Hot or not
Ryan Getzlaf, Anaheim Ducks
Getzlaf assisted on every Ducks goal in a 5-3 win over the Calgary Flames, which marked Anaheim's 21st straight home win over the Flames.
Antti Niemi, Dallas Stars
Niemi allowed three goals on the first nine shots he faced in a 7-4 loss to the Ottawa Senators and was pulled midway through the second period. He re-entered the game early in the third and gave up two more goals, finishing with 11 saves on 16 shots overall.
Are the Anaheim Ducks finally on the right track?
@Real_ESPNLeBrun: Given that I picked them in September to win the Stanley Cup, I think you guys know where I hope the answer lies. With the Ducks down 2-0 to Calgary on Tuesday night, coach Bruce Boudreau yanked goalie Anton Khudobin and inserted youngster John Gibson (Frederik Andersen is out with the flu), and the move sparked a 5-3 victory at the Honda Center that saw Getzlaf get those five assists as linemates Corey Perry and Rickard Rakell each scored two goals apiece. This makes me happy, because I have both Perry and Rakell in the World Famous Toronto Media Hacks Fantasy League. The win put the Ducks just two points behind a playoff spot in the Plodding Pacific. What do you think, guys? Are the Ducks back?
@ESPN_Burnside: Pierre, I also picked the Ducks in my preseason prediction-fest and, like most, have been astounded at the team's inability to find any kind of groove. Heading into Tuesday's big win over another struggling team in Calgary, the Ducks had won just two of seven and looked once again out of sync. Yikes. They'll get an immediate chance to answer your question, Pierre, as they head to Arizona to take on the surprising Coyotes on Wednesday as part of a big pre-Thanksgiving slate. What will be interesting is how the Ducks handle Gibson. He's been labeled the goaltending future of the team for a couple of years now, but injury and inconsistency have slowed his progress. GM Bob Murray made the strong move this preseason of acquiring Khudobin to back up Andersen, and sent Gibson to the American Hockey League to hone his craft. The Andersen/Khudobin tandem has been less than stellar, which has been the entire team's first-quarter identity, so you wonder whether Gibson will get another chance to prove he's ready for the big show and can lead the Ducks out of the shadows.
@DownGoesBrown: Apparently we're all big Ducks fans around here. I had them going to the final in my preseason picks, and Monday on the Inside the NHL podcast I picked them as the team most likely to fight its way back into a playoff spot. All that said, I'm not going to sound the "all clear" quite yet. Tuesday night's win was impressive, but it came against a Flames team that has its own problems. When and if I see the Ducks do it against some tougher competition, I'll be breathing more easily. Speaking of which, the NHL schedule makes us wait until January for the first of five Ducks-Los Angeles Kings games. I wonder if we'll look back on that as a big break for Anaheim, which will get some time to get back on track before it faces the division's big dog.
@ESPNJoeyMac: I picked the Ducks to emerge from the West, too. Unfortunately, their turnaround is not sitting well with me because of the boost it's given Pierre's fantasy team. But, as Pierre knows, I have Getzlaf in that league, and his five assists helped me out. In real life, though, the Ducks are undefeated this season when Getzlaf registers a point. He's a world-class player and needs to continue his success if the Ducks are to climb in the standings. The other positive aspect from Anaheim's win was the fact that it battled back from two-goal and one-goal deficits en route to victory over the Flames.
Around the league
Stars coach Lindy Ruff was not pleased with his team against the Senators, saying it played "last year's hockey" and got a similar result.
Forbes Magazine released its annual franchise valuations and named the New York Rangers the league's most valuable team at more than $1 billion.
Veteran forward Dainius Zubrus has signed a one-year deal with the San Jose Sharks, who have dealt with injuries recently.