Sharks@Ducks Home Opener

Photo
Former Captain Patrick Marleau (Marleau was stripped of his captaincy in August and the "C" was given to Rob Blake for the 2009-2010 season.) screens Jonas Hiller. Brett Festerling tries to defend the shooter from a goal. Hiller looks over the shoulder of Marleau as Marleau makes a better door than he does a window.

Final: Sharks 4 Ducks 1

Starting Goaltender: Jonas Hiller

The game starts off with many penalties. Including a fight with Mike Brown and Scott Nichol. They exchanged words and then suddenly hug one another in an unfriendly matter. Brownie takes down Nichol and wins the fight a 5 minute penalty is handed to both players.

Hiller lets in three goals in the first. The defense in front of him didn't do well and obviously Hiller still has rust. Some shots Hiller does like he normally does, he makes saves. A sprawling Hiller goes down to the ice to make an amazing save. Hiller had gone down too early which cost him goals the defense played a sloppy period, which cost goals.

In the beginning of the 2nd period Hiller continued to play, he makes some leg saves and keeps the puck out of the net. The Sharks score on the power play. There is little defense in front of Hiller and Hiller goes down leaving a wide open net above his leg for Devin Setoguchi to score a power play goal. The penalty was assigned to Ryan Whitney for holding.

Again, the Ducks are outshot and the Ducks had no shots, a little half way into the period. This doesn't help Hiller that he is being worked like a slave.
There's quite a few scrums among both teams. The Ducks are taking a lot of penalties which is caused too much power plays for the Sharks. Hiller covered up a shot to prevent Joe Thornton from a rebound goal.

The defense has done well as the prevent shots on Hiller but failed to clear their zone for about two minutes.

Marleau had a spin-0-rama and Hiller makes one if not his best save of the game, throwing out his left leg preventing Marleau from making an even wider deficit onto his team.

A question can be asked. Especially after Hiller let in the 3rd goal is why was Hiller still in. Why hasn't he gotten the hook. That's a good question regardless of the defense in front of him. Their sloppy plays and the obvious time needing time to gel and get used to each other. The question still remains why is Hiller still in net? Giguere would of been pulled after the 3rd goal. Giguere has been pulled with the same kind of defense Hiller has in front of him maybe the defense was a little better since the chemistry had gelled. Unlike in the first game of the season. The defense had still made sloppy plays in front of Giguere and it frustrated him that is in concerns of the game against the Minnesota Wild. Hiller replaced Giguere in that game.

Hiller probably isn't happy with his own performance in tonight's game. Hiller has a lot of shots on him and he's going down early on some of the shots leaving a wide open net and he had left a dream come true rebounds. Which the Sharks took the opportunity on.

The Ducks need to prevent less shots for the Sharks. The question about the Ducks defense is; is the Ducks defense now bad due to the loss of both Francois Beauchemin, who currently plays for the Toronto Maple Leafs and the loss of Chris Pronger, who was traded at the draft for promising young defenseman Luca Sbisa and getting back Joffrey Lupul from the Philadelphia Flyers.

Dan Boyle, a cheap shot on Todd Marchant and all the skaters get into a brawl.The Ducks were just protecting their own teammates. Sharks' Doug Murray is ejected from the game for game misconduct. Many penalties are assigned to both teams. The Ducks receive the power play.

Sharks captain Rob Blake had fallen onto both Bobby Ryan and Todd Marchant within a three minute span. Fighting for the puck. Blake laid on both Ryan and Marchant not letting them up. Bobby covered up the puck with his body and the puck came lose from Marchant but Blake continued to lay on him pinning him against the ice and boards for a few more seconds.

Hiller still being worked had recompsed himself not letting in any goals, he had a few leg saves and covered up the puck preventing rebounds from going into his net.

Finally, the Ducks get on the board with a Ryan Whitney power play goal.

Hiller makes another great save on Rob Blake as Ryan Whitney cleared the shooting slot as Blake takes a hard shot and Hiller sees it all the way and absorbs the puck catching it in his glove hand and using his blocker hand as extra as he brought it into his chest. Hiller went into the narrow butterfly position. Both Hiller and Giguere use the narrow butterfly in a great deal of their play. Both butterfly goalies as both former goalie coach Francois Allaire a butterfly goalie coach had worked on with both netminders.

Hiller made a save on Joe Pavelski an excellent save.

With Hiller his performance was definitely not stellar and it falls short of both good and bad. His performance for the game as mediocre as was the defense and the offense. The Ducks drop the game to the Sharks in a 4-1 loss.

This team had too many turnovers and sloppy plays in the Ducks Zone.

Scorers:
1st period:

San Jose: Benn Ferriero Assists: Jason Demers, Frazer McLaren
San Jose: Short-handed goal: Patrick Marleau Assists: Unassisted
San Jose: Joe Thornton Assists: Dany Heatly

2nd period:
San Jose: Power Play Goal: Devin Setoguchi Assists: Dany Heatly, Joe Thornton

3rd Period:
Anaheim: Power Play Goal: Ryan Whitney Assists: Ryan Getzlaf