Ryan Miller, Ducks Reportedly Agree to 2-Year Contract
Jul 1, 2017
GLENDALE, AZ - JANUARY 26: Goaltender Ryan Miller #30 of the Vancouver Canucks looks down ice during the first period of the NHL game against the Arizona Coyotes at Gila River Arena on January 26, 2017 in Glendale, Arizona. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
The Anaheim Ducks and longtime NHL goaltender Ryan Miller reportedly reached an agreement Saturday on a two-year contract.
Eric Stephens of the Orange County Register first reported terms of the deal.
Miller is one of the league's most experienced netminders as he prepares to play his 15th professional season. He spent the last three years with the Vancouver Canucks after spending more than a decade with the Buffalo Sabres, who drafted him in 1999, and a 19-game stint with the St. Louis Blues.
The 36-year-old Michigan State product ranks third among all active goalies in games played during the regular season at 709, per Hockey Reference.
Miller has seen his goals-against average jump above his career mark (2.61) over the past two campaigns to 2.70 and 2.80, respectively. That's more due to the Canucks' struggles than a sign of serious decline, however, as his save percentage has remained stable around .915.
While the word "retirement" has crept into the conversation in recent years, which is normal as a player heads toward his late 30s, the Michigan native has no plans to walk away in the immediate future.
In April, he told Ben Kuzma of the Province his body has continued to hold up and the competitive fire is still there, so he wanted to stay on the ice.
"I want to play until somebody kicks me out," Miller said. "You ask any guy who has retired, and I'm fortunate in that I've had three cousins who came before me in the NHL, and every single one of them told me: 'Go to the rink until they kick you out. Literally show up. Just go.'"
The veteran goaltender, who shined while helping lead the United States to a silver medal at the 2010 Winter Olympics, is also close to setting an American record.
Ryan Wolfe of the Hockey Writers provided the details:
So that gives Miller some added motivation heading into next season and potentially beyond.
All told, he ranked in the middle of the pack in save percentage among qualified goalies last season, and that's what to expect from him moving forward. He's no longer a player capable of helping carry a franchise on his shoulders, like he did in Buffalo, but he's still a solid asset.
Look for him to be a valuable veteran presence and backup to incumbent goalie John Gibson, giving the Ducks a good level of reliable goalkeeping depth.
Cam Fowler, Ducks Reportedly Agree to 8-Year Contract Extension
Jul 1, 2017
SAN JOSE, CA - MARCH 18: Cam Fowler #4 of the Anaheim Ducks skates with the puck against the San Jose Sharks at SAP Center on March 18, 2017 in San Jose, California. (Photo by Rocky W. Widner/NHL/Getty Images)
The Anaheim Ducks and defenseman Cam Fowler reportedly reached an agreement Saturday on an eight-year, $52 million contract extension.
Fowler is coming off a strong campaign for the Ducks. He scored 39 points (11 goals and 28 assists) in 80 games and showcased he's capable of the up-tempo, puck-moving game that blueliners are being asked to play more frequently. He added nine points in 13 playoff contests.
That said, it's a major commitment for a player who's gone through some up-and-down years since his outstanding rookie season with Anaheim in 2010-11, when he put up a career-high 40 points.
Dom Luszczyszyn of the Hockey News noted his Game Score projections show Fowler as a legitimate top-pairing defenseman heading into next season:
Yet, Micah Blake McCurdy of HockeyViz.com provided different advanced stats that show the Ducks star as more of a middling second-pair asset:
Cam Fowler is an ok 3-4 defender. Why the Ducks felt the need to pour over fifty million dollars on his head is beyond me. pic.twitter.com/fj72UL1wNi
— Micah Blake McCurdy (@IneffectiveMath) July 1, 2017
Those varying outlooks sum up Fowler's entire career. A consensus has never emerged about exactly how valuable he is to the Ducks.
That said, the NHL free-agent period has become far more mundane in recent years because players like the 25-year-old American are inked to long-term deals before they can hit the market. Teams overpay because replacing any lost players during the offseason has become a difficult task.
So Fowler gets a monster, long-term contract to stay with the Ducks. If he plays like a true No. 1 defenseman for at least the first four or five years of the deal, it will be worth the investment. If his play drops off again, however, it's a major cap hit to work around in the future.
Ryan Getzlaf Fined $10,000 for Use of Homophobic Slur vs. Predators
May 20, 2017
NASHVILLE, TN - MAY 18: Ryan Getzlaf #15 of the Anaheim Ducks skates against the Nashville Predators in Game Four of the Western Conference Final during the 2017 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs at the Bridgestone Arena on May 18, 2017 in Nashville, Tennessee. The Ducks defeated the Predators 3-2 in overtime. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)
Anaheim Ducks star Ryan Getzlaf picked up a $10,000 fine for using a homophobic slur toward another player in Game 4 of the Western Conference Final.
Per Frank Seravalli of TSN Sports, the fine is the maximum punishment allowed under the latest collective bargaining agreement.
Television cameras captured Getzlaf's inappropriate actions during Thursday's game against the Nashville Predators at Bridgestone Arena.
"Getzlaf's comment in Thursday's game, particularly as directed to another individual on the ice, was inappropriately demeaning and disrespectful and crossed the line into behavior that we deem unacceptable," NHL Senior Executive Vice President of Hockey Operations Colin Campbell said in a release on the league's official site.
During last year's playoffs, Chicago Blackhawks forward Andrew Shaw was suspended one game, received a $5,000 fine and had to undergo sensitivity training for his anti-gay slur.
Getzlaf, on the other hand, is expected to play Game 5 on Saturday at the Honda Center with the Predators and Ducks tied 2-2 in the series.
The 32-year-old has been one of the top players this postseason with eight goals and 10 assists in 15 games. Only Evgeni Malkin of the Pittsburgh Penguins has more than his 18 points.
Corey Perry Scores OT Game-Winning Goal for Ducks to Even Series vs. Predators
May 18, 2017
NASHVILLE, TN - MAY 18: Corey Perry #10 of the Anaheim Ducks shoots the puck against Pekka Rinne #35 of the Nashville Predators during the second period in Game Four of the Western Conference Final during the 2017 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Bridgestone Arena on May 18, 2017 in Nashville, Tennessee. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)
The Anaheim Ducks knew they would have to steal one in Nashville to have any chance of making the Stanley Cup Final.
Leave it to John Gibson and Corey Perry to ensure that happened.
Perry scored a game-winning goal, via P.K. Subban's stick, in overtime to give the Ducks a 3-2 win over the Nashville Predators in Game 4 of the Western Conference Final. The best-of-seven series is tied 2-2 heading back to Anaheim.
Perry's goal came after the Ducks blew a 2-0 lead late in the third period and was his third OT winner of this postseason.
Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim pitcher Tyler Skaggs commented on the goal, which was originally credited to Nate Thompson:
Rickard Rakell and Nick Ritchie also scored for Anaheim, while Gibson made 32 saves on 34 opportunities.
The Ducks controlled the game's pacing early on, outshooting Nashville 14-2 in the first period and were aggressive from the outset. Rakell scored his seventh goal of the postseason at the 11:30 mark in the first, taking advantage of a line change to slap a wide-open shot past Pekka Rinne. Cam Fowler found Rakell just barely onside as both teams were hustling their way to their respective benches, and the Nashville defenders failed to scramble back on to the ice in time.
The NHL on NBC Twitter account provided a snapshot of the goal:
Rakell with the opposite of a feathery touch here, an absolute blast! #StanleyCup
— Danielle 'Chip' Lehman (@ThatGirlChip) May 19, 2017
Ritchie extended the lead to two goals around the halfway point of the second period after assists from Thompson and Sami Vatanen. Ducks defensemen assisted both of Anaheim's early goals, which Helene Elliott of the Los Angeles Times noted:
Ritchie from Thompson and Vatanen. Defensemen have assisted on both Ducks goals. Fowler set up the Rakell goal in the 1st period.
The Ducks were far from out of the woods. Subban, who had served a two-minute penalty for an elbow to Rakell just minutes earlier, scored his second goal of this postseason at the 13:33 mark of the third period.
John Shannon of Sportsnet highlighted how the Predators defensemen have also been strong in these playoffs:
Another goal from a DMan for the Preds... Ellis has 4 Josi has 5 Subban now has 2.
The game's tensest minute and a half came when Kevin Bieksa and Josh Manson both drew penalties within 29 seconds of one another to give Nashville a five-on-three advantage. Gibson made a series of clutch saves, and the defense held a disciplined front to surprisingly kill the penalty—a kill that seemingly wrapped things up for Anaheim.
The Predators had other ideas.
Playing with an empty net, Filip Forsberg forced a dribbler past Gibson in front of a crowded net with under 35 seconds remaining to tie it up. Thomas Willis of the Predators' website got a quote from Forsberg after the game:
Filip Forsberg: "It's the playoffs, you have to move on quickly. Game 5 on Saturday is a big game." #Preds#ANAvsNSH
But the equalizer was ultimately in vain. The Ducks reclaimed home-ice advantage with Perry's game-winner and should be considered the favorite to make the Stanley Cup Final. That said, this was a game Nashville could have won if it got off to a better start.
The Predators had a 10-shot advantage over the final two periods and overtime. And with three of the first four games of this series being decided by one goal, anything can happen when the things shift back to California on Saturday.
Ryan Getzlaf, Ducks Climb Out of Early Hole to Beat Predators 5-3 in Game 2
May 14, 2017
Anaheim Ducks goalie John Gibson (36) celebrates with Josh Manson (42) after Game 2 of the Western Conference final in the NHL hockey Stanley Cup playoffs against the Nashville Predators, Sunday, May 14, 2017, in Anaheim, Calif. The Ducks won 5-3. (AP Photo/Chris Carlson)
The Anaheim Ducks bounced back from an early deficit and outlasted the Nashville Predators for a wild 5-3 Game 2 win on Sunday night.
Anaheim's victory evens the Western Conference Final at 1-1, creating what should be an entertaining series as it shifts to Nashville.
The Ducks trailed 2-0 and 3-2 in Game 2, but their come-from-behind ability was present as they pulled out the much-needed win.
Ryan Getzlaf led the way with three assists, bringing his playoff point total to 18, and 12 Ducks players finished with at least one point in a balanced effort. Nick Ritchie was responsible for the go-ahead score in the second period, while Jakob Silfverberg added his ninth goal of the playoffs, tied for the most in the NHL.
All of this added up to the worst game of the postseason for Pekka Rinne, who had been nearly unbeatable the past few weeks. The Nashville star allowed four goals, his most in 12 playoff games.
He made 22 saves, but he also allowed some uncharacteristically easy scores due to bad positioning:
Anaheim goalie John Gibson had been inconsistent coming in, but he saved 30 of the Predators' 33 shots on goal to lead his team to a win. While the Ducks offense will be the focus of the game, the young goalie deserves credit for shutting down the Predators after the poor start.
Power plays were an early key after the teams went a combined 0-of-9 in those situations in Game 1. Both sides scored on their first extra-man opportunity to help kick off a high-scoring battle:
The Predators appeared to be the better team in the first period, but the score was just 2-1.
There was even more action in the second period, with the Ducks scoring three of the four goals to take a 4-3 lead. When there weren't goals, there were big hits and some chippy play from both sides.
Greg Wyshynski of Yahoo Sports described the battle heading into the third period:
This series is getting to a very nasty place and I love this series so much right now #NSHvsANA
— NBC Sports Hockey (@NBCSportsHockey) May 6, 2017
Down 3-0 late in Friday night's NHL Stanley Cup playoff second-round Game 5 against the Edmonton Oilers, the Anaheim Ducks scored three goals in three minutes.
After pulling goalie John Gibson, Ryan Getzlaf started the rally by scoring his eighth postseason goal with 3:16 remaining. Thirty-five seconds later, Cam Fowler decreased the deficit with a slap shot.
Yet the late effort looked for naught until Rickard Rakell—celebrating his 24th birthday—tied the bout with 15 ticks left on the clock. Elias Sports Bureau put the historic comeback into perspective (h/t ESPN Stats & Info):
Ducks scored three goals in final 3:16, the latest three goals have been scored to win/force OT in NHL postseason history, via @EliasSportspic.twitter.com/mMbaSf2aVh
The game-tying score, however, came with controversy. Anaheim's Ryan Kesler appeared to grab Edmonton goalie Cam Talbot, as Garry Beko showed via Twitter:
Despite reviewing the play, the referees upheld the goal. Per Greg Beacham of the Associated Press, Edmonton forward Milan Lucic expressed his displeasure in the officiating after the game.
"I don't even know what goalie interference is anymore to be perfectly honest," Lucic said. "It's an absolute joke that especially two really good referees can't make the right call at the right time."
The drama continued into double overtime, when Corey Perry notched the game-winning goal. The Ducks' Twitter account captured the moment:
On the verge of suffering a home loss and consequent elimination game at Rogers Place, the Ducks instead gained a 3-2 series lead. They can advance to the Western Conference Final with a road win Sunday.
[NHL on NBC]
Antoine Vermette Suspended 10 Games for Slashing Linesman vs. Wild
Feb 15, 2017
SAN JOSE, CA - NOVEMBER 26: Antoine Vermette #50 of the Anaheim Ducks looks on during the game against the San Jose Sharks at SAP Center on November 26, 2016 in San Jose, California. (Photo by Rocky W. Widner/NHL/Getty Images)
TSN's Bob McKenzie was the first to report the discipline. The incident in question occurred during Anaheim's 1-0 win against the Minnesota Wild on Tuesday when Vermette slashed in the direction of a linesman after he dropped the puck.
According to McKenzie, Vermette can appeal the suspension with Commissioner Gary Bettman presiding over it.
The 34-year-old veteran was given a game misconduct for his actions, and his 10-game suspension was automatic due to physical contact with an official.
Calgary Flames defenseman Dennis Wideman was suspended for 20 games last season after checking an official, but his ban was reduced to 10 games.
Vermette is in the midst of his 13th NHL season and his first with the Ducks.
He has registered eight goals and 14 assists for 22 points in 58 games during the campaign.
While the 2015 Stanley Cup champion's absence will hurt Anaheim's bottom-six forward depth, the Ducks are a comfortable second in the Western Conference's Pacific Division and shouldn't experience much of a drop-off without him.
Antoine Vermette Receives Game Misconduct for Slashing Lineman vs. Wild
Feb 14, 2017
SAN JOSE, CA - NOVEMBER 26: Antoine Vermette #50 of the Anaheim Ducks looks on during the game against the San Jose Sharks at SAP Center on November 26, 2016 in San Jose, California. (Photo by Rocky W. Widner/NHL/Getty Images)
Anaheim Ducks center Antoine Vermette seemed to let his emotions get the best of him in Tuesday's game against the Minnesota Wild.
Per Navin Vaswani of theScore, Vermette slashed a lineman in the leg following a faceoff. He had lost the draw and apparently felt the official didn't drop the puck fairly. The 34-year-old received a game misconduct and could receive more punishment from the league.
While Vermette only missed part of the third period in the 1-0 victory, the situation will cost him 10 games after being suspended by the league on Wednesday, per Bob McKenzie of TSN, who added he can appeal the ban.
Vermette is in his 13th year in the NHL and was a key part of the Chicago Blackhawks' 2015 run to the Stanley Cup title.
The veteran has tallied eight goals and 14 assists in his first year with the Ducks and is one of the best faceoff men in the league, ranking fifth among centers with a 62.4 win percentage, per NHL.com.
Meet the NHL's Ironman: Ducks' Andrew Cogliano Is Hockey's Most Durable Player
Jan 12, 2017
SAN JOSE, CA - NOVEMBER 26: Andrew Cogliano #7 of the Anaheim Ducks skates against the San Jose Sharks at SAP Center on November 26, 2016 in San Jose, California. (Photo by Rocky W. Widner/NHL/Getty Images)
DENVER — Andrew Cogliano had to think hard for a moment when asked the last time he missed a hockey game as a player.
"It's been so long, it's hard to remember the exact moment. In junior, in the playoffs one year, I think I had a separated shoulder or a high ankle sprain, or something like that," Cogliano said.
That the Anaheim Ducks forward can't seem to recall even the exact location of his last serious injury speaks well to just how long it's been. The injuries, wherever they were, would have occurred sometime in the spring of 2004 when he was a member of the St. Michael's Buzzers of the Ontario Junior Hockey League.
Or it could be that Cogliano's seemingly strange haziness of memory stems from the fact that, well, he doesn't really love talking about his distinction as the NHL's reigning ironman, with 747 consecutive games played entering Thursday's contest with the Colorado Avalanche. That is the most of any active player and fifth on the all-time NHL list.
"I just really don't think about it much," he said somewhat wearily when asked about it earlier that day.
Player
Consecutive games played
Doug Jarvis
964
Garry Unger
914
Steve Larmer
884
Craig Ramsay
776
Andrew Cogliano (active)
747
Cogliano knows he's going to have to think about it whether he likes it or not, however, the longer it goes, the closer it keeps inching to Doug Jarvis' all-time NHL record of 964 straight. He knows that the media loves to write about all-time records, especially one as unique as this one. In a sport where only a relatively small number of players manage to play every game in any one season, Cogliano has done it in each of his first nine seasons.
Since coming out of the University of Michigan and joining the Edmonton Oilers in 2007, the 29-year-old has never missed an NHL game. Cogliano has been hurt since his NHL debut on Oct. 4, 2007; he once needed about 30 stitches for cuts to his face while he was a member of the Oilers. He's lost a few teeth. There have been plenty other bumps and bruises. But never anything serious enough to keep him out of the lineup.
It's not as if Cogliano has preserved his health, and the streak, by playing a soft, finesse style of game, either. He is widely acknowledged as one of the league's hardest-grinding players, someone who plays tough minutes against the opposition's top skill players and a leader of the Ducks' penalty-killing unit.
"He's just a real hard-nosed guy," Avalanche defenseman and former Ducks teammate Francois Beauchemin said. "And he's always stretching, stretching, stretching."
Cogliano, whose streak is the longest of any active player in any of the four major sports, acknowledges he is something of a gym rat who has always just loved staying fit. In addition to plenty of the aforementioned stretching, he does a lot of core body work under programs designed by famed sports fitness trainer Andy O'Brien, who currently holds the title of director of sport science and nutrition with the Pittsburgh Penguins.
But Cogliano is quick to attribute "just a lot of plain old luck" to his streak.
GLENDALE, AZ - MARCH 03: Andrew Cogliano #7 of the Anaheim Ducks during the NHL game against the Arizona Coyotes at Gila River Arena on March 3, 2016 in Glendale, Arizona. The Ducks defeated the Coyotes 5-1. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
"I just approach all of this day by day. I think the things I do, most every other guy in this league does, too. It's just that I've been very fortunate," said Cogliano, who entered Thursday with 10 goals, 20 points and a plus-10 rating for the Ducks. "I mean, I've enjoyed doing the nutrition side of it and the workout-summertime-type things of it."
One nutrition secret Cogliano is willing to share: It's better for the body to eat smaller meals more frequently through the day rather than a huge breakfast, lunch or dinner.
"But I just eat normal stuff. Fish, chicken, fats, proteins—nothing real strange or anything," he said.
Jarvis' record of 964 has stood since he retired from the NHL in 1987. His streak started in 1975 with the Montreal Canadiens, and, like Cogliano, he was known as a defensive and penalty-killing specialist.
"He was very careful with his eating habits," said Scotty Bowman, Jarvis' former coach with the Canadiens. "He was a very serious guy with that and with his game preparation. He was a joy to coach."
Like Jarvis, who played at 5'9", 170 pounds, Cogliano is not big at 5'10", 184 pounds. Is being a bit undersized an advantage—more "compact," perhaps—an advantage to staying healthy in a sport such as hockey? Hard to say, but it's one theory. At 13-16 minutes a game, as Cogliano has averaged most of his career, he might be at the perfect playing-time amount, too—enough to keep in great shape but not too much to overdo it.
Cogliano currently is playing left wing on a line with Ryan Kesler and Jakob Silfverberg. None of the three have missed a game all season.
"It's easy to learn good health habits from a guy like Cogs," Silfverberg said. "You know you're going to see his number in the lineup every night."
If all things stay equal, Cogliano would only be 33 if he were to break Jarvis' record. Jarvis was only 32 when he retired. Will it happen?
"I'm not looking that far ahead," Cogliano said.
Keeping it all in the present. Maybe that's the biggest secret to Cogliano's successful story of durability.
Adrian Dater covers the NHL for Bleacher Report.
Jonathan Bernier Injury: Updates on Ducks Goalie's Upper Body and Return
Oct 25, 2016
GLENDALE, AZ - OCTOBER 01: Goaltender Jonathan Bernier #1 of the Anaheim Ducks during the preseason NHL game against Arizona Coyotes at Gila River Arena on October 1, 2016 in Glendale, Arizona. The Coyotes defeated the Ducks 3-2 in overtime. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
Curtis Zupke of the Los Angeles Times reported Bernier was on the ice at Monday's session.
Injury Slows Bernier's Debut Season
Bernier was replaced in net by John Gibson to start the second period.
This is Bernier's first year with the Ducks after he was traded by the Toronto Maple Leafs in July for future considerations.
Beginning his career with the Los Angeles Kings, the 28-year-old acted as a backup for Jonathan Quick for five years before he was dealt to Toronto.
It was there that he was given an opportunity to start, compiling a 59-68-17 record in three seasons with a .915 save percentage and 2.80 goals-against average:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ft0ZXts9KCw
Upon his arrival to Anaheim, Bernier was relegated to the backup role once again behind Gibson as he appeared in just one game prior to Tuesday night.
That one appearance was a loss, but he did save 42 of 45 shots against the defending Stanley Cup-champion Pittsburgh Penguins.
If Bernier does wind up missing an extended amount of time, the Ducks might look toward AHL goalie Matt Hackett to step in and provide relief for Gibson if he needs a night off.
Hackett has appeared in the NHL with two teams over four seasons, most recently in 2014-15 with the Buffalo Sabres. In 26 career games with 20 starts, he's 4-17-2.
