Penny Arcade: Season v4

SEASON RECAP: PART 1

2010-03-06T22:48:00.005-05:00

With the regular season coming to a close, the Anaheim Ducks have made their way into the Lord Tycho's Cup Playoffs. While the updates didn't keep up with their early season rapid pace, here is a quick post with pictures and videos recapping most of the remaining games of the season.

DUCKS TRADE LEADING SCORER COREY PERRY TO MINNESOTA FOR MIKKO KOIVU

2010-02-08T16:04:00.004-05:00

The Anaheim Ducks have traded their leading scorer, winger Corey Perry, for All-Star center and brother to Saku, Mikko Koivu.

With their recent slide, the Ducks were pressured to make a move. Now there is logjam at the center position. Trade rumors are now in full swing.

EMBARASSING 4-0 SHUTOUT LEAVES DUCKS WITH QUESTIONS

2010-02-08T15:59:00.005-05:00

Having lost their last three games, two by shutout, the Anaheim Ducks thought the only way they could go was up. However, a visit to Scotiabank Place proved that you can go lower than rock bottom. This game is the stuff that haunts the Ducks' dreams.

Getting his first start for the Ducks, goaltender J.S. Giguere started the game with confidence but that quickly slipped away. Just 24 seconds into the game, former Duck Bobby Ryan took a shot just inside the Ducks' blueline and beat Giguere.

The rest of the first period had the Ducks on the attack (2min+ vs 58sec OTT), but with nothing to show for their efforts. As for the Senators, they lit the lamp twice in the second period (Lupul goal below).

After giving up three goals on ten shots in two periods, Giguere was finally pulled in favor of Jonas Hiller. He seemed to fair better, but the major breakdowns by the Ducks would embarass them in the end.

Senators' goalie Pascal Lecaire would clear the puck into the Ducks' end where Duck's defenseman Scott Niedermayer would be pressured and throw the puck infront of his own net. Not prepared for the pass, defenseman Ryan Whitney tapped the puck into his own net, solidifying the Ducks' slide toward the bottom of the standings.

3 Stars
1. Ryan - ott (1g)
2. Leclaire - ott (1g, 15sv)
3. Carkner - ott (1g)

Anaheim Ducks (away)
Goals:
Assists:
PP -0/2
PK -1/1

Ottawa Senators (home)
Goals: Ryan, Carkner, Lupul, Leclaire

Assists: Phillips, Picard, Kovalev

PP -0/1

PK - 2/2

DUCKS SCORE BUT FALL SHORT TO DEVILS 3-2

2010-02-06T00:50:00.019-05:00

The Anaheim Ducks finally got on the scoreboard for the first time in two games, but two penalty shots seemed to decide what was an exciting first meeting between them and the New Jersey Devils.

In what was their closest game in the past three, the Anaheim Ducks finally scored, but not enough to beat the New Jersey Devils. Most of the scoring came fast and furious in the first period.

Just 8:30 into the first, Devils winger Nick Palmieri scored to give the Devils the lead. A little over five minutes later, all-star Ducks winger Teemu Selanne put home the puck on the rebound of a Dan Sexton shot.

The tie game was shortly lived, as the Devils Jay Pandolfo scored a minute and a half later. Add a Niclas Bergfors penalty shot and a missed Ducks penalty shot later in the game and that would send the Ducks home with their third loss in a row.

3 Stars
1. Bergfors - nj (1g, 1a)
2. Selanne - ana (1g)
3. R. Niedermayer - ana (2a)

Anaheim Ducks (home)
Goals: Selanne, Beleskey
Assists: Sexton, Boynton, Whitney, Eminger
PP -0/1
PK -1/1

New Jersey Devils (away)
Goals: Palmieri, Pandolfo, Bergfors (penalty shot)

Assists: Bergfors, Niedermayer (2), Salvador

PP -0/1

PK - 1/1

DUCKS SHUT OUT SECOND GAME IN A ROW, LOSE 2-0 TO CANUCKS

2010-02-03T17:00:00.004-05:00

For the second game in a row, the Anaheim Ducks failed to score while the revamped Vancouver Canucks and Ilya Kovalchuk remain undefeated against the Ducks this season. In a penalty filled affair, the Ducks failed to score on six powerplays.

The game started off with the Ducks getting back to back powerplays and failing to convert. They were too busy chasing the Canucks from their zone, which eventually lead to a shorthanded goal by Canucks winger Daniel Sedin. Sedin broke through the Ducks defense and goalie Jonas Hiller had a failed pokecheck attempt which let Sedin bury the puck in an open net.

The Canucks ended the first with another goal, this time by superstar Ilya Kovalchuk on a two on one against Ducks defenseman Scott Niedermayer. This was Kovalchuk's third goal in two games against the Ducks.

While Canucks goalie Roberto Luongo did get a shutout, there were a few Duck shots that Luongo struggled with. But that wouldn't matter, as the Canucks defense bailed on Luongo on a few occassions.

3 Stars

1. Luongo - van (24sv)
2. Hiller - ana (25sv)
3. D. Sedin - van (1g)

Anaheim Ducks (home)
Goals:
Assists:
PP - 0/6
PK - 3/3

Vancouver Canucks (away)
Goals: D. Sedin, Kovalchuk

Assists: Erhoff, O'Brien, Johnson, Burrows

PP - 0/3

PK - 6/6

DUCKS DOMINATED BY THRASHERS IN 3-0 LOSS

2010-02-03T16:25:00.004-05:00

After their last encounter, the Anaheim Ducks never would have expected a Kovalchuk-less Atlanta Thrashers team to dominate them like they did, but a Tobias Enstrom penalty shot got things started early for the Thrashers.

Things didn't start well for the Ducks, as winger Corey Perry took a boarding penalty only two minutes into the game. A few minutes later, Enstrom was tripped up on a breakaway. That lead to a penalty shot where Ducks goalie Jonas Hiller attempted a failed pokecheck, as Enstrom read the play and put the puck into an open net.

Two fights in the second period could not give the Ducks the momentum they needed to get back into the game. Everything soon fell apart for the Ducks, as they couldn't get the puck out of their own zone for almost the entire game. The Ducks were out played, out hit, and failed to convert on three powerplay attempts.

3 Stars

1. Enstrom - atl (1g, 1a)
2. Lehtonen - atl (19sv)
3. Slater - atl (1g)

Anaheim Ducks (away)
Goals:
Assists:
PP - 0/3
PK - 1/1

Atlanta Thrasers (home)
Goals: Enstrom (penalty shot), Slater, Antropov

Assists: Kobasew, Hainsey, Enstrom, Bogosian

PP - 0/1

PK - 3/3

DUCKS TRADE RYAN, LUPUL FOR SPEZZA, CHEECHOO

2010-02-02T23:58:00.000-05:00

The Anaheim Ducks have traded wingers Bobby Ryan and Joffrey Lupul for Ottawa Senators center Jason Spezza and winger Jonathan Cheechoo.

With Ryan Getzlaf, Saku Koivu, and now Jason Spezza, this trade makes the Ducks one of the deepest teams down the middle.

DUCKS DOWN SENS 2-0, HILLER EARNS 3rd SHUTOUT OF THE SEASON

2010-02-02T23:37:00.008-05:00

Anaheim Ducks netminder Jonas Hiller made fifteen saves for his third shutout of the season and Corey Perry continued is torrid scoring pace as the Ducks shutout the Ottawa Senators 2-0. Center Saku Koivu also continued his inspiring play, tallying a goal. He now has three in the last two games.

The first period saw both teams at a stalemate for the most part. Hits, shots, time on attack, and everything else possible was practically dead even. It wouldn't be until halfway through the period that Koivu would break the tie.

After the first, Anaheim seemed to shut the door by using their physical game to keep the Senators at bay. The Senators played a disciplined game, not receiving a single penalty. They earned two powerplays late in the game, but could not convert on their chances.

3 Stars
1. Koivu - ana (1g)
2. Hiller - ana (15sv)
3. Perry - ana (1a)

Anaheim Ducks (home)
Goals: Koivu, Perry
Assists: Ryan, Getzlaf
PP - 0/0
PK - 2/2

Montreal Canadiens (away)
Goals:

Assists:

PP - 0/2

PK - 0/0

LATE KOVALCHUK GOALS DEFLATE DUCKS WITH 4-3 LOSS

2010-02-02T03:04:00.004-05:00

It took until the end of the third period, but the Vancouver Canucks pulled through with a little help from their friend. Newly acquired superstar Ilya Kovalchuk scored twice late in the game to tie it up and to finally put the Canucks on top for good.
For the first period, the Ducks could not get the puck out of their zone. The Canucks had countless scoring chances but could not put the puck in the net. It wouldn't be until Ducks center Saku Koivu scored that the Ducks got a shot on net.

Coming up the ice, there were three players before Koivu who tried to shoot the puck on net. Once the first shot was blocked, the puck careened to the next shooter, and so on until Koivu put it home in one fascinating shooting exhibition.

That lead would not hold for long as the Canucks would score just six minutes later, ending the first period with a tie game. The same occured in the second period, as both teams put up a powerplay goal, with Koivu picking up his second goal of the game.

The Ducks would go up 3-2 in the third on a Steve Eminger goal that got past a screened Roberto Luongo. Not to be outdone, Ilya Kovalchuk took the Canucks on his back and marched on to victory.

With around eight minutes left in the game and trailing 3-2, Kovalchuk danced around with the puck to the right of Ducks goalie Jonas Hiller. Fooling the last defender to try and stop him, Kovalchuk blasted a wrister past Hiller to tie the game.

Not done with his superstar performance, Kovalchuk would take a pass from Canuck center Henrik Sedin to give the Canucks the lead and win. Kovalchuk broke in on a mini two-on-one with Sedin where he accepted a pass, protected the puck from an Anaheim defender, and flung a backhander past Hiller to seal the game.

3 Stars
1. Kovalchuk - van (2g)
2. Koivu - ana (2g)
3. Sedin - van (2a)

Anaheim Ducks (away)
Goals: Koivu 2 (1pp), Eminger
Assists: Ryan, Whitney, Wisniewski, Getzlaf, Artyukhin
PP - 1/2
PK - 2/3

Montreal Canadiens (home)
Goals: Kovalchuk 2, Burrows (pp), Johnson
Assists: Edler 2, Mitchel, Samuelsson, H. Sedin 2 (1pp), Raymond
PP - 1/3
PK - 1/2

THANK YOU PERRY MUCH, DUCKS BEAT THRASHERS 3-2 IN OT

2010-02-02T02:08:00.003-05:00

Anaheim Ducks winger Corey Perry does it again. A shorthanded goal in regulation and another in overtime, as well as one by Ryan Getzlaf, lifts the Ducks over the Kovalchuk-less Atlanta Thrashers. Perry now has four goals in his last three games and the Ducks extend their win streak to three.

Earlier in the day, Russian scoring phenom Ilya Kovalchuk was traded to the Vancouver Canucks along with defenseman Christoph Schubert, and center Marty Reasoner for Canucks center Ryan Kesler, right wing Pavol Demitra, and defenseman Kevin Bieksa.

Just under three minutes into the first period, Ryan Getzlaf put the ducks up by one, as the Ducks seemed to control play throughout the entire period.

Like the first, the Ducks scored quickly in the second period. Perry buried a shot while shorthanded to put the Ducks up by two goals, putting Atlanta in a precarious position. They responded quickly. Just 47 seconds later, Atlanta right wing Maxim Afinogenov burst through a few Duck defenders to put one by Jonas Hiller.

The third period was dominated by the Thrashers. Newly aquired Thrasher Demitra scored halfway through the third, tying the game up and giving the Thrashers a much needed momentum switch. Hiller yet again gave a spectacular performance to keep the Ducks in the game.

Overtime brought a powerplay for each team, but it would be Perry coming to the rescue for the Ducks. Coming up through center ice, Perry wound up for a slapshot but was muted and he was thrown to the ice by a Thrasher defenseman. As the defenseman skated away, Perry got up and planted himself at the side of Thrashers goaltender Kari Lehtonen while Getzlaf controlled the puck in the corner. Seeing Perry alone infront, Getzlaf got the puck to him to end the game.

3 Stars
1. Perry - ana (2g, 1a)
2. Getzlaf - ana (1g, 1a)
3. Hiller - ana (27saves)

Anaheim Ducks (home)
Goals: Perry (1sh, 1pp), Getzlaf
Assists: Sexton (2), Perry, Niedermayer, Getzlaf
PP - 1/3
PK - 3/3

Montreal Canadiens (away)
Goals: Afinogenov, Demitra
Assists: ???
PP - 0/3
PK - 1/3

DUCKS, CANADIENS GAME ENDS IN DRE

2010-02-01T19:10:00.000-05:00

Game three of the back-to-back-to-back series between the Anaheim Ducks and Montreal Canadiens came to a screeching halt at the end of two periods thanks to a disc read error on part of the Canadiens.

The Canadiens were far from beaten, as they outshot the Ducks in the second period 6-3 and had over three minutes more of attack time.

Alas, the disc read error stopped any hopes of a comeback.

The Canadiens hit the post on a point shot early in the game which lead to Ducks winger Dan Sexton getting a opportune scoring chance at the other end of the ice.

It was a tight game with the Ducks up 1-0 on a James Wisniewski goal.

Ducks winger Teemu Selanne suffered a hip injury on a hit in the second period and did not return for what little of the game was left.

The Ducks were 0/3 on the powerplay, but were 2/2 on the penalty kill.

PERRY BURIES HABS IN 4-0 VICTORY

2010-02-01T18:03:00.000-05:00

Anaheim Ducks winger Corey Perry scores twice to give Anaheim their first win of the season at home. Defenseman Nick Boynton and rookie winger Dan Sexton also scored as the Ducks took the second of back-to-back-to-back games against the Montreal Canadiens.
After a short time, the Ducks and Canadiens were back at it. This time the Ducks took it to the Habs, scoring on both power plays and causing some controversy along the way.

The scoring opened up at the 17:37 mark of the first period as Perry ripped a slap shot over the shoulder of Montreal Canadien goaltender Jaroslav Halak.

Everything seemed to going right for the Ducks, as they received two powerplays throughout the game. They converted on both powerplays, with Sexton and Perry each scoring. But it was Perry's goal that took the wind out of the Canadiens' sails.

Ducks defenseman Scott Niedermayer took a shot from the point. It careened off a Canadiens player and right to the feet of Perry, where it seems to deflect off of his skate and into the net. The refs did not go upstairs for a replay and the goal stood, infuriating the Habs and their fanbase.

Being up 3-0, the Ducks kept their foot on the peddle, with defenseman Nick Boynton scoring on a screened shot.

The few chances the Habs had, Ducks netminder Jonas Hiller was there. When there was a breakdown on defense, Hiller stood tall.

With rumors of a Saku Koivu deal that would bring him back to Montreal breaking down, Koivu showed why the Habs want him back by picking up two assists.

3 Stars
1. Perry - ana (2g)
2. Koivu - ana (2g)
3. Hiller - ana (12saves)

Anaheim Ducks (home)
Goals: Perry (1g, 1ppg), Boynton, Sexton
Assists: Koivu (2), Ryan, Niedermayer, Wisniewski
PP - 2/2
PK - 1/1

Montreal Canadiens (away)
Goals:
Assists:
PP - 0/1
PK - 0/2

GOMEZ, HABS DOWN DUCKS 2-1 IN SEASON OPENER

2010-02-01T01:25:00.000-05:00

Thomas Plekanec scored early in the first and Scott Gomez had the only goal of the shootout as the Montreal Canadiens defeat the Anaheim Ducks in what was an exciting game to open up Season v4 of the Penny Arcade Hockey League.

From the start, it seemed as if the Canadiens would be having a field day. Around the eight minute mark, Benoit Pouliot threw an unobstructed pass across the front of the Anaheim net in which Plekanec put over a sprawling Jonas Hiller.

It looked like the Canadiens were playing a farm team rather than the Ducks. With all of their pressure, they were only able to beat Hiller once.

In the second period, the tide seemed to turn as Anaheim center Ryan Getzlaf scored off of a rebound to tie the contest. From then on, the momentum shifted back and forth with some close calls for both sides.

After an overtime that consisted of the Ducks skating all over the Canadiens' zone while killing a penalty, the game went to a shootout where one goal would decide the game.

With every shooter missing, the game was on Gomez's stick. Dekeing down the ice, Gomez pulled the puck to his backhand and slipped it five hole to win the game.

Opening the season with a loss isn't something the Ducks planned on doing, but there are plenty of positives to take away from this hard fought game.

Firstly, Teemu Selanne still has it. While he didn't get on the scoresheet, he had plenty of opportunties to score and dish the puck. Look for him to tear up the league this season.

Secondly, the Ducks got a point out of this game. In a league where every point is important, one point can save a season.

3 Stars
1. Getzlaf - ana (1g)
2. Plekanec - mon (1g)
3. Halak - mon (13saves)

Anaheim Ducks (away)

Goals: Getzlaf
Assists: Perry, Niedermayer
PP - 0/1
PK - 1/1

Montreal Canadiens (home)

Goals: Plekanec
Assists: Pouliot
PP - 0/1
PK - 1/1

PUCK DROPS ON SEASON 4

2010-02-01T00:17:00.000-05:00

Ah. A new season. A time to start fresh. A time to battle for the coveted Lord Tycho's Cup. And a time for people to bitch about every other play being unfair.

For those of you unfamiliar with this league, here is a quick review.
Champions:

Season 1 (NHL09) - New Jersey Devils (mclay8823)
Season 2 (NHL09) - Tampa Bay Lightning (CCF23)
Season 3 (NHL10) - Tampa Bay Lightning (CCF23)

-There are shootouts in the playoffs because EA refuses to acknowledge that their online leagues are flawed.

-If a player is booted from an online game, there is no way to re-play that loss.

-Seasons will now have a Max of 15 teams since having 16 will cause problems with playoff brackets and teams might get dropped from the second round like is Season 2.