Ducks Trim Wings 2-1

In a hair-raising and wacky game that felt like Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride, the Ducks beat the Red Wings 2-1 with a Bobby Ryan penalty shot 2:50 into overtime.

Said Ryan of the shot: “I just tried to close my eyes and put [the puck] in the right place.”

Another way to put it would be: “Use the Force, Bobby.”

The Red Wings grumped that the penalty shot call was bull**** and that Ruslan Salei did not hook Bobby, he fell all by himself. Yeah, yeah, wah-wah, go tell someone who cares. Go blame your goaltender who – for all intents and purposes – should have been able to make that save.

It was a curiously fight-free game (I’m guessing there were a lot of sore knuckles and goose eggs on heads), but there was certainly no dearth of just about every other penalty you can imagine committed by both sides (officials were especially hooking happy, with five called). The Ducks managed to match the Red Wings’ legendary intensity and refused to be intimidated, especially evidenced by the fact that Corey Perry was supposed to be out with a lower body injury. I’m betting he was thinking there was no way he would miss the last regular season game against the hated Wings, took a couple of pain killers and taped himself up good and tight.

But enough about that, back to Bobby!

Penalty shots are few and far between and one in OT is even rarer, so when it was announced, the Ponda absolutely erupted with a standing ovation of “BOBBY! BOBBY! BOBBY! BOBBY!” On reviewing the replay, the Red Wings announcers accused Ryan of diving. **PIFF** Puh-leeeeeze. Man up and grow a pair, will you?

To say that jubilation erupted when Bobby scored would be a massive understatement. When he threw himself against the glass, I was convinced he was going to go through and crush some fans. The team mobbing was Cup-run worthy. Aw heck, I’ll shut up now so you can watch for yourselves!

Fun Facts from the Ducks official website:

The other penalty shot overtime goals in club history:

Apr. 1, 2003 @ NSH (Steve Thomas vs. Tomas Vokoun) – 2-1 OT win

Mar. 22, 2006 vs. COL (Jonathan Hedstrom vs. Peter Budaj) – 5-4 OT win

Dec. 10, 2007 @ CBJ (Samuel Pahlsson vs. Fredrik Norrena) – 4-3 OT win

{With Deepest Apologies to “The Sound of Music”… NOT!}

How do you solve a problem like Pavel Datsyuk?

How do you stop a guy who always scores?

How do you make him stray?

And make his stick go away?

How do you check him on the fore?

Rival teams all become confused

Out of focus and bemused

And never know exactly where he is

Unpredictable as weather

He’s as flighty as a feather

He’s a darling! He’s a demon! He’s a lamb!

He’d outpester any pest

Drive a hornet from its nest

He could throw a whirling dervish out of whirl

He is gentle! He is wild!

He’s a riddle! He’s a child!

He’s a headache! He’s an angel!

HE’S A WING

How do you solve a problem like Pavel Datsyuk?

How do you find a way to shut him down?

He’s impossible, irascible, unstoppable…

A flibbertijibbet! A will-o’-the wisp! A clown!

Many a player would love to check him

Many an owner would love to buy him out

But in Detroit he will stay

Where he knows he will get his way

And of the fans’ love he has no doubt

Oh, how do you solve a problem like Pavel Datsyuk?

Heh.

You can’t, and you won’t.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vp7wYBv941k