Joe DiPenta

Fighting Through Some Adversity

Joe DiPenta — Wed, 21 Jan 2009 05:54:01 +0000

When I heard some of my former teammates were asking about me to some of my friends who were at Casino Night I suddenly really missed being a part of the Ducks. I am really enjoying it here especially all the extra playing time, but the memories and the friendships made over the last 3 seasons were meaningful. I miss the weather too, ha ha. Currently the team is on a bit of a skid losing our last 5 games. Not good. It is a real low point during the season. Every season has them, like life, and it is hard to deal with. You always want to try and do more which usually makes things worse. It is hard to be patient. Nobody wants to lose. We always want things to go well all the time. That is not realistic. We have the bad times for a reason and it can help to remember that. It’s going to make the good times that much sweeter.

When does Teemu come back from his leg injury? I see the Ducks have been fighting through some adversity this season. Losing Teemu is a huge loss for 6 weeks. He is not just a goal scorer but a team leader. He is like Mr. Anaheim Duck. The team loses a bit of moral when he is not in the lineup. Best of luck.

Sean Avery

Joe DiPenta — Tue, 16 Dec 2008 06:09:36 +0000

Sean Avery is shooting himself in the foot if he wants to remain in the NHL. Avery has been running out of chances since his days with the Kings. At the end of the 2005-06 season, the Kings management asked Sean to leave the team with 2 weeks left to go in the schedule. The Kings got new management and resigned Avery with the intent of trying to trade him. The Rangers took a chance when nobody else in the league would. He seemed to settle a little bit in New York, but the Rangers opted not to resign him at the end of last year. Since leaving the Rangers they have looked like a much better team. Brett Hull (Dallas GM) and Avery have a friendship that goes back to the Detroit days when Avery was a rookie and Hull a high scoring winger. When Dallas was in town to play the Rangers last year he and Avery went to dinner. When Avery became a free agent, Dallas was there with the 15 million dollar contract. I wonder how many other teams were calling. I am guessing not many, if any at all. It is a well known fact in this league that Avery is a cancer on a team. I have known him since he was 8 years old when we grew up together in Cole Harbour Nova Scotia. He was the same then, uncontrollable by his coaches, management and parents. Something always seemed off. His comments to the Calgary media last week were just the pinnacle to what lies deep within Sean Avery. . I think there are some major insecurity issues that need to be resolved. It is really scary. His desire for the spotlight and negative attention his whole life proves it. I feel sorry for him because he is a good player with a lot of potential. We also share a bond growing up together, while never friends, we played for the same teams and for the same coaches. He could leave a much better legacy, instead he is going to go down as a fool. That is a shame.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KnXC6C_b0CA

Ducks Playing Well

Joe DiPenta — Tue, 02 Dec 2008 03:56:32 +0000

Glad to hear the Ducks have been playing well lately. Since starting the season 1-5 they have gone 13-3. Keep in mind there have been a lot of distractions surrounding Brian Burke from the beginning of training camp. Burke was very open with the players in the opening meeting that he was struggling with a decision on whether to stay on with the Ducks or move to the Leafs. Burke was the Duck’s leader as GM. When you feel the person who is supposed to be leading your team is not 100 percent behind you that is a distraction. The players and the management share a bond when the team wins a championship, so there may have been some underlying feelings of abandonment on the players part (not to mention the fans to I am sure).

It is nice to hear the team’s power play is clicking. Specialty teams are so important for a team’s success. A successful penalty kill can be used to generate momentum and a successful power play is like putting nails in the coffin. Usually the Stanley Cup winner is a team with both top power plays and penalty killing percentages.

The San Jose Sharks look to be running away with the conference and the league for that matter. Their home record is most impressive at 12-0-1. They have only 3 regulation losses (One on the road with the Ducks). Right now they look like the team to beat.

An interesting topic was brought up on whether Hillier should be given a legitimate number one goalie shot. That is very surprising. Jonas is a great goalie and has played very well since becoming a full time NHL player with the Ducks. He could be a number one goalie for a team when his contract expires in 2010 and deservedly so if he continues to prove himself like he has. All I know is that the same questions were raised when Bryzgalov was the back -up net-minder. Even when Bryz was stoning the Flames and then the Avalanche in the 2006 playoffs, when things seemed blight for Giguere, Giggy never wavered. He remained a positive team mate and when he got his opportunity to play he came through. Every player has struggles throughout a season, but after playing with him for 3 years I know he always comes back strong. Giguere’s work ethic, competiveness and attitude are what make him what he is…a winner. I doubt that anyone is going to take that from him. As always, competition for playing time is a healthy make-up for a hockey club.

Burke deserves all the credit???

Joe DiPenta — Tue, 25 Nov 2008 22:19:48 +0000

An interesting topic for discussion is whether or not Burke deserves all the credit for building the team in Anaheim into Cup champions or if the team would have achieved without him? It is tough to say. I think that some key pieces were definitely in place from Bryan Murray’s tenure as Ducks GM with Kunitz, Getzlaf, Perry, Pahlsson, Giguere, and MacDonald under contract. There is no question that Scott Niedermayer and Teemu Selanne wanted to play in Anaheim for their own reasons and probably would have done so even if Burke was not the GM. However, Burke did fly to see Scott in the summer to close the deal with him. Whether or not that had much or any influence, I would say probably not. Scott was looking for a change and playing with his brother and living in So Cal were probably the greatest influences on his decision.

The Pronger trade is another superstar addition that some people have claimed fell on Burke’s lap. One of the main jobs as GM is making trades. There were lots of teams vying to land Pronger so the competition was fierce. Don’t forget the year before we lost to Edmonton in the semi-finals. Nobody said we should add another defenseman to our lineup. The thought was to add some scoring via a forward. Burke could have tried to do that and passed on Pronger. Remember he gave up Lupul who had scored 28 goals the previous season. I think it was riskier than people think. I think a GM should be judged on the trades he has made and getting Chris Pronger was one of the keys to our championship season and I feel he deserves credit for that. It was up to Burke to offer what Edmonton was looking for. I have never been in the room when a trade is taking place but I can imagine that they are delicate situations. An interesting side note is that I was told there was a backup plan if the trade didn’t happen which was signing another offensive defenseman, Kim Johnsson, to replace Salei. So the deal was by no means a lock.

Another point that gets overlooked with Burke’s career with the Ducks was the Sergei Fedorov trade. In November of 2005, the Ducks traded Sergei Fedorov to Columbus for Francios Beauchemin and Tyler Wright. Not only did they free up 6 million dollars of cap space with Fedorov gone but they added Beauchemin who has been a top 3 defenseman for the Ducks over the last 3 seasons. Most GM’s around the league thought that the Ducks really pulled one over on the Blue Jackets, which they did.

Another credit for Burke is that the players enjoyed playing for him. He never critisized anyone in the paper and treated everyone with honesty and respect. He told the truth even it if was not what you wanted to hear. That is not easy principals to live by and most GM’s do not do that from what I hear from other players.

So, should Burke be credited with transforming the Ducks into a Stanley Cup winning team? Yes, he should. The whole Ducks organization should be credited with the victory. Nobody, however, should be regarded as a savior, which is what a lot of people in Toronto think they are getting with Brian Burke. He is a great GM, no question. I believe that things unfold the way they do for a reason and that we all have our own destiny. Burke was supposed to be GM of the Ducks and the 2007 Ducks were supposed to win the Stanley Cup. So many things had to work out perfectly for it all to happen the way it did that I do not think you can attribute any one person’s success to their own doing. Brian Burke is a hard worker and deserves what he has, but it is all under God’s grace and plan that he has anything at all, just like the rest of us. So can anyone one of us take credit for the accomplishments in our lives? I know I can’t, as much as sometimes I’d like to think so.

I welcome anyone’s comments or questions? How are the Ducks playing so far?

Brian Burke’ Stepping Down

Joe DiPenta — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 02:33:51 +0000

What does everyone think of Brian Burke’ stepping down from his duties as Ducks GM? I think it was a very tough decision for him to make. He had job security in Anaheim. His family had just moved into a new house last season and was settled. He had found a niche for himself in the Orange County community and formed lots of relationships within the Duck’s organization. All of these factors made the decision tough on Burke. But in the end one has to do what is best for his family. That is respectable and we cannot blame him for that. For many reasons, assuming that Burke does go to Toronto, heading North East would be better for the Burke family. Burke has children in Boston, whom he visits regularly, so his commute time would be cut down dramatically. I remember talking to one of the limo driver’s that the team uses and he said he didn’t know anybody that travelled back and forth to airports as much as Burke did. His wife Jennifer was a host for a Vancouver based talk show up until recently. She made the commute back and forth from Orange County to Vancouver each week. Her departure from the show was an apparent move to help her husband take the job with the Maple Leafs (http://www.insidethecbc.com/byeburke). For Burke’s career, moving to Toronto will allow him to put a stamp on his legacy of General Manager. Certainly he is going to get tons of media attention. Brian Burke could be remembered as one of the best GM’s in history if he is able to transform the Toronto franchise. It is a very exciting opportunity. Financially he was going to get paid either way. The Ducks I am sure made a very nice offer in hopes of keeping Burke and I am sure they read the newspapers and are aware of what Toronto was reportedly ready to offer (http://www.cbc.ca/sports/hockey/story/2008/04/23/nhl-ducks-burke.html). As much as it was a hard decision for him to leave, I think the writing has been on the wall from the time when Toronto fired John Ferguson Jr. Burke does really well in front of the cameras. He is entertaining to watch and listen too. Canadian hockey fans will eat it up as much as listening to Don Cherry in between the Hockey Night in Canada intermissions. Toronto and Brian Burke seem like a real good fit.

Not many Duck’s fans know much about Bob Murray. It was always Burke this and Burke that in the newspapers and media. The truth is, not many decisions were made over Burke’s tenure with the Ducks without Murray’s input or approval. The two have always worked close together. Murray does not like the spotlight, so their marriage worked well. The Ducks are getting a great GM. He is very much in touch with the game and what is going on around the league. He has great instincts for players. He is not going to change the Ducks make-up as far as being known as a tough physical team. “Brian Burke hockey” very much mirrors “Bob Murray hockey”. He is a good man and deserves to be his own GM if he so desires. He was just as much a part of building the Ducks into one of most successful sports franchises in the least 3 years as Burke was. Murray is well liked by the players and like Burke has a reputation for being honest, fair and straight-forward. Your thoughts?

Taking a Break!!!

Joe DiPenta — Mon, 10 Nov 2008 20:43:56 +0000

Thanks to Red, Chris, Rob and the “sweet Swede” for the nice comments. Well we had a nice break. My wife and I got to travel to Copenhagen (Kobenhaven) Denmark for the weekend. What a great city! I did not think we would like it as much as we did. Saturday we had great weather. The city has a nice feel to it. Very laid back and relaxing. We strolled around town and did a boat tour. The shopping was good too. I cannot believe people just walk around drinking beer like that! The people were extremely friendly. The city seemed to have an international flare. There were lots of other people speaking English and there were tourists from all over the world. It was very easy to get there as we took the train from central station. We had a little trouble on the way home in Malmo as we had to move to the front of the train as half of our train was splitting up and going somewhere else. We did not understand what was going on because we were already in our assigned seats. It did not make sense until we realized that the cabin numbers change and that our assigned seats would be in a cabin closer to the front now. We went all the way to the front and had to backtrack through the cabins to reach our seats carrying our entire luggage. Another learning experience! If we go back to Kobenhaven, which we hope to, we may try driving as I get my car tomorrow. Driving should be interesting here. The signs of course are all in Swedish and the streets seem to go all different ways. I am sure I will figure it out. We desperately need a trip to IKEA.

Some of the team was back on the ice today after the weekend off. The rest of the guys from the national teams are back tomorrow. It will be good to see everyone as I feel like it is a long time since I have seen them. I think we definitely feel that we had something going with our team before the break. It will be nice to recapture that feeling and build on it. I really believe in our group when we play our best. I think we have another level to go but it will take time like always.

The Ducks ran into an old foe, losing to the Dallas Stars and followed it up with their second loss in a row to the Florida Panthers. The pressure is on now. Don’t think that the Ducks won’t be thinking about the beginning of the season every time they lose some games in a row now. It is always about desperation. Teams that play desperate usually play well. Hopefully, 2 losses in a row will bring back that desperate feeling.
San Jose is leading the league and seems to have figured out a way to finally win at home posting a 5-0 record at HP Pavilion. This could be trouble for the rest of the conference. Already proven on the road, the Sharks will be tough to beat in a seven game series playing so well on home ice. I hear their new head coach, Todd McClellan, is well liked by his players. This can make a big difference.

Despite beating the Ducks, the Stars have not had much to cheer about this year. There definitely have to be some warning signs going off. The unsuccessful start to their season just shows what a fragile thing chemistry is to a team. Remember there have only been a few changes to their line up from last year…

Ruined Passion for Hockey

Joe DiPenta — Sun, 02 Nov 2008 02:52:26 +0000

Jessica and I took in a stand-up comedy show last Sunday featuring Charlie Murphy from the Dave Chappelle Show, here in Gothenburg. We saw his poster, and called and got tickets. It was funny because the opening act was in Swedish. Everyone was laughing except two people. Apparently he was pretty funny. Thank God the second performer was from LA. Charlie Murphy followed and performed well. He was made famous from the Rick James sketch on the Dave Chappelle Show about 3 years ago. In the sketch, Charlie Murphy, (Eddie Murphy’s brother), talks about hanging out with Rick James when Eddie and James were famous in the early eighties. The sketch had launched Charlie’s own stand up career and he is no longer known just as “Eddie Murphy’s brother”. We had some good laughs and a good time. It was a friendly reminder of home.

Playing over here has really given me back my passion for hockey. When you feel like you are a part of team, you feel like you matter. Not that I did not matter last year in Anaheim… but when you play sparingly it is hard to feel like you are important. Having a more significant role is fun. I love my team mates. They are all such great people. Swedes and Fins are very humble and I like that. It is inspiring. Jessica and I have not had the easiest time adjusting to the new life here in a new country. The whole Frolunda organization has been so supportive and compassionate to us. They have been so willing to help. They are trying to setup some volunteering for Jessica as well as some art classes for her. They really care about us as people and that feels good too. What a great place to play!

I think Ronnie is a great defenseman and I cannot believe he never played in the NHL,( except for one game). He looks like he could play many more years. That inspires me too. The team feels good and the guys are confident. Like any team I have ever played on, there will be ups and downs but we are heading in the right direction. Ulf and Janne are great leaders for our club.

Some teams in the NHL have had some weird start ups to the season. One being Anaheim, two being Dallas and three being Philadelphia. We all know Anaheim has high expectations still surrounding this club ever since the Stanley Cup winning season. However, they have had 3 big wins on the road and look to be getting back on track. Ottawa brought back memories… The Ducks roster doesn’t even look much different than the 2007 season. Most of key pieces are still in place. Dallas on the other hand made some off season additions including Sean Avery. They also made the trade deadline acquisition of Brad Richards. Richards has not performed up to expectations since his opening night of 5 assists in his first game as a Star. He was on top of the NHL in 2004 when the Lightning beat Calgary in 7 games and he took home the Conn Smythe trophy for playoff MVP. That summer his contract got a nice boost and ever since he has struggled to capture the old glory. Sean Avery has certainly had a reputation as being an agitator on the ice, but the agitation has often followed him into the dressing room as well. I know this because we grew up together. Sean Avery, Sydney Crosby and I were all Cole Harbour Red Wings, although never on the same team. My first pro coach was John Stevens when I was a Philadelphia Phantom back in 2000. He was forced into retirement a year and a half earlier because he got struck in the face with a puck and lost 40 percent vision in his one eye. In his career he only played 50 some odd NHL games, but his minor league career was most impressive. He won 3 Calder Cup Championships. The most recent was in 1998 with the Phantoms which Stevens was the captain. He is a winner and the Flyers recognized that and made him their minor league coach. It was a good choice because he is now behind their bench. Philadelphia can be a hard place as a professional athlete. There is lots of pressure, from the organization and the fans. I felt it. There are times I look back and think I am glad I am not playing there now. I often wonder if that is a good environment to have success. Be that as it may the season is still young and they don’t award the Stanley Cup for another 7 and half months.

Getting Settled In!!!

Joe DiPenta — Tue, 21 Oct 2008 16:47:42 +0000

Hey everyone. The week has been good. We are looking at an apartment today and hopefully we will like it. We are looking forward to leaving the hotel. It will be nice to have some more space and to do some home cooking as well. Our team has been playing much better since last week. We had one of our best games of the season in Modo, Sammy Pahlsson’s home town, even though we lost 3-2. We followed up the next game with a win at home against defending champs, HV 71, 5-3. We are learning what it takes to win. Playing well is hard work. You have to do the things that are tough to do, like taking a check to make a play or working as hard as you can for an entire shift. It is human nature to take things easy. We have a good group of character guys. They are guys that want to win and that is very important. Teams don’t have success if certain individuals only care about themselves and their own stats.

The Ducks have had their own struggles this season. Starting 0-4 is a tough one. Nobody would have thought that would happen. It shows how difficult it is to win in the NHL or any pro league. Players are so good and the games are so close, that if you are not playing your best, you are not going to win most times. That is what is great about sports. If it was easy…where is the satisfaction? There is nothing better than giving everything you got and sitting in the dressing room completely drained, but satisfied because you won and you paid the price. That is what sport are all about. There is a fine line between winning and losing. It was definitely a much needed win against San Jose Friday. The Ducks certainly gained some confidence beating the undefeated Sharks decisively. They still have a lot of work to do when they look at their record. At least now they have a starting point and they need to start somewhere. They can polish that record with a win today against the Carolina Hurricanes, who make their lone appearance of the season at the Honda Center. You can bet the guys will be hungry to repeat Friday night’s performance.

I can see your point that it may have been unfair to take away the Assistant Captain duties from Rob and Chris because I would agree they did a great job with it last season. I think the team looks at Ryan Getzlaf as being the future of the franchise. They want Ryan to take on a more active role as being a leader because he is one figure piece of the team that is unlikely to change over the next 5 plus years. Eventually, he will probably wear the Ducks “C”. You have to feel for Bobby (Rob) because he has had a very good NHL career and is proven winner with many years of experience. It is nothing against him though; it is about the future of the organization. Thanks for the comment.

Culture Shock

Joe DiPenta — Mon, 13 Oct 2008 17:11:57 +0000

Getting used to a new country can take some “getting used to.” All of a sudden we are in an environment where we can’t read the signs, the newspaper, or anything else. The people around us are speaking a foreign language. My wife doesn’t know anybody. I at least have my team- mates and I can socialize with them every day. I would say over the last week, we have been experiencing what is known as culture shock. Being here in a new country and city has been adventurous too. We have new sites to see, restaurants to eat at, and eventually, a new apartment to live in. Presently, we are still living in the hotel and hope to be able to see a few apartments next week. Other adjustments have taken places on the ice too. There are a lot of questions surrounding our team as we were picked early in the season as favorites to win the league. However we are currently 3-5-1. We just came off a humiliating loss to Luleå HF 8-2 who has the worst record in the league. Frustration. It is hard to find the silver lining in these types of times. However, we have to fight through them because they will be what define our team once we overcome them. In order to grow we must go through some sort of conflict.

The Ducks suffered a disappointing loss Thursday night. Plagued by penalties in the second period, the Ducks were bitten by the Sharks twice on the power play. Jonathon Cheechoo, a known thorn in the side of the Ducks, scored both PP goals. HP Pavilion is one of the toughest places to play on the road. The fans are right on top of you. It was definitely one of my least favorites. The crowd can be their 6th skater, (like an extra player on the ice for them). It is an environment that can be easy to take penalties in. The smallest opportunity the Sharks get, the crowd reacts and then you as a player react by hooking or holding. Often times you would not react that way at home because the same plays are not high scoring chances. It is also easy to get out of position in the defensive zone. The Ducks have had a lot of success the last 2 years playing in HP Pavilion, but every time we won there it felt like we “stole” one because we all felt it was a tough building to play in. The Sharks have not played well at home in the past. They have been a really strong road team though. If they can perform well at home this year, look out. They have under achieved now for 3 seasons. The organization is ready to take the next step and they feel they can with the off season acquisitions they made. They will be the Ducks biggest challenge this year.

Scott being named the captain was not a surprise. His calming effect on the team made him a good choice. He is also the most qualified, winning every championship available to pro hockey players, including 4 Stanley Cups, an Olympic Gold medal, a World Cup, a Memorial Cup and a World Juniors Title. There was the dilemma of taking away the captaincy from Chris Pronger. Chris had earned the privilege of being named captain last year and in previous seasons with other clubs. He is a great leader and a proven winner as well. It is a nice problem for the Ducks to have, trust me. When you can chose from either one of these two future hall of famers to lead your team, your team is in good hands.

It should be interesting to see how the Ducks respond Sunday afternoon at home against Wayne Gretzky and the Phoenix Coyotes. Expect a strong start.

Joe Arrives in Sweden

Joe DiPenta — Sun, 05 Oct 2008 02:36:54 +0000

Hi everyone. It has been a great week. Jessica and I have been here for 3 days now. We arrived without any problems. Getting adjusted to a nine hour time change has been quite a challenge. Though, so far I have felt great. My new team Frolunda Indians has been taking great care of us. They have been extending great Swedish hospitality. We have been staying in a hotel until we get moved into an apartment. Thank you to the Frolunda fans that wished me luck. I am excited to be here. My teammates are great guys and they made me feel welcome right away. I had crossed paths with a few players over the years but most are new faces. The organization, from the coaches to the management, has been fantastic. They have really gone above and beyond to help me and Jessica in any way they can. The Swedish culture is great. The people are very kind and willing to help. I underestimated the amount of help I would need coming to a new country where English is not everyone’s first language. The Swedish people however, speak very good English. Gothenburg is very much a walking city and getting around is very easy on foot. Gothenburg’s hockey stadium, Scandanavium, is located downtown and holds twelve- thousand people. We hope to find an apartment downtown so we can leave our car parked and walk to the rink, shops, and restaurants. Driving might be a little scary as the signs are different and we are not yet able to read them. The plan is to walk as much as possible.

The weather in Gothenburg is much different than Sothern California. Presently, the temperature during the day is approximately 50 degrees (F) with a mix of sun and cloud. Eighty degrees and guaranteed sunshine are things of the past, but having four seasons will be a nice change. The city is located on the west coast of the country, on the North Sea, which brings a lot of wind and rain. The climate however is much like my hometown of Cole Harbour (Halifax) Nova Scotia, so it won’t be much of an adjustment for me.

Like last year in London (when I was with the Ducks), many NHL teams have taken their pre-season and their first regular season games to European cities. I had the opportunity to play against the Ottawa Senators Thursday night. Ottawa was playing their last game of their exhibition schedule before playing Pittsburgh on Saturday in Stockholm. They had their full lineup dressed in preparation for the game against the Penguins on the 4^th. We were losing the game 2-1 going into the third, before they scored two more times. Daniel Alfredsson was honored that night in front of his hometown crowd. Daniel is from Gothenburg and played for Frolunda in his first pro season and during the lockout year (04-05’). During the lockout the team won the championship that also featured Sammy Pahlsson. The crowd was like nothing I have ever experienced. They were singing and chanting for most of the game. It was like the soccer matches you see on TV. It was a great atmosphere. On a funny side note, Danny Heatley told me before a face off that I still don’t look European even with my new uniform and visor on my helmet. When I asked him why, he told me, “Because of your wood stick.”

On the Ducks front… how about Sean O’Donnell being traded to LA? I was shocked when I saw that. Also, how about Bobby Ryan being sent down to Iowa? Those are two big moves that came out of camp that were off my radar. Oddie has been a solid part of our shutdown D pairing over the last 2 and a half seasons. I think it was a classy move on Brian Burke’s and Bob Murray’s part to trade him to LA. Sean has a house near LA and the trade won’t uproot him from his residence. Teams never like to make trades to other teams that are in the same division because it can come back and haunt you later. Every time a player plays his old team, there is always extra incentive to “stick it” to your old team. Best wishes to Oddie. He will be missed within the Ducks locker room. The trade was also used to free up cap space and as a message from Brian Burke to the other veteran players on the team. Apparently the coaches and management have not been happy with their overall performance. There is nothing like a trade to send that message. Player’s will interpret it as a wake-up call. Bobby Ryan’s fate was also a surprise. This was also a move to free up salary cap space. Bobby’s potential salary, if all his bonuses were achieved, (which the Ducks have to account for), doesn’t allow the Ducks enough room under the cap in case of a needed call-up. Bobby is also able to be sent to the minors without clearing waivers. The same cannot be said for the other remaining forwards on the team. I expect Bobby will be back as a call-up during the early part of the season when cap space is made available.

The Ducks have been looking good in their six pre-season games thus far. Except for a third period in San Jose, they have had great success against their opponents going 4-1-1. Corey Perry and Ryan Getzlaf look like they have picked up right where they left off from last season. Brendan Morrisson was able to play in the game against the Kings and this is a very promising sign for the Ducks. A healthy Brendan Morisson should be able to generate chemistry with Teemu Selanne. A scoring second line is the last ingredient needed for a legitimate shot at capturing Lord Stanley’s Cup…for the second time. How about Teemu signing for two years? This is great news for the franchise and the second line. As the Ducks get ready to start October 9th in San Jose, Ducks fans should be excited for a season filled with fighting, scoring and winning. In other words… Ducks’ hockey.