Takes and trash talk from both ALL sides of the NHL's most obscure PATHETIC* rivalry

* Thanks, Kevin Lowe!

Monday, November 20, 2006

Ducks Pre-Game Day: Countdown to the Sharks

Tomorrow: San Jose Sharks (15-6-0, 2nd in west) at Anaheim Ducks (14-2-5, 1st in west), and I can’t wait!

For a state that is more used to watching first-place matchups on TV than in person, this one is huge. Let’s get some statistical hype out of the way (numbers in parentheses represent western conference rank):

Wins: ANA 14 (2), SJ 15 (1)
Win percentage: ANA .786 (1), SJ .714 (3)
Goals-for: ANA 73 (1), SJ 70 (2)
Goals-against: ANA 51 (6), SJ 47 (5)
Goal differential: ANA +22 (2), SJ +23 (1)
Power-play goals-for: ANA 25 (2), SJ 27 (1)
Power-play goals-against: ANA 16 (6), SJ 13 (4)
Power-play goal differential: ANA +9 (3), SJ +14 (1)
Power-play percentage: ANA 21.2% (3), SJ 24.3% (1)
Penalty-kill percentage: ANA 84.9% (6), SJ 86.5% (5)
Shooting percentage (no empty-net): ANA 10.4% (4), 12.1% (1)
Save percentage (no empty-net): ANA 91.1% (7), SJ 92.4% (2)

Anaheim top 5 scorers:

T. Selanne – 21 GP, 5-19-24, +4, 17:12
S. Niedermayer – 21 GP, 5-15-20, +3, 27:00
C. Pronger – 21 GP, 3-17-20, +11, 27:13
C. Kunitz – 20 GP, 13-6-19, +7, 15:36
A. McDonald – 21 GP, 8-9-17, +2, 16:40

San Jose top 5 scorers:

P. Marleau – 21 GP, 12-12-24, +8, 17:04
M. Michalek – 21 GP, 9-14-23, +12, 16:51
J. Thornton – 21 GP, 5-18-23, -6, 19:17
S. Bernier – 21 GP, 6-11-17, +8, 14:09
J. Cheechoo – 20 GP, 7-8-15, -5, 16:46

Yes sir, quite the battle of titans tomorrow. And as an added bonus, should Teemu Selanne somehow work a hat trick into his schedule tomorrow, that third goal would be the 500th of his career. Selanne does lead all active players in career regular-season hat tricks (18), but hasn’t scored one since his return to Anaheim, so I’ll call that one a long shot.

Still, maybe if I give him a little Luc Robitaille treatment?

497, Teemu. Four-ninety-seven.

More to come tomorrow…

8 comments:

PJ Swenson said...

Time to prove that the only thing so-Cal finishes in first for California is in the smog-to-Oxygen ratio.

VeryProudofYa said...

I'd rather he set up five more goals in this one than score three of his own.

Wonder who gets the start in the Duck net? It's a shame they're meeting the Sharks while the Duck netkeepers seemingly forgot how to play.

Earl Sleek said...

I'd rather he set up five more goals in this one than score three of his own.

Normally I'd agree, but seeing as I'll be at Honda Center tomorrow and won't be at another game this month, I'm on a bit of a time crisis, if I'm to see this in the flesh.

Wonder who gets the start in the Duck net?

Giguere, I bet. I'd have to pick my jaw off the Honda floor tomorrow if Bryzgalov got the start, recent play and general attitude considered.

Anonymous said...

This game is shaping up to be a very significant game which seems more important than the Dallas game on Oct. 17th or the Detroit game on Oct. 19th. The Sharks need to win this one and with the Duck goalies and their penalty kill being very lack luster the last three games, the Sharks could make them pay often!

Temujin said...

I would not be upset if Selanne bagged a hat trick.

So long as Thornton did the same :-)

Anonymous said...

Selanne has a couple hat tricks against the San Jose and it is one of his better games most of the time. I wouldn't say he is going to nab it tonight, but I wouldn't past him...going on history at least.

Anonymous said...

I think Jiggy gets the start, but this game is making me soooo nervous!!! Lucky for you, you'll be there... though I'll be sad if I don't get to witness Teemu's 500th goal; esp since I was there for his 1,000 point last year...

Boo. Okay, Finny's shaking in her flats...

//f.

Anonymous said...

I hope Teemu doesn't get the 500th goal until the Devils or Calgary game this month that Christy Finn and I are going to.