WE'VE MOVED!

ARTHUR:
Anaheim calling to the hockey world...

We are now at Anaheim Calling (SB Nation).

It's been a tough process with a few delays since we said we were moving last month, but as of 3 o'clock this afternoon, the new site is live. We are now the official Anaheim Ducks bloggers for SBN. We look forward to bringing our format to SBN's community-oriented system, and we hope you'll come and join us or lurk and visit us from time to time.

This was Anaheim calling to the hockey world...Blogger station signing off.

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Gee Wiz

ARTHUR:
The Ducks were out of gas at the end of their road trip, dropping this afternoon's game in Madison Square Garden 3-0. Giguere pitched a gem through two, but was ultimately undermined by two third period penalties, one a roughing call to Whitney for putting Sean Avery in a headlock, the other a token Artyukhin call.

The freshest legs on the ice (other than Giguere's) belonged to Sheldon Brookbank, who dressed in place of a scratched Nick Boynton, and Brendan Mikkelson, who was called up from Toronto. Together, the two players were asked to eat the minutes of recent ice-time gormandizer James Wisniewski, whose shoulder was injured in last night's game against Philadelphia.

Daniel, Wisniewski's on a bit of a trial contract this year. We assume he wants a multi-year at 3M+ per, and the Ducks gave him one year at 2.75M to prove, amongst other things, he could play a healthy and productive season. If he can't stay healthy this season, should the Ducks re-sign him?

DANIEL:
I think the Ducks should consider giving Wisniewski a contract extension. If he is hurt, maybe Bob Murray can muscle him into a pay cut for a short period of time. Wisniewski has demonstrated an ability to eat minutes, connect on the home run pass (...occasionally) and deliver a few big hits. That's definitely worth 1.5-2M a year if he can play 60 games a year. I don't think a 3 year $6 million deal would be a poor investment, considering the prize of next year's free agent class is Duncan Keith. There won't be a lot of defensemen available who can play 23 minutes a night, be physical and are younger than 30. Although, Ruslan Salei might be an option, or we can take a shot at Jordan Leopold.

I'm as frustrated as anybody. Wisniewski had 4 points in our first 4 games. More importantly, I think he's the nastiest blueliner on our team. That might not be saying much, but it's something we desperately need. The absence of it on the free agent market and the need to have a guy who can play 23-25 minutes a night make Wisniewski very valuable. But you can't pay a guy big money to only pay 40-50 games a year. If the Ducks lock up Wisniewski, it better be for less money.

ARTHUR:
I've been very vocal about how much I hate this contract. Paterson has found some quality journeyman defensemen for us over the years, and I just can't justify paying Wisniewski to fill a hole that another player could fill at half the price, especially when we had him set for arbitration. I think Bob Murray has trouble NOT paying the guys he likes. That's why he screwed up the Beauchemin deal, and that's probably why he blinked first heading to arbitration. He's got blueline colored glasses on, and he can't see this guy's a major injury risk.

Granted, this is his shoulder, not his knee, but I think Marian Gaborik proved in Minnesota that, at some point, fragility is unforgivable. Now, if it's a strength and conditioning issue, he really should have taken care of it this year, his trial contract year. If it's a freak luck thing, we should really get him away from our players. And if it's just genetic, my heart goes out to him, but injuries and ailments kept even Super Mario away from the game-- mere mortal athletes can't expect more.

The thing that spells 'don't re-sign him' for me is that he plays a physically taxing game. He likes to hit, he likes to mix it up, he likes to block shots and he likes to take shots on net. His style of play puts him at risk for injury every shift, and Carlyle just added four minutes to his ice time. I mean, injuries will happen to any player, but as a professional athlete, you have to have some sense of what your body can and can't do, and Wisniewski should probably file his physical game under the 'can't do's.' And I think he knows that, but he has to make a choice to either figure out why his body is betraying him and fix it or change his style of play altogether. THAT version of Wisniewski will have earned the contract he wanted this offseason.

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Think Outside The Box

DANIEL:
This is Anaheim Calling to the hockey world.

Teemu Selanne defeated the Philadelphia Flyers in Wachovia tonight, putting the Ducks on the board late in the 3rd, knotting the tying goal with seconds left and scoring the only goal of the shootout in a 3-2 Anaheim victory. Hiller was phenomenal as well, making 33 saves for the second consecutive game, stopping some point blank chances in overtime and using his pads to shut the door on all three Philly snipers in the shootout.

But one disturbing trend continued into tonight's game: the Ducks gave up another PPG. That makes 7 power play goals against in 4 games. The Ducks go shorthanded around 6 times a game, and are surrendering a little under 2 goals a game on the PK. Arthur, do you think these Penalty Kill woes will continue, and does the Ducks new scoring depth make this penalty problem less of a threat?

ARTHUR:
First, we shouldn't gloss over Selanne's play tonight. He's playing like it's 1999. He really did beat the Flyers. I hear the Anaheim Ducks were in attendance for the game, but I didn't see enough to confirm that.

I don't think we can really point to tonight's game as a continuation of special teams trouble. The referees like to penalize both of these clubs based on reputation, and the result was an officiating train wreck. There were bad calls, phantom calls, make-up calls, punishing players for trying to draw penalties, missed high sticks and trips-- oh, and they sent Artyukhin to the box at the end of the 3rd after swallowing their whistles for most of the period. They suddenly remembered they'd only raised the orange-triangle-arm on the Russian once. It's hard for either team to find its stride under those conditions, which is why both Flyers goals came on the man advantage. Maybe the Ducks should send a video of tonight's game to the NHL to show them how ridiculous reputation calls make their officials look.

I suppose the Ducks could take a second pass at playing clean and quiet hockey, but it was so disastrous last year that I think these penalty kill woes will and SHOULD continue. The secondary scoring minimizes the value of goals against to a degree, but I'm much more encouraged by what Dave Farrish is doing with the PK units. I mean, he's got Joffrey Lupul's legs and active stick out there (Lupul killing penalties? It must be the beginning of an avant-garde movement in NHL coaching). There's more than one way to skin a cat, and he's certainly using the new players to find some alternatives to having a giant defenseman clearing the front of the net.

Ultimately, we're doing well even strength and Farrish is still working on the PK units. It's much too early to worry about this.

DANIEL:
The Penalty Kill is still a concern for me. The loss of Pronger has made protecting the net so much more difficult. I've been noticing how much more willing opposing players are to patrol the crease. The Pronger goal on the power play came off a screen. Hiller never saw the shot. I think the inability to clear the crease is going to be a bigger problem throughout the season unless somebody toughens up. The Western Conference teams live in front of the net, and we need to do a better job protecting it. Another part of killing penalties is the puck movement that was a problem during the Minnesota game. We can't just keep giving the puck back to the team and letting them rebuild the attack. The Ducks have the speed and skill up front to be a nightmare shorthanded, they should be able to spend more time keeping the zone and fighting off the penalty, similar to what we saw against Boston. Not to mention that it doesn't seem like we are taking less penalties this year, which means we have to stop giving up so many power play goals.

Finally, I think that fixing the PK is imperative because, even though the scoring lines will eventually mesh, we currently cannot protect ourselves in high scoring games. The 6 we scored against Boston might have been an anomaly. Right now, we look more like a 2-3 goal per game team, which won't be enough to compete with the Red Wings and Sharks if we're giving up 2 power play goals a game.

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Mailbag: Reebok Monkey Sports Promotion

ARTHUR:
Anaheim calling to the hockey world...

If you're looking for something to do tomorrow, we just got an email from Reebok regarding a promotional fundraiser with the Anaheim Ducks street team at Monkey Sports. All proceeds go to Southern California Amateur Hockey Association. Here's a flyer for the event per the SCAHA.

The event goes from 10am-3pm at Monkey Sports in Santa Ana (1420 Village Way), and in addition to demonstrations for the Reebok 8.0.8 O-Stick, they'll be raffling off 2 autographed Ducks jerseys (signed by a full roster), 2 Ducks tickets on the glass, an autographed Hiller stick, an autographed Giguere stick and other assorted prizes. Raffle tickets are $2 apiece, and as we said, all proceeds go to SCAHA.

If you're in the mood to buy something, the first 50 people to buy a Reebok OPS stick will get a set of Ducks tickets with their purchase. And we hear from Monkey Sports that purchasing Reebok gear will make you eligible to win more Reebok gear and perhaps a trip to the Reebok Money Pit. You'll have to show up to get those details straightened out.

But if you're just in the mood to try your luck at a few raffle tickets and have a little fun, the Ducks street team will be there to offer their usual inflatable shenanigans. And there WILL be food. SCAHA says $1 hot dogs and $1 sodas.

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You Win, You Start

ARTHUR:
A sublime win in Boston tonight, as the Ducks went 2 for 2 on the power play and 6 for 6 on the penalty kill en route to a 6-1 victory over the Bruins.

Several encouraging trends flowed into tonight's game. Lupul is still blocking shots and passing (I can't believe it either). Artyukhin is still scoring. Selanne is still a power play machine. And Koivu still ain't afraid of Zdeno Chara.

But the trend most likely to influence the game against Philadelphia is that Jonas Hiller won, putting Carlyle's reported 'you win, you start' system to the test for the first time this season. Hiller got very little work after a shot-heavy 1st and 2nd period tonight, and he had the benefit of goal support and an Anaheim team still attacking the opposing net, something Giguere could have used against Minnesota.

Daniel, is 'you win, you start' a valid method for choosing a starting goaltender or will Giguere and/or Hiller too often suffer at the mercy of both the schedule and inconsistent efforts from their teammates?

DANIEL:
I choose to believe that Joffrey Lupul has read our complaints and has altered his game to please us. I figure that's just as likely as a shot going off Tim Thomas' pad, rebounding on Perry's head and settling in the back of the net.

As for the pressing issue, I think Carlyle's plan to just keep the winner in net is eventually going to run into a couple of roadblocks. Obviously, it's detrimental to a goalie to be punished for the poor play of the people skating in front of him (see Giguere in Minnesota). Just as important, what do you say to a guy who makes 25 saves in a 1-0 loss?

I don't believe for a second that if Hiller wins on Saturday, he will be playing on Sunday. I think Carlyle has always been the type of coach who doesn't mind making waves with the players, and he does a great job of getting them to go the extra mile. I expect him to keep Hiller and Jiggy on their respective toes for a while. I might have a little too much faith in Randy, but his attention to detail leads me to believe he recognizes the hot goalie regardless of play. The guy giving us the best chance to win will be between the pipes.

Until he decides on a number one, Giguere and Hiller will be juggled, like any other line that Carlyle squeezes production from.

ARTHUR:
You know, I think the answer here is both. Yes, the goaltenders will be at the mercy of factors beyond their control and yes, that's a valid method for choosing a starter.

It's not like they're being judged on their ability to play with another team. Most of these players will be around in April, giving this same checkered effort. So how Giguere and Hiller perform behind them is an ABSOLUTELY valid way of determining who should be the number one.

I mean, this is just the nature of being a goaltender. The game comes to you. It's not like you can go out there, work hard and make a big save. You're at the mercy of the flow of the game, not to mention a healthy dose of luck. Giguere and Hiller have to prove they can find a way to win, find a way to shut the door and find a way to pitch themselves out of trouble. And I think it's fine for Carlyle to put that pressure on them. If you can find a way to beat Detroit when everyone on your team is letting you down, then you've earned your job security.

And on the possibility of starting Hiller back to back, I think it's something Carlyle should consider. Hiller had a lot of trouble on short rest (for a backup) last season. If he wants this job, he should have to prove he's taken the next step with his conditioning.

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Twin Comebacks

ARTHUR:
I couldn't get a hold of Daniel tonight, but as I'd already prepared a prompt, I thought I would post my answer to it.

A night of comebacks in the Twin Cities, as Anaheim squandered a three-goal lead, losing in overtime and leaving Minnesota with one point. The Ducks seemed rather unaccustomed to their hot start against the Wild; they faded down the stretch after goals by Lupul, Artyukhin and Koivu. Still, compared to last game, it was an encouraging effort by the new squad.

Particularly noteworthy were two plays by Joffrey Lupul. The forward made a cross-slot pass to Ebbett, who could not cash in the dish, and then followed that up by blocking a shot with his eye socket. Daniel, Me, which was the more impressive play, Lupul passing or Lupul sacrificing himself to block the shot?

DANIEL: ARTHUR:
I've made the joke before that Lupul is secretly the greatest passer in the history of the NHL. It's akin to the Chuck Norris Fact where the martial artist's tears can cure cancer. And I was impressed by the pass. Both by its quality and Lupul's decision to dish. But the more surprising and more impressive play to me was Lupul putting his body on the line.

In Ken Dryden's The Game, Dryden recalls the evolution of Larry Robinson: how Robinson blocked fewer shots, fought less and generally stopped putting his health on the line after he re-upped with Montreal. And the author is forgiving of that, because once you earn a big contract and your career becomes a series of contracts, there's nothing wrong with trying to stay healthy. And veterans like Robinson usually find a way to be effective without putting themselves at risk.

Lupul is definitely on his first pricey contract, and that led me to believe I'd see the same shoot-first-examine-pass-options-later puck piggy that I'd remembered from seasons past. Instead, I've found a tougher, well-rounded puck piggy. Yeah, he's still a puck piggy, but as long as he's willing to protect himself (and apparently the net), I don't find his inflated wage quite as upsetting as I maybe should.

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We Open On A Loss

ARTHUR:
Last night the Ducks dropped their season opener at the Honda Center to the rival Sharks, a team that dropped its own opener in Colorado. Meanwhile, Central Division powerhouses Detroit and Chicago dropped their openers overseas.

Daniel, does dropping the season opener mean anything?

DANIEL:
I don't think winning or losing the season opener is indicitave of a quality season for the Ducks. In the 2002-2003 season we lost our first two games, but still pushed the Devils to a game 7 in the Stanley Cup finals. Last year we lost our opening game to the Sharks, but still beat them in the first round of the playoffs. In 2005-2006, we won the opener but then went on a 3 game losing streak, eventually dropping in the Western Conference finals to that uppity Edmonton team.

I don't think losing any one game is a huge problem. I think how you play in that game is a bigger problem. The Ducks had a couple of bounces go against them last night, and it completely sapped their energy. Let's face it, we were dominated in every aspect of the game. The Sharks skated all over us. We got out hit, beat to loose pucks, and were pinned down in our own zone for long stretches. If there's a silver lining, it's the fact present in the question: the Sharks got owned by the Avalanche but still came and handled us in our opener. There's no cause for alarm yet, just a long list of things to take care of at practice.

ARTHUR:
Yeah, generally this doesn't matter. I think the worst case scenario is starting the season with a two game series overseas and losing both games. For that, no one envies Detroit right now.

People will point to the lineup, I'm sure, but this is the third straight season Anaheim has opened with a loss. If anything, I feel this lineup has more pieces, more movable parts, that need to click into place. And if they don't click, their understudies are banging on the door.

I think we've seen a lot of this in the Salary Cap era. Teams revamp from season to season. Sometimes they fire on all cylinders; sometimes they stall at the gate. Neither start is usually indicative of where the team will be when all is said and done.

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