KRISTEN:

It's here, everyone! After last week's trip to Scandinavia, the Ducks are finally back home. I can't be there, but I'll send good vibes from the East!

Even though the regular season has already begun, tonight appears to be the de facto season opener for many of our stars. Despite his status as one of the NHL's elite centers, Getzlaf struggles with a part of the game that should be every centerman's bread and butter: faceoffs. His percentage has hovered between the mid-thirties and mid-forties throughout his career, but apparently, he's trying to change this.

• After yesterday's practice, Coach Carlyle, Saku Koivu, and Getzlaf had a "conversation" about faceoffs. Apparently, both centers are studying recordings of the NHL's best faceoff men. (Jonathan Toews, anyone?) [OC Register]
• Toni Lydman wants to be in the lineup tonight, but hasn't received clearance (yet). [ESPN]
• Mr. Plank's Ducks-Sharks (Sharks, really) gameday, filled with obscure song lyrics. [Fear The Fin]
• Meg from BoC goes the cockney rhyming nicknames route. [Battle of California]
• The LA Times also previews tonight's game. [LA Times]
• On The Duck Pond is looking forward to Corey Perry Night (commemorative pucks!). [On The Duck Pond]
• "Greed is a good thing" for Corey Perry. After winning the Hart Trophy, the Olympic gold medal, and the Stanley Cup, our star winger wants even more. [LA Times]
• Can Cam Fowler avoid a sophomore slump? [ProHockeyTalk]
• Don Cherry's cries for a return to 'old-time hockey' are misguided, and it isn't all about fighting. Case in point: Paul Kariya. [National Post]
• Maxime Macenauer, Matt Beleskey, and Andrew Gordon discuss life on the fringes of an NHL team. [OC Register]
• The Syracuse Crunch's new ice surface is made of frozen rainwater, accumulated at the top of the Onondaga County War Memorial. [Syracuse.com]
• The Binghamton Senators scout the Crunch. [Press Connects]
• Discovery Science Center (in Santa Ana) will host Anaheim Ducks Week from October 15-23. All children between the ages of 3 and 14 will receive free admission. [Anaheim Ducks]
• The 12th Annual Dux in Tux event will be held on November 18th. [Anaheim Ducks]
• SK writes about a conversation that she had with the father of a teenage hockey player on a bus. [Ducks and Pucks]