Posts in Puck Daddy

USA Women’s Olympic team revealed; will centralize in Tampa

Portfolio Puck Daddy May 5, 2017

In front a crowd of young hockey fans and press assembled at AMALIE Arena in Tampa, Florida, the public was introduced to the US Women’s National Team who will represent the country at the upcoming 2018 Olympic Games in South Korea.

Drumroll please…

Forwards: Meghan Duggan, Kelly Pannek, Brianna Decker, Jocelyne Lamoureux-Davidson, Hannah Brandt, Hilary Knight, Dani Cameranesi, Alex Carpenter, Kendall Coyne, Annie Pankowski, Amanda Kessel, and Amanda Pelkey.

Defense: Lee Stecklein, Megan Keller, Kali Flanagan, Monique Lamoureux-Morando, Emily Pfalzer, Megan Bozek, Gigi Marvin, and Kacey Bellamy.

Goaltenders: Nicole Hensley, Alex Rigsby, and Maddie Rooney.

Sorry ladies, Rogers Place prefers happy male fans

Portfolio Puck Daddy May 2, 2017

There are three things certain in life: death, taxes, and long lines for the restroom (translated to Canadian it’s ‘washroom’) at intermission during a hockey game.

In Game 3 of the Edmonton Oilers series against the Anaheim Ducks, female patrons found their wait for the restroom went from five to ten minutes to nearly half an hour.

Particularly bad batch of poutine circulating through concessions? Nope.

Rogers Place management decided to convert some women’s restrooms into men’s restrooms.

Turns out, the men folk don’t like waiting in lines when they’ve got to hit the head, so they complained. Rogers Place was happy to acquiesce … at the expense of the women in attendance.

The reason?

‘Individual miscues’ lead to Oilers Game 3 loss to Ducks

Portfolio Puck Daddy April 30, 2017

The Edmonton Oilers had a spectacular start to Game 3. It all began with the anthems.

The crowd took over singing the ‘Star Spangled Banner’ when the anthem singer’s mic died. They kept it up during ‘O Canada.’ The energy radiating from the arena was felt by everyone watching, at home or in Rogers Place.

“We didn’t take advantage of the energy that was around us early in the game,” said Oilers head coach Todd McLellan after the game.

He’s not kidding. Twenty five seconds after the puck dropped, it was in the back of the net. The wrong net.

Sign supporting P.K. Subban showcases disconnect between NBC, NHL, fans

Portfolio Puck Daddy April 30, 2017

Leave it to the uber creative fans in Nashville and a pregame sign to turn a really stupid comment by a talking head on TV into a way to support their player.

During pregame warmups in Nashville, the Predators fan above held the sign against the glass for Nashville Predators defenseman P.K. Subban and the rest of his teammates to see.

The sign is in reference to an ~~asinine~~ comment made on Friday about Subban by NBC hockey “analyst” Mike Milbury.

As many players on any given team are want to do, Subban was shaking his groove thang during warmups. To Milbury, that is inexcusable. He went on to call Subban a ‘clown.’ As the topic continued, both Milbury and panelist Keith Jones agreed Subban’s behavior was ‘a concern’ for the Predators.

To which the collective hockey universe rolled their eyes backwards so hard everyone fell over.

Frankly, outside of washed up crusty old NHL’ers who haven’t played in twenty years, Subban’s personality is refreshing. As that sign shows, Predators fans have embraced Subban and welcome his non-cookie cutter mold.

Milbury’s comments was met with anger from fans, but at the same time, increasing frustration.

Ducks do nearly everything right except for winning the game

Portfolio Puck Daddy April 29, 2017

ANAHEIM, Calif. — The Anaheim Ducks players wear t-shirts around the locker room with the words “BODIES BODIES BODIES” written on the back.

Unless they’re taking a collection of said bodies in the bowels of Honda Center, the statement is probably in reference to one of the main tenets of Randy Carlyle’s coaching style: get bodies to the front of the net.

The message rang true for the Ducks on Friday night. Despite outshooting the Oilers 40-23, the Anaheim lost, 2-1.

The Ducks played overwhelmingly better in Game 2 than they did in Game 1, but the start wouldn’t indicate that.

Andrej Sekera gave the Oilers the lead 1:05 into the game.

It was a soft goal by Gibson.

When Gibson was asked in the post-game scrum about the goal, he answered with, “It just went in the net.”

(THANKS CAPTAIN OBVIOUS!)

Oilers, Ducks preach discipline; Kevin Bieksa out for Game 2

Portfolio Puck Daddy April 28, 2017

ANAHEIM, Calif. — According to Anaheim Ducks head coach Randy Carlyle, Friday’s game against the Edmonton Oilers is the most important game of the season.

“He says that a lot, just so you know,” laughed Ryan Getzlaf after the team’s morning skate. “It’s Game 2. We’re in the playoffs, every game is the most important game.”

The coach’s mantra takes on a bit more meaning now. For the first time in the 2017 Stanley Cup Playoffs the Ducks are trailing in a series.

In playoffs of season past, Anaheim would hit the panic button when the first signs of adversity came about. Not so much now. A loss Friday night means Edmonton heads home with a two game advantage.

“We’re confident in our game. We’re confident in our ability,” said a monotone Ryan Kesler. “There’s no panic right now. We’ve got to win the next one.”

Penalty kill, ‘fluky goal’ ends Ducks regulation win streak

Portfolio Puck Daddy April 27, 2017

ANAHEIM, Calif. — All good things must come to an end.

For the Anaheim Ducks, their 5-3 loss to the Edmonton Oilers sees their four game playoff win streak come to a halt, and hands the team their first loss in regulation since March 10.

“There were a couple fluky goals, couple of breakdowns and an empty netter,” said Cam Fowler. “Credit to them, they took advantage of their opportunities tonight.”

Those opportunities came on the power play. Anaheim gave the Oilers five opportunities to cash in with the extra man. They did so twice.

“When we’re giving five power plays a night to them, it’s hard to kill,” said Ryan Getzlaf. “Our PK’s got to do a little bit better job. We’ve got to work together a little bit better, and we’ll find ways to shut down their power play.”

Nikita Kucherov vents: Lightning teammates ‘got their money, stopped working’

Portfolio Puck Daddy April 26, 2017

In an interview with Russian journalist Pavel Lysenkov for Sovetsky Sport, Nikita Kucherov offers a blunt analysis of why he had such a good season despite what he feels are failures by the Tampa Bay Lightning coaches and his teammates.

Sergey Demidova, NHL.com reporter for the Russian language version of the site, translated some of the biggest points of contention Kucherov spoke of during the interview.

Kucherov on the team after Steven Stamkos went out with a knee injury and decision(s) of who should play with Kucherov…

“We had great chemistry with Namestnikov and Stamkos at the start of the season. We understood each other really, really well. And then Stamkos was injured. I was very upset. I think those nine games were my best in the NHL.

“After that coaches started shuffling lines. Partners were changing like in kaleidoscope.

“It was very hard to used to it, because guys didn’t play at Stamkos level. It’s hard to explain how I played with them. We had lack of understanding each other, there were some problems. I was suffering torments all the season, because I couldn’t find perfect chemistry with other partners after Stamkos injury.

“We played with Jonathan Drouin once, and it was good, but coach didn’t put us together for some reason.”

‘Carlyle 2.0 Era’ brings focus, quiet confidence to Ducks

Portfolio Puck Daddy April 25, 2017

ANAHEIM, Calif. — For the first time in about four seasons, the Anaheim Ducks are entering the playoffs on a very quiet roll.

It’s somewhat amazing considering the last time the team lost in regulation is on March 10; their record from that point, including the playoffs, is 15-0-3.

The radio silence in large part is due to the fact that no one really knew what to make of this team for the beginning of the season.

In those previous years under Bruce Boudreau, the bar was set high (and rightfully so) with the Ducks always expected to contend for the Stanley Cup, only to fail epically each time. In Game 7. At home.

Boudreau was fired, and Randy Carlyle was re-hired. The focus shifted from ‘what the coach and team hadn’t done’ to, really, no expectations at all.

Clarke MacArthur’s overtime goal sends Senators to Round 2 (Video)

Portfolio Puck Daddy April 23, 2017

All six games in the series between the Boston Bruins and the Ottawa Senators were decided by a single goal. Four of the six games in the series required overtime.

In Game 2, Clarke MacArthur played overtime hero scoring his first goal in nearly two years to give the Senators the win. His goal in Game 6, was just as big.

It all started with MacArthur drawing a holding call on David Pastrnak to give the Sens their fifth power play of the game.

At the blueline, Erik Karlsson dished the puck off the Derick Brassard who sent it to Bobby Ryan at the goal line. Ryan fires a shot on Tuukka Rask’s leg pad, and the puck pops right out to MacArthur in front of the net. While falling, he sweeps the puck in past Rask.