Anaheim Ducks

Ducks 3, Phoenix 2 (SO)

Mike Brown hits like a freight train.  Obviously the 24 year old right wing had been itching for some real contact for months.  And he finally was able to lay the body on some young, unsuspecting Phoenix Coyotes last night. 

That was just the first observation I made as my girlfriend and I arrived at Honda Center half way through the game, after I got off work.  The most important thing I saw, however, was that Bobby Ryan is ready to start exactly where he left off in his breakout campaign last year.  With two real goals, a shootout marker and a little bit of the rough stuff it’s evident that the 2009 Calder Trophy runner-up has been working hard over the summer with Sean Skahan to avoid a sophomore slump.

Skahan’s other star pupil, Luca Sbisa, was also impressive in his preseason debut as a Duck.  The first thing you notice with Sbisa is his skating: unbelievable.  Two instances stuck out for me.  In the second period he broke into the zone, passed the puck off then went into stealth mode and appeared as if from thin air, at the side of the net.  Also at the end of overtime he turned on the afterburners, breaking out of the zone and weaving through Coyotes in the neutral zone, although the clock struck zero before he could make anything out of it but a lasting impression.

On the defensive side of things, Steve Eminger continued his case for a roster spot with some very solid responsible play in his own end, and Sheldon Brookbank might want to take a page out of Mike Brown’s book.  Brookbank was beaten by Chad Kolarik and as they fumbled for the loose puck behind Timo Pielmeier Kolarik battled it across the line for the game tying goal.  Had Brookbank taken the man they might not have needed the extra five minutes and skills competition to decide it.

Finally, the only thing I can think to say about Joffrey Lupul’s laser guided wrister into the top of the net on the shootout is:  Welcome back Lupes!