In Shark infested waters

On October 3 at The Pond there will be Sharks invading our waters. Can they survive in fresh waters? The Pond's waters for that matter which will having vicious Ducks attacking. Another question comes to mind for the Ducks who's going to be in the crease?

Obviously with Hiller's performance against the Sharks helping upset the President's Trophy winners. He's a favorite to start the game in the Ducks season opener with both goaltenders performing well during the preseason. It's hard to tell which goalie had out performed the other. If you're talking in that sense, if you're trying to figure out who had a better performance during those preseason games; well good luck to you. Both goaltenders had to shake off some rust from over the summer, and Giguere had to do so more than Hiller did. None the less, they're both back at playing hockey at the highest competitive level.

Watch Giguere over the season, as people still say he's as from some fans "Giguere's good but he's getting up there you got to admit that. Last season proved he was starting to go down hill" and other various things covering the same topic on Giguere of there's been people saying, he was struggling because of his personal issues. Giguere has the ability to bounce back now that he's starting with a clean slate he's going to make better of his game. He'll prove the naysayers wrong and prove that he's still an amazing goalie. Giguere is the best goalie the Ducks have ever had having the most wins. Which he was recognized and rewarded at the March 28, 2008 game against the San Jose Sharks. In which Jonas Hiller started the game and had an unfair goal counted against him. As in, the Sharks shoved him into the net and he looked like a folding pizza box, but the goal was not waived off.

Hiller is setting himself up not to have slump right after his spectacular season. The preseason helps all the veteran players shake off the rust and younger players, especially ones who have just freshly been drafted and were lucky enough to get an invitation to their team's training camp and to even make it past the camp to have a chance to get a nice little taste of NHL ice. Hiller as with Giguere, has more to prove to himself and his confidence than he does to anyone else. Obviously proving himself to other people will come in the same category. Your worst enemy is yourself.

The goalie is the last line of defense. If his team makes a mistake he has to make up for it. If he makes a mistake he has to make up for it. This is obviously involves both Giguere and Hiller. A goalie needs to put his entire mind into the game, he cannot have his mind focused on something else other than that. He needs to be strong mentally and cannot have any other distractions.Here's a great quote from Ken Dryden:

"Because the demands of a goalie are mostly mental, the biggest enemy is himself. Not a puck, not an opponent, not a quirk of size. Him. The stress and anxiety he feels when he plays, the fear of failing, the fear of being embarrassed, the fear of being physically hurt, all the symptoms of his position, in constant ebb and flow, but never disappearing. The successful goalie understands these neurosis, accepts them and puts them under control. The unsuccessful goalie is distracted by them, his mind in knots, his body quickly follows."

When Hiller and Giguere make a mistake. When any goalie makes a mistake a red light flares on behind him spinning like a emergency vehicle's lights. Another arena, a celebratory horn sounds, rival fans screaming and hooting. The shooter and his team celebrating. When they play at home, their fans criticizing.

"The goalie is like the guy on the minefield. He discovers the mine and destroys them. If you make a mistake, somebody gets blown up."- Arturs Irbe

"Goaltender is a normal job. Sure. How would you like it if at your job, every time you made the slightest mistake, a little red light went on over your head, and 18,000 people stood up and screamed at you?"- Jaques Plante

It's hard to tell who Randy Carlyle is going to give the nod to in fact. As both are hoping they start the game, the rematch against the Sharks, they both cannot start the game. Neither Giguere nor Hiller doesn't have any information yet, who's going to start the season opener. As people give personal opinions and predictions on who's going to start the game the decision probably won't be known until Saturday the time of the game, maybe Friday. Both Giguere and Hiller are mentally ready and are anxious to finally get this regular season underway. Regardless of who will skate himself in to the blue paint on opening night. Giguere has proved in the preseason and in previous season he can be a Shark Killer. Hiller has definitely proved he can be. The Sharks don't want to face Hiller they'd probably rather face Giguere but only on a slight note. These teams know the goalie situation in Anaheim. They've played against both Giguere and Hiller and they know both a great goalies.

A goalie can end up a hero he can end up a villain to his own team' to his own fans, to himself. A goalie does not makes saves off of luck every single team maybe sometimes he does but not always

"Sometimes you get lucky but to be lucky you have to fight for it"-Jonas Hiller.


This team is going to be easy. The phrase has been heard by hockey fans and its heard too often. A team who is a bottom feeder is coined as being easy. This isn't true when a team is a bottom feeder it doesn't mean they are an easy team. They may be less competitive than they higher ranked teams but that doesn't mean that they are going to be an easy team. There is no easy game. Not only is it fans that believe they can cost into a game, which is an 'easy' team. Teams themselves have being guilty. They were looking lazy on the ice. They're laying back and not playing like they should. The Ducks have also been guilty of this.

Kings@Ducks

Goalies: Giguere/Hiller
The Ducks win Pre-season Finale against the Kings at The Pond.

The Ducks have won their season finale against the Los Angeles Kings. Giguere robbed royalty. He made saves on the likes of Davis Drewiskie and Anze Kopitar. The Ducks penalty kill really needs some work.

Giguere is scored on twice by Ryan Smyth both on power plays and Anze Kopitar. Kopitar scored one of his goals on the power play and his other on the one man advantage, after the Kings pulled Jonathan Bernier who he split the time with starter Erik Ersberg.

Corey Perry breaks the steak of the Ducks not being able to score in the first period with his third goal of the preseason. Giguere allowed four goals against him in tonight's game the most he has let by him this preseason. Giguere has improved from last year stopping more pucks and a improved glove hand. His weakest spot for the past years. His ability to rebound from a not to shabby season is nothing short of amazing. The disappointment and the high high run emotional off ice season. On the end of the season interviews after the Ducks lost to the Red Wings in game 7 Giguere stated he was going to completely forget about hockey, over the Ducks off-season.

It sure has helped him. While he and Hiller are still shaking off rust. Giguere did well this game but may be as every goalie reviewing the game to see what he can better improve on. As said, Giguere robbed royalty tonight he was like a cat quietly stalking around a house, but at times he drew notice to him by letting in back to back goals in a less than two minute span.

"The zone just doesn't come in and out, it's just something that you work and work and work. When it's time to play as well as you can, you just try to bring it."

"Francois [Allaire] gave me confidence by giving me tools to work with, a technique that's very simple to use," said Giguere, who came from Calgary for a second-round draft pick. "Whenever things go wrong or whenever things go right, I always try to stay with the same foundation. You can't change your game plan. If I give (up) two, three goals in the next game in the first period, I'm not going to change the way I play because of that." -J.S. Giguere

Scorers:
1st period:
Anaheim Ducks: Corey Perry Assists: James Wisniewski
Los Angeles Kings: Power Play Goal: Ryan Smyth Assists: Michal Handzus, Teddy Purcell
Anaheim Ducks: Bobby Ryan Assists: Corey Perry, James Wisniewski

2nd period:
Anaheim Ducks: Bobby Ryan Assists: Ryan Getzlaf
Los Angeles Kings: Power Play Goal: Ryan Smyth Assists: Anze Kopitar, Dustin Brown

3rd period:
Anaheim Ducks: Power Play goal: Ryan Getzlaf Assists: Bobby Ryan, Scott Niedermayer
Los Angeles Kings: Power Play goal: Anze Kopitar Assists: Ryan Smyth, Dustin Brown
Anaheim Ducks: Joffrey Lupul Assists: Saku Koivu, Teemu Selanne
Los Angeles Kings: (pulled goalie) man advantage: Anze Kopitar Assists: Ryan Smyth, Trevor Lewis

Jonas "The Monster" Gustavsson

The hype mainly over the summer. A goalie from Sweden by the name of Jonas Gustavsson currently belongs to the Toronto Maple Leafs. After taking a tour of various cities, and having many teams interested in him. It seemed his last two cities were Dallas and Toronto, liking the people in both cities. He was convinced by former Ducks general manager Brian Burke to join one of the "Original Six" in Toronto. He's definitely hyped in the media and among the fans. After having medical issues during the Leafs medical which forced him to undergo minor heart surgery. The Leafs have eased him into the game giving him one period (20 minutes) of play. He made 7 of 7 saves. Including one which will be on the highlight reels for a long time. His angle cutting is amazing. The Toronto papers before the medical incident occurred have being saying that he can be the next Brodeur. He's good but don't get that highly hyped up about him. Predicting something that early on a much more seasoned in the NHL and generally in hockey goaltender.

He's pushing veteran goalie Vesa Toskala, who didn't have his best season in the 2008-2009 campaign. Toskala, like most goalies has the ability to bounce back but as a lot of veterans. They're having a healthy competition from a younger goalie. Veterans want their starting role. They want to play a lot of games being pushed only makes them work harder to re-secure their spot. Goaltender Joey McDonald is also in the running the back up for Toskala last season. He is also fighting to keep his No. 2 spot.

Justin Pogge sent to San Antonio

Justin Pogge has been sent to the shared AHL affiliate with the Phoenix Coyotes for further development. He joins J.P. Levasseur and Timo Pielmeier

Ducks@Sharks

Goalies: Pogge/Giguere

Justin Pogge isn't going to sleep well. It's preseason but competition wise for the players, it doesn't matter. The Sharks horribly outshot the Ducks.

Justin Pogge did well as he started off in the game. This was his first full game in the preseason. His ice time adding up to 75 minutes, he first received his first ice time against the Vancouver Canucks as he split time with veteran goaltender Jean-Sebastien Giguere. The Ducks were horribly out-shot. In the 3rd period the Sharks outshot the Ducks 26-9.

In the first half as he first started off. Pogge seemed to be spectacular. He was like the foot soldier picking off the snipers in his alleged vicinity. He made amazing saves against the likes of Ryane Clowe, Dany Heatly, Dan Boyle and even Douglas Murray. As the game went on he had been pick pocketed by those pesky kids running wild on the train without a ticket. Except these kids, the Sharks are those greedy rich kids, who have this nice house in one of the best neighborhoods but still they're on the train picking pockets and stealing pocket watches, and wads of cash. The Ducks were like the police ignoring the kids not confronting them or just not paying attention. Ignoring the fact that there's criminals on the training stealing from the paid for passengers.

Pogge is going to have recurring nightmares for the next couple days with Douglas Murray, the Sharks defenseman who managed to score a hat trick in the Sharks 0-6 win. Evgeni Nabokov wasn't too busy as he had 15 shots on him the entire game. Yet, this guy gets the first star of the game. I guess he did get the shutout. Nabokov a much much more seasoned goaltender than Pogge is.

None of the Ducks tonight impressed me. I didn't get to see the game because it wasn't streamed but in a lot of cases the team seemed lazy, not into the game. Veterans in the likes of Scott Niedermayer, Teemu Selanne, Ryan Getzlaf did not play in tonight's game.

As it seemed in the 3rd Pogge tried to compose himself Sharks' Devin Setgouchi scores on him. There seemed to be a lot of just Pogge and the shooter in this game.

The only thing that was exciting for the Ducks side was Troy Bodie's fight with Sharks' Mike Moore and Sheldon Brookbank's fight with Sharks' Ryane Clowe. It's a good thing this is preseason, boys.


Scorers:
First Period:
San Jose: Douglas Murray Assists: Dany Heatly, Dan Boyle

Second Period:
San Jose: Douglas Murray Assists: Benn Ferriero
San Jose: Manny Maholtra Assists Jamie McGinn
San Jose: Ryane Clowe Assists: Dan Boyle, Douglas Murray

3rd Period:
San Jose: Hat Trick: Douglas Murray Assists: Scott Nichol, Mike Moore
San Jose: Devin Setoguchi Assists: Patrick Marleau, Joe Pavelski.

Herbert, Karpa to coach H.S. team

Guy Hebert. A goalie who has definitely gone down in Ducks history. He along with Karpa are coaching the JSerra Ice Lions who will play most of their home games at Anaheim Ice.

http://ducks.freedomblogging.com/2009/09/25/karpa-hebert-to-coach-ducks-high-school-team/19401/

David Karpa and Guy Herbert comment on their new jobs

Yesss

I just had to add this. I couldn't resist and it is Ducks related....kind of. He belongs to the Ducks right ? It's Justin Pogge