With a two-day break in between games, there is  plenty of time to break down Game 1.
Specifically, it gives San Jose plenty to ponder what went wrong after its 2-0 loss to the Ducks.
And, as if it needed a reason to jump on star center Joe Thornton, media in San Jose are pointing to Thornton’s one shot on goal in Game 1.
Thornton (below) is perhaps the most scrutinized player of these 2009 Stanley Cup playoffs because of his perceived inability to both produce and take a team deep into the postseason.
Thornton has 11 goals …

The line on Bobby Ryan’s NHL playoff experience doesn’t take up much space on the NHL Players Association website.
Two games. Two penalty minutes. Two shots.
That’s it.
Though Ryan was little more than an afterthought in last season’s Stanley Cup playoffs, his role has become more prominent in the last 12 months.
The Dallas Stars didn’t see a need to pay much attention to the rookie as they eliminated the Ducks in six first-round games but the San Jose Sharks, this year’s playoff opponent, can’t afford to take Ryan as lightly.
Ryan makes up …

They’re going to have to name that goal move after the kid. I mean come on…it just gets prettier and prettier each time. Taking on…what? 5 defenders! The kid is a stud! Way to come out and represent number 9! Bobby ‘Effin Ryan…and I say that with the UP-MOST RESPECT!!!
Some other thoughts before I hit the sheets…
I was/am really impressed by the defense. The Ducks only gave up 16 SOG. “But they let 3 get by”. No kidding, I don’t think I’ll get started on the Jiggy thing …

No player will say publicly who they want or do not want to play in the playoffs.
It’s an unwritten rule not to provide fodder for the other team’s bulletin board. But it might have some creedence when the Ducks say it doesn’t matter if  they play San Jose or Detroit in the first round of the playoffs.
The teams play similar styles, largely because San Jose coach Todd McLellan was an assistant under Detroit coach Mike Babcock for three years prior to taking the Sharks job last summer.
“He’s got full knowlegdge …

Bobby Ryan secured the NHL rookie scoring title somewhat quietly Saturday night.
Ryan finished with 31 goals and 26 assists in 64 games to beat out Chicago’s Kris Versteeg by four points. Ryan played in 14 fewer games than Versteeg and at least 12 fewer games than the next five rookie scoring leaders.
Of course, it didn’t matter much to the 22-year-old, who has much bigger goals on his radar.
“It’s nice,” Ryan said. “It’s something I’ll remember a while from now, maybe. ‘Pen (former Duck Dustin Penner) texted me and said, ‘You …

If it wasn’t for one of his teammates, center Andrew Ebbett would have a pretty good chance of tying or setting the Ducks’ single-season record for assists by a rookie.
No matter. If he had set the record, an asterisk would have been sure to follow, partly because Ebbett has been provided with an advantage that has allowed him to boost his numbers in that category.
It’s nothing illegal. Not even close (in case Edmonton coach Craig McTavish is wondering).
The Ducks coaching staff simply decided to put Ebbett on the ice with players …

It doesn’t seem likely that Ducks rookie Bobby Ryan will wrest the Calder Trophy from Columbus goaltender Steve Mason (32-18-7, 2.22 goals-against average).

Ryan leads all NHL rookies in scoring even though he didn’t join the team until Nov.15 and will end up playing only 64 games.

To put his season in perspective with his fellow rookies, here is a look at rookie scoring since Ryan’s recall on Nov.15. … Read More!

Lets quickly cover some of the basics.
A HUGE thank you to Sammy Pahlssons’ Chicago Blackhawks for defeating the Nashville Predators last night in a 4-2 win. Awesome! Bryz and his Yotes weren’t so wonderful and the Ducks will just have to thank them in their own special way later this week. On a similar note, Dallas did not do their part to eliminate Minnesota either. So again, the Ducks will have to offer some friendly advice on how to do that as well. I’d also like to say just how …

We can safely say that the Ducks’ top line of Ryan Getzlaf (below), Corey Perry and Bobby Ryan has gotten San Jose’s full attention by now.
After the line combined for three goals and five assists on Saturday in San Jose, the Sharks mostly kept them at bay in Sunday’s rematch at Honda Center.
But San Jose, which could face the Ducks in the first round of the playoffs, knows the line will be a bear to defend for them or whoever else faces them in the postseason.
“That line might be one of the best in the National Hockey …

For all the fire he has come under this week, what with his team all but certain to miss the Stanley Cup playoffs for a third consecutive season, Edmonton Oilers coach Craig MacTavish certainly displayed a prescient side Tuesday morning.
Before the Ducks dealt the Oilers a critical blow with a 5-3 victory that night in Edmonton, MacTavish talked about the Ducks’ top line of center Ryan Getzlaf and wingers Corey Perry and Bobby Ryan, comparing the trio to the famous Legion of Doom line iced by the Philadelphia Flyers in the …

I actually started laughing as I typed that headline.
JONAS HILLER! Dude…WHAT WERE YOU THINKING?! SERIOUSLY!
We’ll get back to that one.
So I was a bit unimpressed to start the game. I don’t think the Ducks came out with the fire that I would like to see from them. I mean it wasn’t as concerning against a team like Colorado…but the Ducks are just awful against bottom feeder teams, and I really didn’t want to see them squander two points to these guys.
Corey Perry was on the receiving end of a turn …