The Anaheim Ducks defeated the Minnesota Wild 3-1 at the Honda Center on February 1, 2013

Coming off of a strong performance in San Jose on Tuesday, the Ducks returned to Honda Center hoping to keep up their momentum.  Minnesota had high expectations of their own, having just defeated the soaring Chicago Blackhawks in a shootout.  In their first of back-to-back games, the Ducks turned to rookie Viktor Fasth to take on the Wild and their new high-profile additions Zach Parise and Ryan Suter.  After falling behind 0-1 in the first period, the Ducks rallied back with three unanswered goals, ending the night with an impressive 3-1 victory over the Wild.

Here were the line combinations to start the game:

Forwards:
Andrew Cogliano | Saku Koivu | Daniel Winnik
Matt Beleskey | Ryan Getzlaf | Corey Perry
Kyle Palmieri | Bobby Ryan | Teemu Selanne
Emerson Etem | Nick Bonino | Emerson Etem

Defensemen:
Sheldon Souray | Francois Beauchemin
Bryan Allen | Cam Fowler
Luca Sbisa | Sami Vatanen

Goalies:
Viktor Fasth
Jonas Hiller

Game Notes:

Rookie Rickard Rakell was a healthy scratch.  Team management faces a tough decision of whether to keep the 19-year-old forward with the Ducks or send him back to the Plymouth Whalers of the OHL.  In this shortened season, junior-aged players are only allowed 5 games in the NHL before a decision needs to be made (players get 9 games in a regular NHL season).  Once a player plays his sixth game, their first year of their NHL entry-level contract kicks in.  Rakell has played in 4 NHL games so far this season.

This game marked the NHL debut of highly-touted prospect Sami Vatanen.  Vatanen, taken in the 4th round of the 2009 NHL Entry Draft, has been putting up strong numbers in the Finnish SM-liiga.  This season he came to North America and accumulated 4+19=23 points in 34 games with the Norfolk Admirals.

This game also marked the first home game for SoCal native Emerson Etem, who was born in Long Beach, CA.

The Ducks’ special teams looked very impressive.  The power play had a new look with both Cam Fowler and Sami Vatanen on the blue line, with Getzlaf, Perry, and Beleskey up front.  On the Ducks’ first power play of the game, the power play unit held sustained pressure in the Wild zone for nearly a minute and a half, generating numerous scoring opportunities.  The power play converted on their second chance of the night, with Bobby Ryan scoring a goal from Selanne and Getzlaf.  The penalty kill unit was 1 for 1 on the night, doing a good job protecting the net, battling along the boards, and clearing the puck down the ice.  Koivu and Winnik formed the first PK unit with Souray and Beauchemin.  Getzlaf, Perry, Allen, and Sbisa filled out the second unit.

Coach Bruce Boudreau showed a lot of faith in his young players, playing the new defensive pairing of Sami Vatanen and Luca Sbisa with Devante Smith-Pelly, Nick Bonino, and Emerson Etem.  The average age of those players is 21 years old.  The three forwards all ended the night with an even rating and the two defensemen both had a +1 rating.

Player Notes:

Daniel Winnik continued to impress by doing the little things.  He’s always working hard and moving his feet.  In the defensive zone he battles hard along the boards to clear the puck, and entering the opponent’s zone he chips it in and gets behind the defense.  Ducks fans are taking a liking to the new forward, and with good reason.

Sami Vatanen appeared to have some nerves in the early going, having some difficulty handling a few pucks that escaped the zone on the power play.  However, as the game went on, those mistakes seemed to disappear.  Vatanen showed why he should be on the power play unit showing impressive passing around the zone alongside Fowler on the blue line.  In the defensive zone Vatanen wasn’t too noticeable, which is a good thing for a young defenseman: there were no glaring mistakes and he seemed to fit in well with the team.  He isn’t afraid to get physical, throwing his body around along the boards.  This was a nice surprise coming from a smaller defenseman who is listed at 5’10″, 180 lbs.

The young line of Devante Smith-Pelly, Nick Bonino, and Emerson Etem looks very solid, especially considering this was their first game playing together.  If Etem had any nerves playing his first NHL game in front of his hometown crowd he didn’t let it show.  Smith-Pelly was his usual hard-nosed self, Bonino played a solid two-way game, and Etem provided some jump to the line.  The trio played very responsible hockey and generated numerous chances while only playing an average of just over 8 minutes between the three of them.

Viktor Fasth got his second win in as many starts and looked solid in his second NHL game.  His first and only goal against was one that he might be wishing he could have back, as he got caught shuffling to his right and allowed a shot to go through him.  He wasn’t tested much throughout the remainder of the first period and in the second, as the Wild only managed 6 and 8 shots, respectively.  However, Fasth was put to the task of holding onto a tight lead and he did so with poise.  Perhaps his best save of the night was in the final few minutes of the game when he made a strong push to his right to cover an open net and grabbed the potential game-tying goal.  Fasth showed throughout the night that he is strong down low and fast moving side-to-side.

Bruce Boudreau (left) and Randy Carlyle. (Getty Images/Puck Daddy)

The Anaheim Ducks made a rather unexpected move, replacing longtime head coach Randy Carlyle with former Washington Capitals head coach Bruce Boudreau. While Carlyle proved himself as a great coach, it was time for a change.

Boudreau already has a successful coaching career under his belt, having led the Hershey Bears of the AHL to the Calder Cup Finals two years in a row, including winning the championship in 2006. On November 22, 2007, Boudreau was named interim head coach of the Washington Capitals and made an immediate impact. The team had played to a 6-14-1 start that season and then went 37-17-7 under Boudreau’s coaching, which led to the Southeast Division title and their first playoff appearance in five years. Boudreau’s early success won him the Jack Adams Award as the NHL’s most outstanding coach.

There are already some comparisons to look at between Boudreau’s first season with the Capitals and his new hiring with the Ducks. The Capitals hired him on November 22, while the team was 6-14-1. The Ducks hired Boudreau on November 30, when the team was at 7-13-4. Both teams had plenty of talent but were struggling mightily. Does this mean the Ducks will see similar results? It’s possible, but not necessarily.

There will likely be an adjustment period at the beginning of Boudreau’s time in Anaheim. Consider this: Randy Carlyle was the head coach of the Ducks for seven years. The team is used to his system. For the top line of Ryan Getzlaf, Corey Perry, and Bobby Ryan, that system is all they’ve known for their entire NHL careers. It can take some time to get used to an entirely new system of hockey, especially for a team that has been locked into such a drastically different style for so long.

But when the Ducks do adjust to the new style that Boudreau brings in, it will open up tremendous opportunities for an exciting brand of hockey. While Carlyle preached defense-first hockey along with dump-and-chase and grinding offense, the Washington Capitals were always a fast-paced, offensive-minded team under Boudreau.

It will be very interesting to see how the top line plays with more offensive freedom. They had always been successful playing the grind and cycle system under Carlyle, but with so much talent between the three of them, they could really catch fire. This should also benefit the second line, with Teemu Selanne, Saku Koivu, and now Andrew Cogliano all possessing great speed. Perhaps most importantly, Boudreau’s system could open up more offense from the third and fourth lines, both of which have talented players, but perhaps not the right players under Carlyle.

Boudreau’s hiring should also benefit the young talent coming up through Anaheim’s system. The Ducks have many skilled prospects that may not have worked well with the grind and cycle style that Carlyle played. Kyle Palmieri, Nick Bonino, and Dan Sexton all have 17 points in 18 or fewer games in the AHL. Peter Holland has 10 points in 14 games played. However, none of them have had much success up on the NHL roster. All four of these prospects are more skill players than grinders or power forwards. The same can be said about Emerson Etem, who has an astonishing 53 points in 28 games in the WHL. Etem has incredible speed and relies on a much more wide-open game than Carlyle’s system would have allowed for. With Boudreau being more accustomed to a run-and-gun style of offense, the potential of all of these forward prospects just increased.

The same can be said about the Ducks’ defensemen. Veteran Lubomir Visnovsky and rookie standout Cam Fowler both had incredible stats last year. But look at the other talented defensemen that have come and gone with little success in a Ducks jersey: Mathieu Schneider, James Wisniewski, Ryan Whitney. All of them were duds on the Ducks’ blue line, but went on to find success on their next teams. Of course, Carlyle had great success with Scott Niedermayer, Chris Pronger, and Francois Beauchemin, but again it seems like it takes a certain type of player to succeed under Carlyle.

Boudreau did a tremendous job of forming a strong, well-rounded defensive core out of the young Karl Alzner, John Carlson, and of course Mike Green. Look for Boudreau to do the same with Fowler, Luca Sbisa, and prospects Justin Schultz and Sami Vatanen.

Towards the end of his time in Washington, Boudreau tried to instill a more defensive mindset to his team, but he is still by-and-large known for his offensive style of hockey. It might take some time to get used to (both for the players and the fans), but this coaching change should lead to some very exciting adjustments on the ice, and hopefully, on the scoresheets.

Bruce Boudreau (John E. Sokolowski-US PRESSWIRE)

The Anaheim Ducks have announced that they have hired former Washington Capitals head coach Bruce Boudreau to replace Randy Carlyle as the head coach of the Ducks.  Carlyle’s 7-season tenure with Anaheim came to an end after the Ducks faltered to a 7-13-4 start, including a 2-8-3 record in November.

Boudreau had a 201-88-40 record with the Washington Capitals, including an astounding 37-17-7 turnaround after taking over for the last-place Capitals who had begun the 2007-2008 season with a 6-14-1 start.  A winner of the Jack Adams Trophy as the NHL’s best coach, he reached 200 victories faster than any other coach in modern NHL history and has had more success (184 victories) in his first 300 games than any other coach in NHL history.  While coaching in the AHL, Boudreau led the Hershey Bears to two consecutive Calder Cup Finals, including a championship title in 2006.

Carlyle was the most successful coach in Ducks history, recording the most wins (273) and the greatest win percentage (.588).  Since joining Anaheim in 2005, Carlyle led the Ducks to five playoff appearances in six seasons, including the franchise’s only Stanley Cup Championship in 2007.

Along with the firing of Carlyle, the rest of the coaching staff has been let go, including assistant coaches Dave Farrish and Mike Foligno as well as Video Coordinator Joe Trotta.  Brad Lauer has been brought in as an assistant coach.  Lauer was most recently an assistant coach with the Syracuse Crunch, and has NHL coaching experience as an assistant coach with the Ottawa Senators from 2009-2011.

Read The Anaheim Ducks Report’s full analysis of the Boudreau hiring here.

Read the official release here.

The Anaheim Ducks have signed right wing Troy Bodie to a two-way contract reportedly worth $550,000 in the NHL and $105,000 in the AHL.  Bodie played in the Ducks organization from 2008-2010 before he was claimed on waivers by the Carolina Hurricanes.  After the 2010-2011 NHL Season, Bodie attended the Winnipeg Jets training camp on a professional tryout but was not offered a contract.

In 107 career NHL games, the 6’4″ 213-lb winger has recorded 6-5=11 points, 141 PIMs, and 148 hits.  Bodie’s best statistical year was with the Ducks in 2009-2010, when he scored 5 goals (including 1 SHG and 1 GWG) and 2 assists and accumulated 80 PIMs.

Bodie has been assigned to the Syracuse Crunch in the AHL.  He must first pass through waivers.

Brian McGrattan, RW (ducks.nhl.com

Anaheim Ducks RW Brian McGrattan was claimed on waivers by the Nashville Predators on Tuesday morning.  Upon returning from their trip to Europe, the Ducks placed both McGrattan and goalie Jeff Deslauriers on waivers.

Deslauriers cleared waivers and will be assigned to the Syracuse Crunch.

In 4 preseason games with the Ducks, McGrattan recorded 3 shots on goal, 2 hits, 9 PIMs, and 3 blocked shots.  His average time on ice was 9:22 over the four games and he ended the preseason with a -1 rating.

Kyle Cumiskey, D (nhl.com)

The Anaheim Ducks have traded defenseman Jake Newton and their 7th round pick in the 2013 NHL Entry Draft to the Colorado Avalanche in exchange for defenseman Kyle Cumiskey.  Cumiskey was drafted by Colorado in the 7th round (222nd overall) in the 2005 NHL Entry Draft.  In 132 career NHL games, the defenseman has scored 9 goals and 26 assists for 35 points and 48 PIMs.

Cumiskey, 24, has played in parts of 5 NHL seasons with the Avalanche, including a 61-game campaign in 2009-2010.  In 2010-2011, his season was limited to 18 games due to a concussion.

Newton, 23, played 48 games for the Syracuse Crunch in the AHL last season, scoring 2-7=9 points and 6 PIM.  He played one season of collegiate hockey with Northeastern University, tallying 9-13=22 points.  Newton also accumulated 21-42=63 points in 105 games in the USHL from 2007-2009.

Analysis to come shortly.

Read the official announcement here.

C Saku Koivu (click to enlarge)

Anaheim Ducks center Saku Koivu takes a shot during warmups in a preseason game against the Phoenix Coyotes.

Koivu and the rest of the Ducks are in Helsinki, Finland, where they are set to start the 2011-2012 NHL Season against the Buffalo Sabres for the NHL Premiere.

Bryan Rodney, D (sports.yahoo.com)

The Anaheim Ducks have assigned defenseman Bryan Rodney to the Syracuse Crunch of the AHL.  The 27-year-old defenseman was placed on waivers on Thursday and cleared Friday morning.

Rodney played 3 games in the preseason and recorded 2 assists and had a -3 rating.  The Ducks roster is now reduced to 27 players.

JF Jacques, LW (ducks.nhl.com)

The Anaheim Ducks have assigned left winger Jean-Francois Jacques to the Syracuse Crunch of the AHL.  The 6’4″ forward was placed on waivers Wednesday and cleared on Thursday morning.

Jacques was suspended Tuesday for the remainder of the regular season and for 5 regular season games.  If the Ducks recall Jacques to the NHL, he will be required to serve his 5-game suspension upon his return.

Read the official announcement here.

RW Dan Sexton (click to enlarge)

Anaheim Ducks RW Dan Sexton catches his breath during a practice session at the 2011 training camp at Honda Center.  The speedy winger was assigned to the Syracuse Crunch of the AHL on Monday and cleared waivers.