10/29 GDT: Ducks 5, Red Wings 4 (OT)

[NeverForgetMac25 483]

While it was a road trip that helped the Anaheim Ducks establish some positive momentum, they'll need to find a way to translate that success to home ice as they face a team that has had plenty of success on the road this season.

In a matchup of the last two Stanley Cup champions, the Ducks will try to win their fifth straight overall as they open a three-game homestand against the Detroit Red Wings, who are perfect in five road games thus far.

Anaheim (5-5-0) opened this season with four straight losses, and that sluggish stretch was part of a 1-5-0 start in which it dropped three of four at home, where it went 28-9-4 in 2007-08.

But the Ducks have found their stride away from Honda Center, winning all four games on a recent road trip that was capped by Monday night's 3-2 victory at Columbus.

Corey Perry and Ryan Getzlaf each had a goal and an assist, while Teemu Selanne scored the go-ahead goal with 3:55 left as the Ducks evened their record by sweeping a road trip of four games or longer for the second time in franchise history.

"There was a lot at stake for our hockey club to get back to .500," Ducks coach Randy Carlyle said. "After a rough start, now we're at .500. ... We're just going to savor this for about 10 minutes."

Carlyle's club now meets a Red Wings squad that has won all five of its road games, and the first two contests of its current five-game swing.

Valtteri Filppula scored the tying goal with 1:54 remaining in regulation, and Pavel Datsyuk and Henrik Zetterberg converted in the shootout as Detroit (7-1-1) beat Los Angeles 4-3 on Monday night for its second straight shootout win and fifth straight victory overall.

Though the Red Wings are among the highest-scoring clubs in the NHL with 35 goals, seven of their nine games have been decided by one goal.

"It was a tight game. They played a good solid defense, they were backing up pretty good and took advantage of our mistakes," said Zetterberg, who has five goals and is tied for fourth on the team with eight points. "But I think we still played a little better defense tonight and didn't let them shoot that much. So that was progress."

The defending Stanley Cup champions have taken advantage of their power-play opportunities, scoring once in five chances on Monday to improve to 12-for-37 (32.4 percent) this season. They have prevented 35 of 43 (81.4 percent) of their opponents' chances with the man advantage, turning aside five of six in their last game.

The Ducks haven't been nearly as impressive on special teams as they have converted just five of 36 chances (13.9 percent) with the man advantage, and have allowed opponents to score 10 times in 59 tries (16.9 percent) while short-handed.

Anaheim's Jean-Sebastian Giguere helped killed all six of his team's penalties in the last game, and finished with 30 saves to improve to 4-4-0 with a 2.86 goals-against average in eight starts. However, he has compiled a 2.56 GAA in losing six of his last 10 matchups versus the Red Wings.

Detroit's Chris Osgood is 12-3-0 with two ties and a 2.50 GAA in 17 career games versus the Ducks.

Anaheim and Detroit split last season's four-game series, and the Ducks won once in two home games.

[FinRedWing 172]

Anaheim,eh?

Pronger,Burke,etc... This one's a must win.

4-3 WINGS

(Hudler,Hossa,Z &Rafalski)

Go Wings!

[VM1138 1,921]

Should be a good game, Go Wings!

[esteef 2,679]

Lineups? Is Downey in?

[VladyIBELIEVE16 257]

RWNW is in attendance again tonight!!

Let's GO BOYS! Get it DONE!

Can't wait to see everyone again tonight!!! Preskate 6:30!!!! See you at the Red Wings Bench! I'll be in my Red Zetterberg jersey - look for me and don't be shy! Come say hello!!!

[Zion 93]

I despise Anaheim.

Let's play fast, drive to the net and not make Giguere look better than he actually is. My DVR didn't record the Kings game, how bad was Mac? Downey a better fit for tonight?

[HockeyCrazy3033 168]

I can't believe I am going to miss a game because of FSN+ I NEVER miss a game.

This is horrible..

But of course, GO WINGS! SHUT 'EM DOWN, OZ!

[Duck Guy 86]

go ducks..... and wings... O.o

i see the ducks coming out with the victory tonight. But then again still good news if wings win. So for sure i hope this goes into OT so BOTH teams are guaranteed a point !! and yes of course i will be there! :siren:

[edicius 3,269]

Depending on how I feel tonight, I might have to miss this one. I started coming down with something last night and may really need the rest (with a game ending after midnight and me having to be at work by 7am, it's not a good combination). I'll see what happens.

In the meantime, predictions... Hossa will score again. Lilja will kill the hell out of some bogus penalties. Cleary will have his best game of the season.

[FinRedWing 172]

I can't believe I am going to miss a game because of FSN+ I NEVER miss a game.

This is horrible..

But of course, GO WINGS! SHUT 'EM DOWN, OZ!

That sucks. Even I get to see the game where I live.

[Duck Guy 86]

Cleary vs. pronger again... watch

Edited October 29, 2008 by Duck Guy

[chrisdetroit 189]

The most penalized team in the league against the team with the 2nd best power play.

I'm going with the Wings

4-2

[Zion 93]

No, Danny should know better than to fight a spot-picking eye-gouger like Pronger.

[Duck Guy 86]

The most penalized team in the league against the team with the 2nd best power play.

I'm going with the Wings

4-2

what lies... ducks are the most disciplined team in the league.. :scared: lol

[Reds4Life 51]

Let's kill the F)ucks. 4:0 Wings.

Hossa - hattrick, Nick Lidstrom 1g+2a, Pav 0+4

[egroen 384]

Who will Lilja beat down tonight???

3-1 Wings

Cleary, Zetterberg & Datsyuk with the empty netter.

[Shaman 713]

5-2 Detroit

Z with the hatty

1 Hossa

1 Homer

[Slave 31]

for some reason i think the wings have been waiting for this game since they missed out on them last playoffs i think the wings will rolll them hard....like 8-1

[Guest mindfly]

I just have this bad feeling that someone will get injured in tonights game... and i think wings will get pretty beaten up out there... maybe it's kronwalls turn... shoulder/knee injury pretty resonable.. I hope some allmighty power is with us because we don't have anyone that can step up atm

Edited October 29, 2008 by mindfly

[Shaman 713]

I just have this bad feeling that someone will get injured in tonights game... and i think wings will get pretty beaten up out there... maybe it's kronwalls turn... shoulder/knee injury pretty resonable.. I hope some allmighty power is with us because we don't have anyone that can step up atm

If he does, im blaming you...

[j.hoop 64]

Cleary vs. pronger again... watch

that cemented cleary in my heart last year, he even gave that ogre a black eye !!

best.pic.ever.

i say wings 4-2

Edited October 29, 2008 by j.hoop

[Guest mindfly]

If he does, im blaming you...

Alright, I also bet my money that pronger will do something mad.

[ArcticWing 0]

This should be good. Wings Vs Ducks games are usually good entertainment.

4-3 Wings, and Lidstrom with a two or more points, equals a 150$ profit to me.

[Lovin Jiri Fischer 147]

Kind of a dumb question. I live in a dorm room with very limited channels. We have FSN, but since the game is on FSN + or whatever it's called, will I still be able to watch the game?

[Rivalred 630]

I just have this bad feeling that someone will get injured in tonights game... and i think wings will get pretty beaten up out there... maybe it's kronwalls turn... shoulder/knee injury pretty resonable..

You have to be a Pen's fan acting as a Wings Fan. You need to seek professional help ASAP for your Diarrhea of the Mouth.