Just Ducky
In the first meeting of already bitter rivals, the Ducks controlled the flow of the play in a 5-3 win.
Anaheim Ducks (5) vs Toronto Maple Leafs (3).........
The Leafs, with their newly acquired trigger-man in tow faced the undefeated "Mighty" Ducks of Anaheim at the ACC on Saturday night. The odds were stacked against the Leafs to beat the Ducks but they managed to put more than just a moderate scare into GM Danton and his charges before finally falling short of their goal of the night.
The Leafs led 1-0 and 2-1 in the first period thanks to a goal and an assist by Evgeni "Gino" Malkin. Matt Moulson (15th) on the year pulled the Ducks even before the end of the period. Anaheim, sensing a slight momentum shift toward the Leafs in the first, came out in the second with a purpose and out-shot Toronto 11-4. Goals by Shea Weber (11th) and Matt Moulson, his second of the night (16th) staked them to a 4-2 lead after 40. Victor Hedman's (5th) goal in the third was pretty much the exclamation mark GM Danton expected to see earlier on in the game but the Leafs would give his team more than most expected. The Leafs managed one more past Rask before the game was over as Malkin would win a face off in the Ducks end to the left of Rask, the puck made it's way back to Markov, who in turn feed a cross-ice feed to Mark Giordano who fired his 3rd of the year past the Finnish puck stopper. The goal was pretty much just window dressing as the game was for all intense and purposes over, but the Leafs know now they can play with any of the "big boys".
Rask finished the game making 17 saves on 20 shots and won for the 11th time this season. His counter part Jonas Hiller stopped 24 shots and had his personal record drop to 7-4-1 on the season.
MOLSON'S 3 STARS:
1 - Matt Moulson (Ana)........... 2 goals, +2, 3 shots.
2 - Victor Hedman (Ana)......... 1 goal, 1 assist, +4, 3 shots
3 - Patrice Bergeron (Ana)..... 3 assists, +2, 5 shots
HONORABLE MENTION:
Evgeni Malkin (Tor)......... 1 goal, 2 assists, 2 shots
GAME'S GOAT:
Jan Hejda (Tor)..... 0 points, -2, was paired with Markov with the job of shadowing the Ducks first line and most times was virtually invisable, leaving Markov scrambling to cover for his micues.
The Ducks hope to continue their undefeated season in defense of their WCHL Championship (2nd in team history), hoping to follow what three teams before them have done and that is win back-to-back Championships (Sharks,Rangers, Avalanche). They do so starting Monday as they meet their State rival Sharks in Anaheim, San Jose has fallen out of grace of late as they see themselves clinging onto the final playoff spot in the West by a single point, losers of four straight and eight of their first twelve games of Season 18. Then face their other state cousin, LA Kings and their newest GM Paul Pontentier on Wednesday also at home in Anaheim. The Kings have said good-bye to their superstar center, Evgeni Malkin and brought in Tomas Vanek and Mikko Koivu to replace him, the hope is that the scoring by committee will be equal or better then the scoring and presence "Gino" was supplying. Of note, in Pontentier's first game as GM the Kings won 2-1 over the struggling Blues of St.Louis.
The Leafs will try to gather themselves and get back to the top of the heap they call home....... The Atlantic Division. That starts on Monday in Tampa Bay as they battle the Lightning who have lost three straight and sit near the bottom of the Eastern Conference. Toronto then travels to the American capital to take on Washington. The Caps are coming of a 5-3 loss at the hands of the Penguins. Washington's Mike Ribeiro is averaging 2.16 points per game.
Reporting.........
Peter Puck
The Leafs, with their newly acquired trigger-man in tow faced the undefeated "Mighty" Ducks of Anaheim at the ACC on Saturday night. The odds were stacked against the Leafs to beat the Ducks but they managed to put more than just a moderate scare into GM Danton and his charges before finally falling short of their goal of the night.
The Leafs led 1-0 and 2-1 in the first period thanks to a goal and an assist by Evgeni "Gino" Malkin. Matt Moulson (15th) on the year pulled the Ducks even before the end of the period. Anaheim, sensing a slight momentum shift toward the Leafs in the first, came out in the second with a purpose and out-shot Toronto 11-4. Goals by Shea Weber (11th) and Matt Moulson, his second of the night (16th) staked them to a 4-2 lead after 40. Victor Hedman's (5th) goal in the third was pretty much the exclamation mark GM Danton expected to see earlier on in the game but the Leafs would give his team more than most expected. The Leafs managed one more past Rask before the game was over as Malkin would win a face off in the Ducks end to the left of Rask, the puck made it's way back to Markov, who in turn feed a cross-ice feed to Mark Giordano who fired his 3rd of the year past the Finnish puck stopper. The goal was pretty much just window dressing as the game was for all intense and purposes over, but the Leafs know now they can play with any of the "big boys".
Rask finished the game making 17 saves on 20 shots and won for the 11th time this season. His counter part Jonas Hiller stopped 24 shots and had his personal record drop to 7-4-1 on the season.
MOLSON'S 3 STARS:
1 - Matt Moulson (Ana)........... 2 goals, +2, 3 shots.
2 - Victor Hedman (Ana)......... 1 goal, 1 assist, +4, 3 shots
3 - Patrice Bergeron (Ana)..... 3 assists, +2, 5 shots
HONORABLE MENTION:
Evgeni Malkin (Tor)......... 1 goal, 2 assists, 2 shots
GAME'S GOAT:
Jan Hejda (Tor)..... 0 points, -2, was paired with Markov with the job of shadowing the Ducks first line and most times was virtually invisable, leaving Markov scrambling to cover for his micues.
The Ducks hope to continue their undefeated season in defense of their WCHL Championship (2nd in team history), hoping to follow what three teams before them have done and that is win back-to-back Championships (Sharks,Rangers, Avalanche). They do so starting Monday as they meet their State rival Sharks in Anaheim, San Jose has fallen out of grace of late as they see themselves clinging onto the final playoff spot in the West by a single point, losers of four straight and eight of their first twelve games of Season 18. Then face their other state cousin, LA Kings and their newest GM Paul Pontentier on Wednesday also at home in Anaheim. The Kings have said good-bye to their superstar center, Evgeni Malkin and brought in Tomas Vanek and Mikko Koivu to replace him, the hope is that the scoring by committee will be equal or better then the scoring and presence "Gino" was supplying. Of note, in Pontentier's first game as GM the Kings won 2-1 over the struggling Blues of St.Louis.
The Leafs will try to gather themselves and get back to the top of the heap they call home....... The Atlantic Division. That starts on Monday in Tampa Bay as they battle the Lightning who have lost three straight and sit near the bottom of the Eastern Conference. Toronto then travels to the American capital to take on Washington. The Caps are coming of a 5-3 loss at the hands of the Penguins. Washington's Mike Ribeiro is averaging 2.16 points per game.
Reporting.........
Peter Puck
