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

* Thanks, Kevin Lowe!

Tuesday, October 21, 2008

Ducks Gameday—Still waiting for scorers to score

Anaheim Ducks (1-5-0, 15th in west) at Toronto Maple Leafs (1-2-2, t-11th in east)
When's the last time you looked longingly at Toronto's record?
(I wasn't asking you, Kings fans.)


Yeah, sometimes I'm lazy enough for a good google image search, so sue me (note to Disney: please don't sue me).

Not too much from me today, as I didn't even get to watch the Carolina outing, but I did want to revisit a post I wrote way back in June that explored the notion of Brian Burke taking a Maple Leafs GM job next summer. I really made two points: (1) Brian Burke has gotten lucky at times, in particular with his acquisitions of Niedermayer, Pronger, and Selanne, and (2) I was fine with Burke leaving, as there is a fairly open roster next year for a replacement GM to work with.

Of course, that latter point isn't looking so strong these days, as the three biggest contracts Burke has locked the Ducks into are:

R. Getzlaf, 6 gp, 0-1-1, -5 — 5 years, $26.625 million
C. Perry, 6 gp, 0-1-1, -4, — 5 years, $26.625 million
C. Kunitz, 6 gp, 0-0-0, -5 — 4 years, $14.9 million

So, using some ridiculous pro-rating math, thus far it's looking like the Ducks will pay some $68.15 million for this trio of forwards to score a combined 0 goals and 137 assists in 1,148 games played. That's just under $500,000 per assist, and I don't even want to mention the combined -888.

Of course, that's all pretty silly math, but the reality remains: the forwards on the Ducks with one or less points on the season are Getzlaf, Perry, Kunitz, Selanne, Morrison, and Parros. And the only thing that separates Parros from this group is (a) he's been on the ice for more goals-for (3) than the other five, (b) he has yet to be on the ice for a goal-against, and (c) he's had less than half the ice time of any of them.

I'll mention again the bizarre scoring structure: the top two lines have scored 1 goal, the bottom two lines have scored 8, and the defense has scored 4. When exactly is Carlyle going to shuffle things up?

Prediction: Technically, somebody's getting a second "W" tonight. Ducks 4, Leafs 1. Goals by Kunitz, Scotty, Pahlsson, and Parros. Ron Wilson catches Teemu with another illegal stickblade. Make sure to check out Pension Plan Puppets, Battle of Ontario, and Down Goes Brown for your Toronto perspectives.

[9 am edit -- Our good buddy Michael Dell, who hosts the LCS Radio Show where both Chen and I recently made guest appearances, was so inspired by our 80s TV devotion that he made a list of the NHL's A-Team. A pretty good list, but I still prefer my casting.]

Positivity! Go Ducks.

34 comments:

Anonymous said...

i honestly dont know what to say about this years ducks other than..the cliche..it has no were but up to go right?

im gonna keep pretending that the first couples games didnt happen(minus the sharks game)

my steelers are doing great so im gonna focus on that...

p.s.
who starts getting whacked if things start going bad?..coach?..do they trade a high profile player to send a message?

Earl Sleek said...

who starts getting whacked if things start going bad?..coach?..do they trade a high profile player to send a message?

Well, I think the first panic move is one I've been suggesting for a while. Move a player like Marchant out and bring Bobby Ryan up to the big club.

I really can't see Carlyle getting the axe, nor will Giguere move, nor will Pronger or Niedermayer (not before the trade deadline, at least). And as much as I'm harping on them, I don't think the solution is to ditch Perry, Getzlaf, or Kunitz.

Nah, if there's any punishment against the top lines, it will probably be in the form of healthy scratches -- that seems to be the logical way to send a message, I think.

Earl Sleek said...

Oh, and I did forget today's positivity spin:

At least with the Ducks traveling to the east coast, I don't have to wait so long to start drinking today!

Anonymous said...

haha...im going broke with all the booze i have to comsume....

Earl Sleek said...

Well, Ken Klee is on waivers, so maybe we'll see Bobby Ryan sooner than we thought?

Kent W. said...

Perry needs to shape up for the good of my fantasy team. Koivu and Semin carried his ass last week.

Earl Sleek said...

I'd pity you, Kent, but I see that you're in that 3-way tie for first.

Meanwhile, I'm carrying around Selanne, Morrison, and Kunitz, and am somehow just behind you guys in 4th (my Miller-Legace-Labarbera trio went 7-0 last week).

Right now the one Duck on my fantasy roster that isn't actively killing me is Bobby Ryan.

Earl Sleek said...

Oh, I see -- the problem was that Getzlaf needed to go to the dentist.

No wonder; that all makes perfect sense to me.

Mr. Plank said...

That's not the only time Semin has covered Perry's ass. Hiyo!

I'm trying to think of something witty to add to that, but it's just not working.

I watched a tad bit of the Ducks loss to Carolina, and it wasn't a bad game in any means- Anaheim controlled the third period. I was surprised the 'Canes survived.

So in the last three games, the Ducks have played good enough to win (didn't watch the Edmonton tilt, but judging from what I read it was a good performance), and yet only grabbed two points in the standings.

That's either a big cause for concern or a sign of good things to come.

Earl Sleek said...

Yeah, there are definitely signs that things are starting to turn around -- of the 20 goals the Ducks have allowed, 14 were surrendered in the first three games.

And I think the 3rd and 4th lines are playing about as well as they ever have, so if this top-lines-fiasco can sort itself out (and I'm not too worried there), things should fix themselves, I think.

Still, there's one repercussion. Between the Stars' and the Ducks' awful starts, this could be the earliest the Pacific Division has been decided in about ever.

Mr. Plank said...

Still, there's one repercussion. Between the Stars' and the Ducks' awful starts, this could be the earliest the Pacific Division has been decided in about ever.

I think we have to till about twenty games in to decide whether or not the Sharks are for real this year- as someone mentioned (Mike Chen on KK?), the Sharks schedule hasn't been the toughest thus far. He goes on to say that he's confident in the team, but with five wins over teams that were a combined 1-9-1 when we played them, it's reasonable to expect the Sharks to start stringing together some losses and the Chicken-little's to start howling.

That's just the overly pessimistic Shark fan in me talking. We'll probably get swept in the second round anyway.

Earl Sleek said...

We'll probably get swept in the second round anyway.

Positivity, Plank!

You never know. The Sharks could win the first two games before dropping four straight, or maybe this time they'll get swept in round three.

Possibilities are endless!

Niekon said...

damn... I'm glad I bought the Center Ice package

Cost of Center Ice: $160
Cost of keg of Guinness: $185
Able to curse the players at home: priceless...

Kent W. said...

It's true, I really have nothing to complain about. Yet.

I can't believe you somehow got three starting goalie on your roster. That's just straight up hoarding of a very limited resource you greedy bastard.

Earl Sleek said...

That's just straight up hoarding of a very limited resource you greedy bastard.

It's only so limited because they haven't put a 31st team in Toronto yet.

Grace C. said...

Looks like Getzlaf is out tonight. That forces Carlyle to mix it up. Go Ducks!

Grace C. said...

George Parros! On a breakaway! Oh man oh man.

Earl Sleek said...

Damn, Parros scored in a game I actually predicted a Parros goal?

Insanity.

Grace C. said...

Oops, I forgot that west coasters might be (and Earl is almost definitely) Tivo'ing the game. So I'll pipe down.

But if Ron Wilson calls for a measure of Teemu's stick, I may not be able to keep it to myself.

Earl Sleek said...

Don't worry about it. These days I've been so busy that I definitely look at the scoreboard before deciding whether I'm watching a DVR-game. It's better for my stress levels.

Besides, I've had enough of work. I'm out of here. East coast travel excuse!

Julian said...

Who would have picked Parros to be a leading scorer at any time of the season.

By the way, how about keeping that fucking Price is Right clip from autoplaying every time anyone lands on the page?

Bravo, Rudy, if it was intentional. You sly dog.

Earl Sleek said...

No shit. I cannot wait until the seven days or whatever is up and that thing gets buried for good.

Then I hope Rudy posts it again.

Julian said...

Glutton.

brokeyard said...

You're in control, Earl. Just makes posts for no reason (just copy all news from nhl.com or ducks.nhl.com and pass it off as your own to fool Rudy) to quickly send that thing into oblivion.

Kent W. said...

Your boys look like crap tonight Sleek...

is this the way the whole season's been so far?

Earl Sleek said...

Hey, this is our 2nd-best game of the season! (result-wise).

No, sometimes the Ducks look pretty good but lose.

Grace C. said...

Wow. Well, that was not expected, but we'll take it!!

How about the Leafs sending in a cold CuJo for the shootout?

Earl Sleek said...

Fire Ron Wilson.

Had to be said.

Julian said...

No, sometimes the Ducks look pretty good but lose.

No shots in the third and we win anyway.

I'm not sure we won - I think we got out-sucked by Toronto.

Julian said...

I assumed it was part of a nefarious plot to torment Ducks fans.

VeryProudofYa said...

Positivity! Selanne only had one goal through the first month two seasons ago and he scored 48 that year.


Following that bulletproof logic, the ducks are going to be the best offensive team in the league, with how the top six is, uh, "preparing" to break out.

Positivity!

Earl Sleek said...

Positivity! There's no way I could have drafted an entire Ducks lineup in my fantasy league, but now I think I could swing it.

Remember folks, buy low.

Mike in OC said...

That's not the only time Semin has covered Perry's ass. Hiyo!

I'm trying to think of something witty to add to that, but it's just not working.


Mr. Plank, there's no need to add anything, this works all by itself.

Very nice RK.

Earl Sleek said...

Whoa, silence! Nicely done, Rudy.

I was about to back-date that post a week.