain about him on the internet!"
..Yep, that’s pretty much it.
I couldn’t tell if it was an elbow or a shoulder, but I was leaning towards somewhere in between (I guess the biceps then?) I give Hayward a pass on this one because Ahlers also initially said it was an elbow, so I tend to believe that it truly was one, sicne Ahlers is a guy I respect (by comparison). That’s completely illogical, and very inexplicable, but I think y’all can understand why I feel that way.
Fuck you, Denis Gauthier. You deserved that 5-game suspension.
Wow. Jarome Iginla just Niedermayered Scott Niedermayer on that breakaway. Talk about role reversal.
http://www.battleofcali.com/
Predictable make-up call. Even though I regularly bash Hedican, that was way weak.
http://www.battleofcali.com/
Why do they torture us like this?!
Jiggy has been lucky tonight!
GO DUCKS!! Girlwithapuck.blogspot.com
I don’t know, but it’s sort of strange to see overtime. The Ducks haven’t played an overtime game since Jan. 2, and yeah, I had to look that up.
http://www.battleofcali.com/
The Ducks haven’t played an overtime game since Jan. 2, and yeah, I had to look that up.
The Kings haven’t played an overtime game since… yesterday. Unfortunately, I had to look that up also. Ah, if only I could watch the games…
Fuck you, Denis Gauthier. You deserved that 5-game suspension.
Aside from lame All Star madness…
This is my first 3-3 experience!
THANK YOU SCOTTY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
GO DUCKS!! Girlwithapuck.blogspot.com
Holy shit… the Ducks win a game, at home, and Kiprusoff, the losing goaltender who allowed FOUR goals, is the first star?
First of all, this has got to be the first time in franchise history where the Ducks won a home game and didn’t get the first star. And second, there has to be a Flame player more deserving of it than Kipper.
Fuck you, Denis Gauthier. You deserved that 5-game suspension.
Change FOUR to THREE and you’re pretty spot-on. Apparently the Ducks got 40 shots, though the dangerousness of them is a bit arguable. But hey, maybe Kipper will be worn out when he sees the Kings.
http://www.battleofcali.com/
Weird, for some reason I was thinking it was 3-3 after regulation. Well, I didn’t watch the full game, and I knew there was a 3 in there somewhere.
Anyway, looking at 3 goals on 40 shots, considering the fact that the Flames lost, I’d have #1 Niedermayer, #2 Giguere, and #3 Kiprusoff. I pretty much always have to go with the player who scored two goals as #1, by default.
But not only for the Ducks, this was the first time I can recall ever seeing the #1 star not being from the home team when they won. Certainly looked weird, them interviewing the #2 star of the game.
Fuck you, Denis Gauthier. You deserved that 5-game suspension.
I pretty much always have to go with the player who scored two goals as #1, by default.
And I’m purely speculating here, but it wouldn’t surprise me with how quickly the 3 stars got named that the order was determined before the OT winner. I could be mistaken, but they seemed to have the order awfully quick — my guess is that they submitted it after regulation.
Certainly looked weird, them interviewing the #2 star of the game.
Would have been weirder had they brought Kiprusoff out for a first-star interview. “So Kipper, what do you think about the Ducks’ upcoming road trip?”
http://www.battleofcali.com/
I could be mistaken, but they seemed to have the order awfully quick — my guess is that they submitted it after regulation.
When the Kings and Stars played to the Royal Rebound last season, of course it was 4-0 with 8 minutes left in the third period. The media hadn’t expected what happened to happen, so they had the three stars already selected. After the game had resulted in a Kings 6-5 overtime victory, they had to go re-do them, because they weren’t gonna still have Turco be the #1 star after giving up six goals.
I believe the stars are selected generally when the game result is no longer in doubt, but I don’t know how it really works. But if the stars were selected before OT had begun, I’d have guessed Morrison to get the star, since he had the goal that made it 2-2.
Would have been weirder had they brought Kiprusoff out for a first-star interview. "So Kipper, what do you think about the Ducks’ upcoming road trip?"
I kinda wish they’d do that. It’d be truly bizarre, but as SK eleven says, VERY entertaining.
Fuck you, Denis Gauthier. You deserved that 5-game suspension.
Well maybe you had to be there, but it was pretty easy to see how good Kiprusoff was, he was annoyingly good at times, so it’s not a huge surprise to see him noticed, but #1 was still surprising, I was sure it was going to be Scotty.
People who save up for a rainy day are like milk. And milk goes good with cookies, so you should have those people over for cookies.
I’m glad the Ducks are done playing the Flames — the most annoying part to me is how nearly all their goals come from ex-Ducks Bertuzzi and Glencross. Especially knowing how much we’re still paying Big Bert.
http://www.battleofcali.com/
Huzzah!
Per the weighted method, the Ducks’ playoff chances are above 50% again! Good thing PHX/DAL and MIN/COL were both able to end in regulation — Habs could have been better, though.
http://www.battleofcali.com/
My new lucky shirt
I had curling last night (did I mention I’m Canadian), so I couldn’t wear it. I see where that got us. The Kings tonight, however, are in trouble.
Man, that curling sure has a tough dress code standard. Still, thanks for sparing us the guaranteed pain!
http://www.battleofcali.com/
I can’t believe curling is actually a major sport up in Canada… then again, us Americans have the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show (which actually got more time on ESPNews and Pardon the Interruption than hockey did yesterday), so I guess we can’t judge.
Fuck you, Denis Gauthier. You deserved that 5-game suspension.
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Pacific Standings
| GP | W | L | OTL | PT | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
San Jose
|
82 | 51 | 20 | 11 | 113 |
|
Phoenix
|
82 | 50 | 25 | 7 | 107 |
|
Los Angeles
|
82 | 46 | 27 | 9 | 101 |
|
Anaheim
|
82 | 39 | 32 | 11 | 89 |
|
Dallas
|
82 | 37 | 31 | 14 | 88 |
(updated 4.12.2010 at 6:21 AM PDT)
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