So let me get this straight. The Coyotes scored first. The Ducks tied it up and added another goal. Phoenix proceeded to tie it once again and the Ducks went on to score four unanswered goals. Oh and the first five goals were scored by everyone except for the first line or Teemu Selanne? Giiiirl you must be trippin'. This isn't the 2011-12 Anaheim Ducks, I know. Those Ducks would have hung their head Debbie Downer-style and allowed the 'Yotes to pluck their lifeless body feather-by-feather until a sad, naked duck remained. (It's been a long day.)
I don't get them. I'm not unhappy that they won by any means, but what the hell took them so long to get to this point? Did Boudreau's positivity and system finally sink in? Did Bob Murray's threats actually scare the players into competing? And for the love of all that is holy, is Jason Blake seriously the linchpin that is the key to this group's success? Too many questions for one game recap, but it is something to ponder as the season continues to roll along.
GOOD!
-- 6th win in the last 7 games. 4th straight win at home. So it is possible to put together something other than a massive point-less or losing streak!
-- All 6 goals came from players on all four lines. 5 of the 6 goals came from lines 2-4. Depth scoring is possible? Depth scoring is possible!
-- Hayward and Ahlers deemed the 3rd line the "BBC Line" for Jason Blake, Nick Bonino and Andrew Cogliano. In the past 4 games, that line has been a plus-11. Tonight we got 6 points from that line. I am completely perplexed, but in a good way.
-- If I can quote one of my favorite games on SNES to describe Corey Perry, I would refer to NBA Jamz and the statement, "He's heating up!" (If you were a kid in the early 90's, you'll get that.) This is the time of year when Perry turned on the rocket boosters. It's too much to ask him to score another 3904820 goals to carry the team once again, but I do look at it as a positive sign. And damn, did he ever make that short handed goal look easy.
-- Francois Beauchemin continues to be a beast. 2 goals, 1 assist, plus-3, 25 minutes of ice time, 3 hits, and 2 blocked shots. The beginning of this season was pretty bad for Beauch (and everything else Ducks related), but he has flipped the switch. He is lethal. I've heard rumblings about trading him at the deadline. Should the Ducks continue their winning ways, that would be a crazy move and had better yield a bigger return. I'm not even going to start thinking about how contract negotiations are going to go over the summer.
-- I love that the Ducks are finally being an offensive threat and are still throwing the body around. The Ducks out hit the Coyotes 27 to 19. Ryan Getzlaf and Toni Lydman tied for team highs with 5 hits each, followed by Luca Sbisa and Sheldon Brookbank with 4 each and Bobby Ryan with 3.
BAD
-- It's hard to criticize a 6-2 win, but I will say of what I saw, it wasn't pretty. The Ducks leaned on Jonas Hiller (who was stellar once again) more than necessary and even had to save their own asses milliseconds before a puck crossed the goal line.
-- 4 shots in the second period.
UGLY
-- Time Warner Cable! The cable in my apartment complex went out for the entire first intermission, the entire second period and intermission, and the first half of the third period. I had to use my imagination while listening to the game on my laptop.
**See some of you knuckleheads tomorrow night at Casino Night. Come say 'hi' if you see me. I'll be the one with blonde hair in the white dress**