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There are only about two weeks remaining in the regular season until the serious Ducks hockey withdrawals begin and I find myself in hard plastic seats at Angel stadium against my will. Until that day, I graciously appreciate every last game for the Ducks. Just recently I was lucky enough to enjoy a game with Jen and Arthur. A few ideas arose from the game, and they are on the weekly hot topics!
Beauchemin: Easy A
The Ducks should consider themselves lucky to have gotten Francois Beauchemin back in their arsenal after stupidly letting him go the first time around. Of course it took Beauch some time to get back in the Anaheim groove and find himself gelling nicely within the Ducks system (and a new coach to play for), but it is definitely obvious we are seeing a different type of player in Beauchemin these days. Not because of a new contract or because of Bruce Boudreau, but because he’s a Veteran now. In his previous stint with the Ducks he was under the likes of Chris Pronger and Scott Niedermayer. He, essentially, knew his "place". But these days, Francois Beauchemin is a different type of player on the ice. His confidence is beaming and his leadership is evident in his demeanor. I think it would be a great addition to the growing leadership of this team if, in the future, we saw Beauchemin proudly sporting an "A" on his chest. He deserves it.
Deadly Sevens
Face it - you’re wearing the number 7 in Anaheim…you’re bound to be a bad puck handler. Let’s not get started on the Shane Hnidy thing and you really don’t want to know what I thought about the short lived experiment of Brendan Morrison. Ugh! When Andrew Cogliano stepped off the plane and decided to wear the doomed number 7, I secretly hoped he would be the guy to break the curse. Not so much. Now, I’m not trying to throw the guy under the bus, but just watch him closely here in the final few games of the season and tell me he’s the guy you want handling the puck through the neutral zone.
Hey! Hey! Deslauriers!
Is Jeff Deslauriers getting starts because the Ducks are cooked for the season? Or perhaps it’s because Jonas Hiller is a wee bit…exhausted?! I’m sure 30+ straight games for one goaltender can be exhausting and Hiller is gladly deserving of a day off here and there. However, this begs us to ask the question…are the Ducks "slyly" trying to slide a little in the standings for a better pick? Sure, they’re going to tell the fans and the media that they want to finish the season strong and win with class, but are they really looking for the team to shoot the puck a little wide (just like in the previous 70 games of the season), miss a few defensive assignments and maybe give the starts to their back-up goalie for a few games this season to rest their big guy and pick up a great first round pick?
Sign the Petition
With one game against the San Jose Sharks remaining in the season series, and even if the Ducks were to lose, I think it would be safe to say this was one match-up the Ducks were able to dominate this season. From their back-to-back wins against the Sharks at the beginning of the season and their recent win on Monday night, the Ducks definitely found the intensity they needed when it came to playing against San Jose. Wish they could have found that fire power against the Kings. Anyway, that brings me to the petition…I think the Ducks should request that EVERY team in the NHL is to wear Sharks jerseys next season when they play against Anaheim. Just a thought.
GO DUCKS!!!