Saturday, February 11, 2006

 

Saturday Slam

I was at the Canucks/Ducks game last night, which was the first time I had ever seen Anaheimlich's NHL entry live in person. Their white uniforms aren't all that hideous (unlike their purple jobs) and have a crisp look to them. It's too bad the home squad suffered a rather pathetic 3-1 loss. The old cliche "no sense of urgency" seemed to apply, as the Canucks, for the most part, lollied around their own zone as if this was an exhibition game.

  • New NHL, Same old team - The Ducks are known for being one of the NHL's remaining trap teams, and they played it to perfectly. They kept the Canucks bottled up in their own zone and the home fans were audibly frustrated at the Canucks inability to clear the puck from their old zone. As Don Cherry would say, "Keep it simple, stupid! Dump it off of the glass!"

  • Andy McDonald, the best player you don't know about? Years ago, I told others at the Face Off Circle forum and some others that young Andy McDonald was a player to watch and would become a rather good player some day. Now, I never realized the little bugger had 'grown' into such a star.

    The 28 year-old is second on the Ducks with 52 points in 56 games (one behind Selanne) and he was a demon in the offensive zone, especially on the Power Play. He looks legit, and certainly better than just the second-line center that I had pegged him for. He's not the ideal #1 center, mind you, but he's really exploded this year.

  • Selanne - He didn't look like a world-beater, but he certainly looked good and dangerous. One underrated aspect of his game is how good he is at keeping the puck. He was very strong on his skates and not easily pushed off of the puck.

  • The Ducks trapping helped set a record for quietest crowd in GM Place history. With the Ducks up 3-0 in the first period, it was quiet enough for me to hear the Grecian Formula melt off of the head of a steaming Marc Crawford.

  • Ruutu vs. Fedoruk? When both men were off for roughing, Ruutu was really jabbering at The Fridge in the penalty box. Wouldn't you love to see Ruutu take on Fedoruk and get his ass absolutely kicked? Yeah, like Ruutu would ever be dumb enough to take on the challenge.

  • Another player I'd never heard about, Dustin Penner, was quite impressive and he's HUGE (listed at 6'4" 240). Maybe Ducks fans or others can tell me more about the big slab of beef.
    According to his hockeydb.com page, Penner is a 23-year old who played just one season of NCAA hockey, one full season in the AHL, and then ripped up the AHL this season before getting the call up. He isn't even drafted??

    • Wow, where the hell did this guy come from? He's got a bit of Bertuzzi in him.




  • Speaking of Bertuzzi, he was at his very worst last night. He didn't even have a shot on goal, and was floating around as he usually does. I wasn't the only one who noticed, as quite a few fans in my section were yelling things like "SKATE, BERTUZZI! GET YOUR ASS MOVING!"

  • Oh, and the worst customized uniform of the night? Some idiot who had #44 and BERT. That's right, not Bertuzzi, but BERT. *sigh*


    • ---

    Regarding OPERATION Slapshot and all of the Chicken Little Syndrome surrounding it, I'd suggest you check out this Op-ed about Prince Harry and his Nazi Uniform faux pas. This quote is especially relevant:

    We have lost the ability to express proportion. There is no longer such a thing as an accident. There is only a catastrophe. Whatever happens is "big news", unless something else turns up that is bigger. Someone somewhere, preferably a celebrity, must be involved, be blamed and, with luck, be sued or sacked. Public figures no longer make mistakes. They make "massive errors of judgment" for which they must resign or be roasted alive. This is almost medieval. However minor, and however sincerely regreted, a mistake may be redeemed only with trial by ordeal.

    # posted by Unknown @ 9:40 am
    Comments:
    wow jes, for not covering it, you spend a lot of time..um.. covering it.

    let me just say this and then not cover it as much as you do from now on..

    the nhl maybe forced to put a team (or two) on sale or take them over. there are already two teams for sale. the only solid buyer is in kc and wants the team there. if you think teams moving,being run by buttman, and the nhl getting weaker owners in it ain't important, you ain't been following hockey :)
    # posted by Anonymous Anonymous : 11:04 am
     
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