So I went to the Ducks game last night. So normally I take a date with me to the games that way I don't have to pick between my three kids on which one gets to go. Last night I had not date so I had to pick, I took my middle kid. Joey he's 13 - he actually enjoyed the game, food, and cold. I had taken them before to an Ontario Reigns game, and they liked that. I have been to many actual games but this was my first Preseason game. Wow, what a difference. It kind of felt like watching a practice game of rookies. Like they were saying "hey guys I have a great idea, I'll race you to the other side of the rink." "Yea, that was fun, lets do it again." Then there was the series of Déjà vu the a Canadian wood grab a duck push him around the duck would beat the crap out of the Canadian and then the Canadian would try to throw a sucker punch then the refs would finally break it up. Every time the Canadians had the puck they immediately form this linked wall in front of the goalie and then sink the goal. The ducks couldn't even receive a pass last night. They seemed like they weren't even interested in actually making a goal after the first period was over.
Another pet peeve that I have at ALL Ducks games is goalie. When should it be ok to leave your goal, NEVER unless your switching goalies. Why? Why, is it ok for them to skate behind the goal and get the pucks when the other team is so close that as soon as he pushes it they can (and do) hit it right into the goal. That drives me crazy!!!
Think about it, they have to
Be quick on there feet
Stay out of the way
Get in the middle of fights
Get booed at by the crowd
Be better skaters then the players (when was the last time you saw a ref fall)
Keep there eyes open
A referee is responsible for the general supervision of the game. He can be identified by his orange armbands. Under most officiating systems, he is the only official with the authority to assess penalties for violations of the rules. However, the linesman can also call a variety of penalties, such as "too many players", and major penalties if the referee was unable to identify the penalty. The referee also conducts the opening faceoff in each period and faceoff’s that follow after a goal is scored, which are done from the center line.
Linesmen are primarily responsible for watching for violations involving the center line and the blue line. Such infractions include icing and offside’s infractions. Linesmen also conduct faceoff’s. They are also expected to break-up scuffles, and/or fistfights and other altercations that occur during the game. Some leagues allow linesmen to call penalties (such as too many players on the ice), while others only allow them to report the infraction to the referee.
Well since I am no sport authority I have included a review of the game from a real sport authority that had been posted in the LA TIMES, just incase you wanted to read more about the game.
Saku Koivu struggles in his exhibition debut for Ducks
The longtime Montreal Canadiens player acknowledges being nervous during Anaheim's 3-0 loss to Vancouver. Anaheim's Saku Koivu brings the puck up ice against Vancouver's Travis Ramsey in the second period Thursday night. (Francis Specker / Associated Press / September 17, 2009)
Saku Koivu pulled on his jersey Thursday night and nearly did a double take. The Canadiens logo, to which he had brought such honor for so long, was not on his chest anymore, and he needed a moment to process that. "It felt a little odd the first time I put it on before the game. I was pretty nervous even though this was just a preseason game," said the Finnish center, who signed with the Ducks as a free agent in July. "It's a new situation for me after 13 years in Montreal and a different feeling. "I'm glad the first one is over with and hopefully it's going to be easier for me from here on and I'll be more relaxed." At least he had the excuse of new surroundings and a new system to explain his subpar performance in a 3-0 exhibition loss to Vancouver at the Honda Center. His teammates didn't have that luxury. "We got outplayed," Ducks Coach Randy Carlyle said. "There weren't a lot of things that we could be happy with from a standpoint of our team game. They moved the puck around us. It was like they outskated us." Steve Bernier scored from close range in the first period, Kevin Bieksa scored from about 50 feet out during a second-period power play and former Duck Aaron Rome scored the final goal late in the second as the Ducks' exhibition season record fell to 1-1.
Goaltender Jean-Sebastien Giguere, fighting to regain the starting job he lost to Jonas Hiller, gave up two goals in 16 shots but couldn't really be blamed on either one; Justin Pogge gave up one goal in 20 shots in relief. Vancouver goalie Roberto Luongo stopped 19 shots over the first two periods and Cory Schneider stopped nine in a feisty game that included eight major fighting penalties and two misconduct penalties, the last against Corey Perry after the final whistle. "It was more physical than in the East. Maybe that's something that I have to get used to a bit more here in the West," Koivu said. Although Koivu didn't start the night alongside Finnish compatriot Teemu Selanne, they were thrown together soon and remained together most of the game. Koivu played 18 minutes 37 seconds, took three shots and was a minus-2 defensively; Selanne played 17:32, took three shots and was minus-1.
Having Selanne nearby helped Koivu but he's still making a variety of adjustments. "There's a lot of new stuff and style and things to get used to and feel comfortable," Koivu said. "After a long break in the summer it's always going to take a few games to get back into game tempo and the speed. It's extremely hot out there, so there's a lot of little factors. "I'm sure after we get a couple games into the season here and then if I'm with Teemu again a familiar face is going to make me more comfortable." Carlyle said the duo wasn't sharp but that he'd cut the accomplished veterans more slack than he would for most other players. "They had lots of turnovers and I thought they were trying to do too much and that's what happens when teams aren't going well, those leadership guys try to go out there and do things that they shouldn't be doing," Carlyle said.
"But it's a trait because they feel they're responsible. Those are all the things you try and teach them maybe it's the wrong time of the year to start that in their first exhibition game, you know? But that's the way the pro athlete is and we'll move on from it."
Giguere critiques himself
Although it looked as if Carlyle yanked Giguere in displeasure after Vancouver's second goal, a long shot that snaked past him at 9:44 of the second period, Carlyle said he had planned to switch goalies about then, anyway. "I thought he gave us a chance," Carlyle said. Giguere rated his performance as "not bad" and said he's still refining his game. "These games are not always the funnest to play, but they're very important to get ready for the beginning of the season," he said. "I know they're painful probably to watch, but it gives the young guys a taste of what it is to be in the NHL and everybody else, the old guys, it's a good chance to get ready and find your game and find your timing and all that. I'm not where I want to be but I'm on my way."
He also said he doesn't feel extra pressure to avoid errors for fear a gaffe could cost him the No. 1 job.
"I can't really control what's going to happen, to be honest. I can only control how hard I'm going to work and what I'm going to do on the ice and I'm just going to focus on that," he said. "The truth is Jonas is an excellent goalie and I can't control what he does. I know one thing: He's just going to play well. The last two years he's shown us that. I'm not going to worry about that. I'm going to worry about getting myself ready for the beginning of the season. And whatever happens, happens. "
Carlyle for the defense
As a former NHL defenseman, Carlyle can be tough on defensemen. But he praised youngsters Matt Clark and Stefan Warg on Thursday. "I thought they competed. They played hard. I thought they played well," said Carlyle, who paired Clark with Scott Niedermayer and Warg with Ryan Whitney. "I thought Clark was strong along the wall and was able to take the body and didn't look out of place in the physical aspect of it. The Warg kid is another competitive kid, with his feet and that. I think both of them have a ways to go as far as mobility out there, but I thought they played fairly well."
Slap shots
Todd Marchant was awarded a penalty shot at 11:02 of the third period after being pulled down by Vancouver's Evan Oberg but he was stopped by Schneider.
Carlyle tinkered with the lines but for the most part used these configurations: Marchant-Koivu-Selanne; Kyle Calder-Andrew Ebbett-Perry; Matt McCue-McMillan-George Parros; and Josh Brittain-Logan MacMillan-Weller. The defense pairs were Niedermayer-Clark, Mark Mitera-James Wisniewski and Whitney-Warg.
Niedermayer said he has heard reports that his brother, Rob, an unsigned free agent who was not offered a contract by the Ducks, is considering playing in Russia this season. But he couldn't confirm it. "He doesn't tell me anything," Niedermayer said.
The Ducks' game Friday at Glendale, Ariz., will be their third of four in four nights. That wouldn't be allowed during the regular season but is permitted now because they still have a lot of players in camp. However, some might soon be returned to their junior teams. "We'll do some things along the way," Carlyle said, declining to elaborate.
