Your Friendly Friday Links Roundup: The Hello, President's Trophy Edition

First of all, I totally called the Devante Smith-Pelly goal.

And secondly, we are on the cusp of a new era of Ducks hockey. There is little that I could say about Boudreau/Carlyle that hasn't already been said - and said much more eloquently - by the rest of the staff. But I am surprised by the unequivocal enthusiasm with which this hiring decision has been received. Boudreau is a great coach, and his explosive, run and gun style of hockey is very exciting to watch. He'll be great for Cam and Luca. Hopefully, he'll light a fire under Andrew Gordon, who used to be a player in the Caps organization. And down the road, I also think he'll be an effective mentor for Emerson Etem, who would have been forced to adjust his game too much in Carlyle's system. And the idea of Gabby mentoring Ducks prospect and current Wisconsin defenseman Justin Schultz is....well, it's just fantastic. (I seriously cannot wait until the day that Justin Schultz wears a Ducks sweater).

So, what's the problem? Boudreau is most effective when he lets players play their game. Alex Ovechkin scored 65 goals when he was free to be Ovechkin. But when asked to adapt to a more defense-oriented system, Ovie struggled. And he still hasn't recovered his Rocket Richard form.

Where will Bruce go from here? Will he capitalize on the momentum of the Montreal game and allow the Ducks to unleash their offensive talents on the NHL? How will he handle a slump? (If HBO's Caps/Pens 24/7 is any indication, it will involve many F-bombs, and a hope that the situation will resolve itself). What if he loses Getzlaf? Or Teemu?

I think that Bruce is going to save our season. Tonight, I want us to take my username to heart, and chase Ilya Bryzgalov from his crease. But, I'm also thinking about the long run. And here's the worst case scenario: regular season Duck dominance, followed by an early playoff exit. Hello, President's Trophy.

[Ed. Note - Everyone congratulate Kristen on submitting her senior thesis at Yale. Having an Ivy Leaguer here makes us classy.]

And on to the links!

• Bruce Boudreau meets the Mighty Ducks. It's hilarious. [Benstonium]
• Great photos from Boudreau's first practice. [And he shoots...he scores!!]
• More reactions, anyone? [Puck Daddy] [Russian Machine Never Breaks] [OC Register] [On The Duck Pond] [Sweetest Hockey on Earth]
• The generally tight-lipped Samueli's have released a statement about the change. [Anaheim Ducks]
• Quotables from the Murray-Boudreau press conference. [Anaheim Ducks]
• Check out Jonas Hiller's new 3D mask. [Puck Daddy]
• Jen mentioned this, but Bobby's also off the trade market. I still think that he's vulnerable if he doesn't show any improvement under Boudreau. [Sporting News]
• The now-infamous Teemu article. [OC Register]
• Teemu may or may not be satisfied with the coaching change, but he's one of the best 'bang for the buck' NHL players. [Puck Daddy]
• Speaking of change: Gabby's familiar with it. [OC Register]
• He also wants to build the Ducks' 'confidence.' [CBSSports]
• The Canadiens recap that you've all been looking for. [Associated Press]
• An article about the goalie rivalry between the Kingston Frontenacs' (and Ducks prospect) Igor Bobkov, and the Belleville Bulls' Malcolm Subban (PK's brother). [The Whig-Standard]
• Paul Kariya, lax bro. [In Lax We Trust]
• The MSG Network (for East Coast people) will be airing 5 of Scotty's greatest games as a Devil, starting December 5 at 8 pm. The games will be broadcast on MSG Plus. [NJ.com]
• Is Lubomir Visnovsky overpaid? [HabsAddict]
• The Anaheim Ducks Towel invades Swangard Stadium. [Anaheim Ducks Towel Invasions]
• The Bruins signed David Krejci to a three-year contract extension. [Stanley Cup of Chowder]
• Finally, a game against Ilya Bryzgalov wouldn't be complete without this [You Tube]