By Kostya Kennedy, SI.com
If you're a Stars fan, you don't like this one bit. The final score, you don't like, of course -- Anaheim 4, Dallas 2, in the Stars' building. But you also don't like what you saw anywhere on the ice in Game 3.
You don't like to think about what this Duck party just might portend.
Yeah, yeah, you're still up two games to one in the series, and you could put these West Coast Quackers on the brink with a win in Dallas on Thursday night. And, sure, you like your chances in that one considering Anaheim played just a game over .500 on the road this season, worse than all but two playoffs team.
Then again, lover of the Stars, you also know who you're up against. The Ducks aren't your ordinary No. 4 seed. They're the No. 4 seed that won it all barely 10 months ago.
Before these playoffs began, Ducks GM Brian Burke likened his defending champion team to a drowsy bear. When it's fully awake, he told The Hockey News, "It's still a bear."
Right -- a bear that was throwing its considerable weight around in all the right (and legal, for a change) ways in the first period. Boom! A Travis Moen forecheck set up one goal. Smash! A Brad May leveling of Mattias Norstrom led to another. You definitely don't like to see things like that, Dallas fan. That is the bear getting comfortable in its element.
You didn't like seeing Anaheim center Ryan Getzlaf, he of the 17 points during last spring's Stanley Cup run, get himself started with his first goal of the '08 playoffs, either. Makes you nervous. After one period Tuesday night, Burke's Bears were up 3-0 and Dallas' Mike Modano was saying, "We'll see what's in us."
Not much in the second period -- it was 4-0 by the time that was through. But in the third, there were two power-play goals from Stars captain Brenden Morrow that cut the lead in half. Yet even that couldn't brighten you for long, Dallas fanatic. It was a little scary to see Anaheim clamp down after that, wasn't it? Seeing them allow but a few worthy chances over the last 12 minutes.
Nor did you like it when one of those chances did arise and Ducks goaltender Jean-Sebastien Giguere stopped Stars forward Jere Lehtinen point blank with 9:30 left. Here's a Conn Smythe- and Cup-winning goalie who just may be rounding into form.
You didn't like your goalie either, Stars fan. Didn't dig seeing him give up four goals on 15 shots. Marty Turco's postseasons have gotten better lately, but when he goes bad, he goes horrid. Three of Anaheim's first four shots got by Turco in Game 3, bringing up shades of the '04 and '06 playoffs when the Avalanche fairly swallowed him whole. Dallas lover, you remember those Turco save percentages: .849 one year, .868 the next. You remember those 3-point-thirtysomething goals-against-averages. You remember those first-round slink-outs.
But when it comes to why this game may augur an unhappy series ending in the Big D, it's not you, it's them. This is a champion up off the mat, a winner not ready to let itself lose, a team that has Chris Pronger, and a Chris Pronger who scored twice on Tuesday night.
Yes, this is a world in which Ducks are bears. And they are bears, no less, who know math -- namely that one is 25 percent of the way to four, which is how many games you need to win a series. Which is what these Duckbears, still down but now very far from out, are fixin' to do.
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Comments (20) Add A Comment
Really good article. I loved the tone and flow to it.
TheDeity
Shelbyville, IN
Total Comments (389)
heh, not m kinda layout, but thats ok, 'cause i'm a Ducks fan :p
CruzacsVoice
Grand Forks , ND
Total Comments (2)
Was this written by a Ducks homer? This is something I would have expected when reading a Ducks fan blog not on si. Pathetic.
Derek
dereksthered
Fort Worth , TX
Total Comments (4)
Sounds like a mouse ears buttlick to me...
pgibby
Rowlett , TX
Total Comments (9)
Sounds like a mouse ears buttlick to me...
pgibby
Rowlett , TX
Total Comments (9)
Kostya, nice name, you talk an awful lot of smack for somebody whose team is 2 games (that's 50%) away from going out. Did you actually use the term Duckbear? Interesting.
DucksSuck
Flower Mound , TX
Total Comments (4)
terrible article and totally onesided. what about that 3rd period moron where the stars actually started playing and anaheim couldn't get anything going, the stars came out flat footed and playing like a team that was waiting for the other to roll over and they didn't, once they got a goal and got the crowd back in the game we started flying on the ice only problem was it was too little too late and you can bet your a..s...s.. that turks won't let in those soft goals again.
dallasfanthickandthi…
De Soto, TX
Total Comments (584)
Really? They allow this kind of dribble to be posted on the front page of the NHL secotion of SI.com? Wow. Guess that explains why SI will always be SO far behind ESPN. They can't keep the bias out of their news. Of course, I wouldn't qualify this as news. That would be an embarrassment to real news organizations.
Loungepapa
Total Comments (10)
Really? They really believe that this should be posted as a "must read" on the main NHL page of SI.com? I guess this goes to show you why SI is so far behind ESPN with this kind of bias being displayed front and center. Disgusting.
Loungepapa
Total Comments (10)
This is a terrible article. I honestly thought a Ducks fan wrote this and i have no idea what the hell a duckbear is. Dallas outshot the ducks 33-15. The ducks are defending champs and they are going to make this a series. However, losing two at home hurts, and the fact that they can't stop Dallas' power play will hurt them throughout the series. Morrow battled the Stars back with two quick power play goals, got the crowd back in the game, and the Stars looked alive again. They just couldn't complete the comeback and considering surrendering 4 goals in the first half of the game, i would say that Dallas wised up and "clamped down". The ducks are going to make this a series, but if Dallas wins tomorrow, the ducks aren't coming back. Plus, you can count Turco will come back with with his A game thursday. Him vs. Giguere, 6-11 goals, i would say that Turco has the edge. Stars do it in anaheim in game 6 to end the series.
YoStars
College Station , TX
Total Comments (3)
...
He wrote it with a narrative style of flow while telling a story through journalism. He didn't explicitly rip the stars, he claimed that a sleeping giant was rising up. All he provided was respect for the defending champs after a thrashing they gave the Stars. You can find plenty of articles giving the Stars that tip of the hat after games one and two.
TheDeity
Shelbyville, IN
Total Comments (389)
no...he didn't rip up the stars, he just dismissed the idea that the Stars are the better team - arguable point, but everything this series, including tonight's game 4 win, is demonstrating that yes, the Stars are a much better team.
when kotsya said "its not you [Stars], its them" - honestly, what does that say? let the ducks bring their A game, they've tried and so far this series they've been at best average. I don't mind kotsya talking about how good the Ducks could be...but you know what, it'd be darn nice if he gave consideration to the idea that the Stars are winning not because the Ducks have bent over but because the Stars have simply been by far the better team
so keep cheering for your team kotsya...and the Stars will keep winning. We'll wait for your insightful "Duckbear" articles next year...
LordStanleyReturnsTo…
Richardson , TX
Total Comments (3)
duck hunting season is ending early!!!!
dallasfanthickandthi…
De Soto, TX
Total Comments (584)
Are the Ducks still bears today? What's the math tell you now? Maybe writing articles just isn't your thing, wanna tell us what the Ducks are fixin' to do or do we all already know? Tard.
DucksSuck
Flower Mound , TX
Total Comments (4)
Blaming the Ducks for playing lackluster is a fair assessment to make so far in the series. Certainly the Stars have been playing consistent hockey, but it hasn't exactly been dominating. The Duck Bears showed up to make the series 3-2. We'll see where it goes.
TheDeity
Shelbyville, IN
Total Comments (389)
Where did it go?
DucksSuck
Flower Mound , TX
Total Comments (4)
this kennedy guy certainly knows alot about hockey doesnt he? maybe he should stick to covering the spelling bee.
somuchtodosolittleti…
Fort Collins , CO
Total Comments (1)
Hey Kostya Kennedy, nice narrative style. Your dramatic angle might have worked if the Duck sleepy bears had actually awakened to a victory in game 6. Instead your sensationalist drivel comes across as pandering portending poop. Way to pick your winner, Nostradumbass.
texascub08
Dallas, TX
Total Comments (119)
Bad news for Kostya... It appears he really doesn't know much about hockey?? Its okay pardner, pick another sport... I saw your pre play off picks so I don't blame you for trying to hold onto some vestige of self esteem.... The bear may rule in California, but this is iTEXAS, and Texans have been killing big game for a long time!!! I bet you picked San Jose to beat the Stars too didn't you... Dufus.
Texas-Homer
Total Comments (12)
Do bears play golf.........in early spring?
Cavs
Total Comments (43)
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