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accepts its a fans right to be upset,
ANAHEIM, Calif. Zac Gallen Jersey . -- Although the Anaheim Ducks are running short on chances to prove theyre more than just a regular-season power, they didnt seem daunted before they headed out on a 30-mile road trip that could define their year. After the best regular season in franchise history, the Ducks have lost four of their past six playoff games heading into a critical Game 3 at Los Angeles on Thursday night. Its barely a slump, and it includes a near-victory that got away with 7 seconds left in regulation in the second-round opener. Yet the Ducks realize what hangs on their latest trip to Staples Center, and theyre comfortable with the risk. "The belief and the confidence in this group is pretty high," Anaheim defenceman Cam Fowler said. "We know that a lot of people are counting us out right now, but that only fuels us." During their best stretches of that remarkable regular season, the Ducks were a dominant offensive team, finishing second in the NHL with 266 goals. With Ryan Getzlaf and Corey Perry leading the way, Anaheim got consistent scoring from all four lines and methodically broke down almost any defensive team -- including the Kings, who beat the Ducks just once in five tries during the regular season. In the playoffs, Anaheim has managed just three goals against Jonathan Quick in two home losses. The Kings puck-possession style and mistake-free play in their own end are remarkable at times, and even the Ducks appreciated it while spending the past two days figuring out ways to counter it. "They certainly know how to win," Fowler said. "Their style translates well to playoff hockey. Very structured, no mistakes, and make the other team beat you. "Theyve done it before, and when Quick starts playing like he is now, thats when they become a hard team to beat. Theyre certainly peaking at the right time, and we know what were up against, but we have a belief in our group that we can do it." The Ducks have made some unique travel arrangements for the nominal road portion of this series. After Wednesdays practice, they took a bus to a hotel across the street from Staples Center. Theyre staying downtown until Game 4 on Saturday, but theyll also take the bus back to Anaheim for practice on Friday. With just three goals in more than six playoff periods against the Kings, Anaheim might attempt to boost its offence by putting Kyle Palmieri back into the lineup. The goal-scoring wing, a healthy scratch in the Ducks past four games, skated alongside Nick Bonino and Devante Smith-Pelly at practice Wednesday. Palmieri scored a career-best 14 goals in the regular season, and he had five points in last seasons first-round series loss to Detroit. The Kings are up 2-0 in a playoff series for the sixth time in the past three seasons, reaching that mark as the road team an incredible five times. They led all four series 3-0 despite opening on the road each time during their 2012 rampage through the post-season to their first Stanley Cup title. The Kings also were down 0-3 in the first round last month against San Jose, which means they realize theyre only nominally in control of this series. "A 2-0 lead is great, but its not four. We know that better than anybody," Kings centre Jarret Stoll said. "Theyve outchanced us. Theyve beaten us in a lot of areas we need to be better at." The Kings are likely to be without injured defencemen Willie Mitchell and Robyn Regehr again in Game 3, but Matt Greene and Jeff Schultz have filled in splendidly so far. Even with Quick on top of his game, the Ducks are confident they can get back in the series by getting more pucks past him. They hope to have the support of travelling Anaheim fans after the Kings had a boisterous cheering section at Honda Center, too. "We played pretty well in the first two games, and we remind ourselves of that," Anaheim goalie Jonas Hiller said. "I dont think many things need to change. We just need to keep our confidence." Brian Anderson Jersey . "I had a pretty good year," the soft-spoken Granberg told TSN.ca with a grin from the teams annual rookie tournament in London. A fourth-round selection in 2010, Granberg is worth keeping an eye on with NHL training camps rolling around in less than a week. The six-foot-two, 200-pound defender may not possess the wow-inspiring theatrics of fellow prospect Morgan Rielly, but nonetheless has a chance to contribute with the Leafs when all is said and done this season. Carson Kelly Jersey . This is an exercise I have undertaken a few times, starting in 2009, and hope that Ive refined my approach a little bit in that time to help paint a better picture.SARASOTA, Florida – On a pristine, cloudless Saturday morning before his Blue Jays took to the field to play the Orioles, manager John Gibbons assumed his familiar perch behind home plate to watch his charges take batting practice. That time around, the cage is as much a part of baseballs daily routine as a beer and a hotdog is to a fan in the stands. Coaches, scouts, broadcasters and other media hover, tossing verbal barbs, telling stories and sharing laughs. Occasionally, especially in spring when the atmosphere is relatively laid back, the list of invited guests expands and on this day, Gibbons welcomed two men strongly influential in his life. To his left stood his high school baseball coach, Syl Perez and on his right, Frank Arnold, Gibbons high school football coach. The two are spending these early days of camp with the man they mentored. Its a chance for the men to catch up, reminisce about old times, and for Gibbons to share his pro experience with two people whove helped him along the way. "Your high school years are very big years in forming who youre going to be," Gibbons told TSN.ca. "When youre in athletics, if you get the right guys, it can steer you the right direction, teach you discipline, the work ethic and all the right stuff that benefit you in life." Arnold, 72, is a legend in Texas high school football, a state where "football is king," as Gibbons likes to remind the uninitiated. Gibbons played but didnt start at MacArthur High School in San Antonio. He was a running back, although in hindsight, Arnold thinks Gibbons was better suited to play linebacker because he was athletically inclined and had good instincts. Arnold also took notice, almost immediately, of Gibbons upbringing, especially his supportive parents, William and Sally. "Great kid, great family, never had, you know you have some parents who are a little overbearing, his parents were right there to support him," said Arnold. He had a knack for baseball, although Gibbons admits he was a late bloomer, especially offensively. A senior catcher graduated after Gibbons sophomore season, a year in which Gibbons played the outfield, and Perez had someone else pegged as the teams next catcher. Gibbons was still an unknown commodity. The coaching staff tried him at third base. It wasnt the right fit. "I dont care where I put John Gibbons, he was a catcher," said Perez. "I mean, it was in his DNA. He carries himself like a catcher." Perez had Gibbons and the would-be catching successor get behind the plate and simulate throwing out base stealers. "I timed him," said Perez. "From the time the sound hit the mitt to the time it hit the shortstop or second baseman at the bag. The other young man was very accurate but John was kind of like a Nolan Ryan. He was not very accurate, or not as accurate, but he would only average two seconds and sometimes slightly less than that. The other kid was 2.3, 2.4." Funny thing, Gibbons ended up catching that year. The other kid played third base. Both were all district at the end of the season, Gibbons in spite of a batting average below .200. He was that good defensively. His game rounded into form in his senior year, thanks to a scout named Buzzy Keller, who in advance of the baseball season, instructed Perez on a new hitting pphilosophy featuring a more compact swing. Ildemaro Vargas Jersey. Perez coached up Gibbons and the results were immediate. "John batted .500 in 19 games and he hit 10 home runs," said Perez. "Its not that he hit 10 home runs, its how far he hit those 10 home runs that really got him to be a lot more noticed. A lot of our practices were very, very well attended and of course, he went 24th overall in the first round (1980) to the Mets." A series of injuries derailed Gibbons big league playing career, the nail in the coffin being the Mets acquisition of Gary Carter before the 1985 season. He stayed around the game, coached at various levels over a number of years, and by 2004, was into his first run as manager of the Blue Jays. "Hes old school and the old school way of thinking is, good catchers become good managers," said Perez. "Theyre the only ones looking the other way at the entire defence. Lets face it, he may have been not a starter in his major league life but when hes in the bullpen catching and working with folks like the Dwight Goodens and such, Im sure hes going to learn some things." Gibbons credits Arnold and Perez with teaching him some of the tactics he employs to this day. "You get to this level, its a little different," said Gibbons. "Guys are very successful when they get to this level so theyve got a good idea of what they do. Theres not as much coaching, teaching and things like that and you give these guys a little more leeway because theyre adults. But theres a lot of the same principles that work. I dont care if youre in high school or big league baseball, you have to have discipline. You still have to play the right way." Gibbons fair, jovial but stern-when-he-needs-to-be personality endears him to those who know him best and have known him the longest. "Personally, I think he has the demeanour, the ability to work with people," said Arnold. "I hope he gets lucky this year because last year they had some bad luck, in my opinion, with injuries and other things. I follow him, I watch him all the time and Im very proud to say that I was around him." Arnold continued, "John is going to be the same on the docks with some dock workers as he is at some high class place with the boss. I just think hes a quality person. Hes not flashy, he is what he is but hes always good to people." Coming off a disappointing 74-88 season, a startling and uncomfortable thud after the offseason hype of a year ago, Gibbons knows there is pressure to rebound. His mentors know it, too. "Nobody wants you unless you win," said Arnold. "I dont care what level, what league so I wish him well and hope he has some great luck this year. I hope some of the guys have some great years because I think he deserves it." Gibbons is aware the fan base is angst-ridden, unsure of whether the Blue Jays can compete in the ultra-tough American League East. He knows about the Twitter faction thats popularized the "FireGibby" hashtag, understands and accepts its a fans right to be upset, but wants to be clear about something he says wont change, win or lose. "I want people to know that I care about Toronto, I care about Canada, and nobody wants to win for the fan base more than I do because I know they deserve it." ' ' '
- Created: Dec 6 '19
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