On the surface, the five-game trip that the Ducks took through the voracious Central Division had disastrous consequences.
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Meanwhile, Jamie Benn and Tyler Seguin of the Dallas Stars have 18 goals together – one more goal than the entire Anaheim team.
The Sharks couldn’t solve Anaheim backup goalie Anton Khudobin as the resurgent Ducks skated out of SAP Center on Saturday night with a 1-0 victory. But they’re certainly not as bad as they showed early on.
“Usually when you play consistent, the results happen to go in your favor and it has the last two games, so we want to continue that”, Andersen says. This magnified Anaheim’s woes.
During the offseason, GM Bob Murray locked up Ryan Kesler to a six-year contract extension. He lost defenseman Francois Beauchemin in unrestricted free agency but picked up Kevin Bieksa to fill the void. Getzlaf returned Friday to face the Columbus Blue Jackets after he missed four games following an appendectomy and had three assists in the Ducks’ 4-2 win.
For whatever reason, at the start of the season, nothing worked out. The Ducks were shut out five times in their first eight games.
Jones then stopped two shots from in close by Stewart, including a toe save with 6:10 to go in the opening period. Andrew Cogliano’s trip of Joe Thornton at 15:15 of the third period, and Cam Fowler’s delay of game at 17:36 gifted San Jose a couple prime chances to tie the game.
If you go back to the days following the Ducks western conference finals game 7 loss, you might remember the injury report surfacing stating that Getzlaf had been dealing with a sports hernia. Take for example the game against the Panthers.
That was the only blemish for Jones, who finished with 16 saves and gave the Sharks a chance to win back-to-back games for the first time in three weeks.
After scoring just 10 goals in their first 10 games while getting shutout five times, the Ducks top scorers are starting to find the net again.
The 30-year-old was drafted by the Ducks in the first round (28th overall) of the 2003 National Hockey League Draft, and is now playing in his 11th National Hockey League season (all spent with Anaheim).
“It was a good play by (Micheal) Haley to get it to me”, Marleau said.
When the Ducks came back, Murray released a statement saying that there would be no major changes to the team’s coaching staff. “And we thought this was a ideal spot for him”. “When he makes that play to Getzy, I’m gone, because Getzy has that vision, that passing ability to make that play”. Guys started to realize what was going on and what we had to do. That said, we are severely underperforming as a group. “I just wanted to put it in the back of the net”, Manson said.
Getzlaf said the locker room didn’t pay attention to the rumors around Boudreau.
But as a player it’s hard to tune out such words – especially when your coach is as liked as Boudreau. “I thought I’d get the shot off quickly and surprise him”.
Corey Perry scored early and Khudobin made sure his breakaway tally stood as the game-winner, standing tall from start to finish. Sometimes it’s true – but a team needs to come back from the depths of a slump for that statement to be fulfilled.
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“I felt good about my game tonight, other than the last goal”, Smith told the Coyotes’ official website.
