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Archive for the '2009 playoffs' Category

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Ducks among most active playoff teams

September 3rd, 2009, 10:00 am by Curtis Zupke, Staff writer

Ever wonder how much of a toll the playoffs take? Red Wings Ducks Hockey

It seems every year pundits talk about how much more difficult it is for a team to repeat as Stanley Cup champion because of the wear and tear of a long playoff run from the previous season.

By that logic, Detroit, Pittsburgh and the Ducks are the most weary.

Those three teams have played the most combined regular season and playoff games the past three seasons, according to a chart compiled by the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.

The Ducks have played 286 games the past three seasons, while Detroit checks in at 309. The Ducks and Red Wings have played 13 playoff games against each other in that span (above).

Posted in: 2009 offseason • 2009 playoffs • Offseason • Stanley Cup Playoffs • | 9 Comments »

Ducks’ top pick had a feeling

June 26th, 2009, 7:28 pm by Dan Wood, Staff writer

Center Peter Holland of the Ontario Hockey League’s Guelph Storm, chosen 15th in Friday night’s first round of the NHL entry draft in Montreal, had a hunch the Ducks might be calling his name.

“I was sitting there biting my nails as the picks were going on,” Holland said. “When Anaheim picked me, there were a lot of happy people up in the stands. There were about 17 of us.

“Being in the first round was a goal of mine. I met with Anaheim at the (scouting) combine and again yesterday. I was really hoping they were going to take me.”

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Posted in: 2009 offseason • 2009 playoffs • Ducks Personnel • | 1 Comment »

Ducks looking like NHL’s second-best

June 1st, 2009, 7:00 am by Dan Wood, Staff writer

The deeper they go and the more successful the Detroit Red Wings are in the Stanley Cup playoffs, the better the Ducks look.

While it is certainly true that the Pittsburgh Penguins had some tough luck during 3-1 losses Saturday and Sunday in the opening two games of the Stanley Cup Finals at Joe Louis Arena, the bottom line is that the Red Wings found ways to win.

That is exactly why Detroit is the defending champion and extremely likely to become the first repeat champion since the Red Wings in 1997 and ‘98. In the first, third and fourth rounds, against the Columbus Blue Jackets, Chicago Blackhawks and Penguins, Detroit has found a way to win 10 of 11 games.

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Posted in: 2009 finals • 2009 playoffs • | 9 Comments »

Some consolation for Ducks, Caps

May 29th, 2009, 7:00 am by Dan Wood, Staff writer

With all due respect to the Chicago Blackhawks and Carolina Hurricanes, who reached the NHL’s final four, a solid argument can be made that the Ducks and Washington Capitals should be considered the true Western Conference and Eastern Conference runners-up, respectively.

After completing a five-game victory over Chicago on Wednesday night, the defending champion Detroit Red Wings will carry a 12-4 playoff record into Saturday night’s opening game of the Stanley Cup Finals against the Pittsburgh Penguins. Of Detroit’s four losses, three came in a classic seven-game, second-round series against the Ducks, after the Red Wings had swept the Columbus Blue Jackets in the opening round.

It’s certainly safe to say that the Ducks pressed Detroit much harder than either the Blackhawks or Blue Jackets. The Red Wings needed to overcome a 2-1 series deficit and a loss in Game 6 to beat the Ducks in a winner-take-all seventh game at Detroit’s Joe Louis Arena, getting the decisive goal from Dan Cleary 17 minutes into the third period.

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Posted in: 2009 playoffs • | Post a Comment »

Ducks like Detroit’s repeat chances

May 15th, 2009, 8:00 am by Dan Wood, Staff writer

DETROIT — After they and their Ducks teammates had come excruciatingly close to knocking off the Detroit Red Wings, pushing the defending Stanley Cup champions to Game 7 of a second-round playoff series before falling, 4-3, Thursday night at Joe Louis Arena, Ducks center Ryan Getzlaf and right wing Corey Perry fielded questions about what the Chicago Blackhawks might face in the upcoming NHL Western Conference finals.

“I don’t know,” Perry said. “It’s going to be tough. They (the Red Wings) are good. They have a lot of firepower. Their goalie (Chris Osgood) is playing well. They have one of the best defensemen (Nicklas Lidstrom) in the world. When you pair him up with (Brian) Rafalski, they are two guys who can lead a team. They’re going to be hard to beat.”

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Posted in: 2009 playoffs • Ducks Personnel • • • | 20 Comments »

Babcock showers praise on Ducks

May 15th, 2009, 7:00 am by Dan Wood, Staff writer

DETROIT — The Detroit Red Wings very likely won another Stanley Cup championship Thursday night.

By edging the Ducks, 4-3, in Game 7 of a second-round playoff series at Joe Louis Arena, the Red Wings only enhanced their status as overwhelming favorites to capture a second consecutive Stanley Cup.

The up-and-coming Chicago Blackhawks, who will meet Detroit in the Western Conference finals, and the survivor of the Eastern Conference finals between the Pittsburgh Penguins and Carolina Hurricanes will have a very difficult time pushing the Red Wings nearly as much as the Ducks did.

“What made this series so hard, what people don’t understand, is the people that have won know what it takes to win and they don’t give in,” Detroit coach Mike Babcock said, discussing the championship pedigree of both his club and the Ducks.

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Posted in: 2009 playoffs • Ducks Personnel • • | 11 Comments »

Ducks run out of time against Wings

May 14th, 2009, 9:23 pm by Dan Wood, Staff writer

DETROIT — The Ducks didn’t lose a classic Stanley Cup playoff series to the defending champion Detroit Red Wings so much as time simply expired.

After clawing back from a pair of two-goal deficits Thursday night at Joe Louis Arena, the Ducks surrendered an ugly decisive score to Detroit’s Dan Cleary with exactly three minutes left in the third period as the Red Wings pulled out a 4-3 victory in Game 7 of the second-round masterpiece.

While Detroit advanced to the NHL Western Conference finals to face the longtime rival Chicago Blackhawks after what Coach Mike Babcock called “the best series I’ve been in since I’ve coached in the league,” the Ducks found themselves staring at an off-season that arrived in sudden, gut-wrenching fashion.

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Posted in: 2009 playoffs • Game Reports • | 25 Comments »

Video: Ducks talk about Game 7

May 14th, 2009, 1:54 pm by Al Balderas, staff writer

The Ducks have been here before. One victory away from advancing to the next round of the Stanley Cup playoffs, while at the same time, one loss away from watching their season end.

The OC Register’s Tanya Lyon caught up with a few of the Ducks after Tuesday night’s 2-1 victory in Game 6 and go their thoughts on tonight’s showdown at Joe Louis Arena.

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Posted in: 2009 playoffs • Stanley Cup Playoffs | Post a Comment »

Ducks-Red Wings: Who will win Game 7?

May 14th, 2009, 1:51 pm by DAVID BEAN, OCREGISTER.COM

After six grueling games for the Ducks and the Detroit Red Wings, it comes down to one game at Joe Louis Arena. Loser goes home while the winner continues the pursuit of the Stanley Cup.

Who will win Game 7?
View Results

Related poll: Who will score the game-winning goal tonight?

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Please enable Javascript and Flash to view this Brightcove video.

Posted in: 2009 playoffs • Stanley Cup Playoffs • Uncategorized | Post a Comment »

Is the pressure on for Red Wings’ fans?

May 14th, 2009, 12:04 pm by Al Balderas, staff writer

Well, Ducks fans … you’ve got some competition.redwingsfan31

I thought fans of the Ducks were among the most talented when it came to planting their feet firmly into their own mouths, but the Detroit Red Wings’ fans stepped in to prove me wrong.

While fans of the Red Wings have legitimate reasons to be proud of their team, 11 Stanley Cups doesn’t give them the right to talk out of their backsides.

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Posted in: 2009 playoffs • Ducks community • Stanley Cup Playoffs | 62 Comments »

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