Ducks Coach Bruce Boudreau ready for more 'firsts'

Newly hired Ducks coach Bruce Boudreau will experience a series of "firsts" while he settles in, and Friday brought the chance to check two more firsts off his list.

Boudreau, who conducted his first Ducks practice on Thursday, led players Friday through their first morning skate with him in charge. He will make his Ducks coaching debut Friday night at Honda Center against the Philadelphia Flyers, alongside new assistants Brad Lauer and Bob Woods.

His players enjoyed a first on Friday too: They were smiling and laughing in the locker room for the first time in a long time.

"Bruce has brought some good energy to the team. He's really an uplifting guy," defenseman Cam Fowler said. "He's positive, and he's made it fun to come to the rink every day."

Enforcer George Parros, who played for Boudreau in the American Hockey League when both were in the Kings' minor-league system, said he remembered Boudreau's positive attitude and honesty.

"What you see is what you get with him. We all watched him on the 24/7 shows," Parros said, referring to the HBO series last winter that featured an unfiltered Boudreau preparing the Washington Capitals to play in the Winter Classic. "We all got a good look at him. He's that person. There's no hiding how he is emotionally. He's a positive, upbeat guy, and he coaches to win. He's a good coach.”

Boudreau was often heard yelling “Move it!” during drills to remind players to maintain a fast pace.

"Look at all the good teams. They play an up-tempo game," he said. "You've got to be able to move the puck. Not just necessarily your legs but moving the puck quick can make slow teams look fast, and if we can get that in our repertoire, I think we’ll be better."

Times guest blogger George Parros breaks down Game 6 of the Stanley Cup finals

Hello Times readers! What a Game 6 on Monday night, a 5-2 Boston Bruins victory over the visiting Vancouver Canucks.

The first period was certainly action packed and unfortunately for the Canucks, it was the same old story at the TD Garden. I actually thought Vancouver had a dominant start (first shift, I guess would be more accurate) until the Canucks’ Mason Raymond went down in a heap at the hands of Johnny Boychuk and missed the remainder of the game. It appeared like his spine was crunched up as he crashed into the boards - never a good way to start a match. 

I think Raymond’s absence ruined the bench chemistry for Vancouver Coach Alain Vigneault. I know it often does the same to our bench with an odd number of forwards, and trust me, I know a thing or two about bench chemistry. All of a sudden the lines get screwy and that leads to too many men on the ice calls.

Things went haywire for Vancouver in a hurry. It was a tough pill for Canucks goaltender Roberto Luongo to swallow, I am sure.

The Bruins played a great second period as well. It can be challenging to cling to a four-goal lead; playing too safe will lead to more defensive zone play and more goals against. But Boston stayed true to its system and kept applying pressure.

Times guest blogger George Parros on Game 2 of Stanley Cup finals

What a game last night! Just when I thought Boston was going to tie the series, Vancouver comes back and wins it in dramatic fashion. This must be tough to take for Boston. They had a heartbreaking loss in the first game in the last couple of seconds, which is tough to come back from. But they came out and played physical and had a great chance to win it. After Vancouver scored that second goal, I was surprised to see Boston come back . . . they really carried the play for the rest of the third period. When the home team ties the game up like that, I thought Boston would play pretty tentative. But they definitely had the upper hand in the second half of the third period.

The Bruins' Milan Lucic was a really physical player out there, which was awesome to see. I just love watching him play –- I think he’s an incredible force out there and he’s been playing some great hockey, too. Their top line has really impressed me too.

Obviously there was some debate as to whether Alexandre Burrows should have been suspended for his altercation with Patrice Bergeron. The league made their decision and obviously it's been a big story. He ends up being such an impact player in Game 2. So whether or not the right call was made, I thought Burrows was the star of the game. Scoring the first, assisting on the second and scoring the OT goal . . . he has really shined in the series.

It was great to see Manny Malhotra come back to play in Game 2. Anytime a character guy like that is back in the lineup –- and Manny is a great guy –- it’s going to bolster your team. You’re looking at an already potent Vancouver lineup, so to have someone come back like that, it’s definitely a moral victory and it certainly played a role in their win. I think Vancouver is just clicking right now. They’ve been the only team that’s been dominant all year.

If I’m playing for Vancouver, you obviously have to make a statement with the next game to keep the confidence. Going up 3-0 would be very hard for Boston to come back from. It would be huge for the Canucks to take that first game on the road. But I think Boston is playing very well and going home, they’re finally going to get some breaks. I don’t think this series is over by any means. It’s no time to play it safe if you’re Vancouver, especially on the road.

I think Boston is definitely going to fight back –– they’ve got too good of a team not to. It’s been an exciting series for sure and I’ll definitely be watching the rest of the way.  If they can win at least one of the next two, I won’t be surprised to see the series go back to Boston for Game 6. I think Boston wins Game 3, Vancouver takes Game 4, Boston wins Game 5 and Vancouver ices it in Game 6.

Enjoy the rest of the series! Over and out!

--GP

The Times is pleased to have Ducks enforcer George Parros blogging for us during the Stanley Cup finals. Parros has blogged in the past about life in the NHL.

Photo: George Parros skates during warmups before a game this winter. Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea / US Presswire

Ducks' Corey Perry gets star treatment, Ray Emery gets lower-body treatment

Ducks right wing Corey Perry got an unexpected perk for becoming the NHL’s first 50-goal scorer this season and a formidable most-valuable-player candidate.

When the team’s practice ended Thursday, Perry had a new personal valet in the locker room to unlace his skates: linemate Ryan Getzlaf.

“He scores 50, I untie his skates,” Getzlaf said. “We don’t want him hurting his hands untying his skates.”

Perry, who hit 50 with a hat trick in the Ducks’ 6-2 rout of San Jose on Wednesday, said he didn’t feel much different Thursday than any other day.

“The phone was off the hook this morning that’s for sure,” he said. “I had a few text messages and voice mails but nothing’s changed. It’s another day and the sun came up again and you just go out again and practice.”

But it's also the day the Ducks can clinch a playoff spot if the Dallas Stars lose to Colorado. The Ducks must gain two points or have Dallas fail to gain two points in its remaining three games. If Dallas doesn’t oblige Thursday night, the Ducks can secure a spot by beating the Kings on Friday at the Honda Center in the opener of a home-and-home series that ends each team’s season.

George Parros: An enjoyable road trip, winter weather and wins combined

The Times again this season has Ducks enforcer George Parros blogging on the ups and downs of life in the NHL. Here is his latest post:

One of the things I like most about playing in Anaheim is that I get to go play in the cold weather climates for a few days at a time, but always come home to that beautiful California sunshine.

It's the best of both worlds because, believe it or not, I really enjoy the snow, cold weather and the winter atmosphere. However, it’s also nice not to have to start my car an hour early to let it warm up, or shovel my driveway every day.

Although there is a lot of snow on the ground here in Edmonton (we just checked into our hotel), it’s not as cold as our last trip here when my moustache had icicles hanging off of it during a walk to Tim Horton's for a bagel and hot chocolate.

This road trip has provided us with some pretty nice weather as well as a couple big wins so far. We started out in Vancouver against the Western Conference-leading Canucks. It was the long-awaited return of our fearless captain, Ryan Getzlaf, and the Canadian media was all abuzz.

I'm not going to lie, it was nice to have him back in the lineup, although I assured him that his return wasn't necessarily a great thing since we were doing just fine without him (10-4-0).

He didn't like that so much.

Fortunately his presence didn't mess with our obvious team chemistry. Admittedly, it may have even helped that chemistry flourish. His highlight-reel, behind-the-back pass to Bobby Ryan for our third goal in Vancouver may have something to do with that also.

George Parros: Ducks surviving beast of a trip

 

Hello all. Greetings from Boston, Mass.! We are right in the middle of our first of two East Coast swings this year. If you have been following along, you might know that we are on a two-game skid after winning a tight game in Washington to start this beast of a trip. I say beast of a trip because it always seems that way when you travel cross-country. Apparently there is a lag in our "jet lag" though. We came out ready to play in D.C., but have fallen flat in Long Island and North Carolina.

But here we are in Beantown, and life goes on. The team practiced Sunday in Agganis Arena, home of college hockey's Boston University Terriers and former home of our very own Nick Bonino. They just built this new arena for the team, and it is incredible. Their weight room dwarfs any hockey-specific weight room that I have seen before. Their locker room was NHL-quality, and their lounge was ahead of the game, complete with its own ping-pong arena. I was quite jealous of their ping-pong table and was surprised to see that Mr. Bonino is apparently a Hall of Fame ping-pong player (his name was still on the dry erase board -- third on the all-time list). Looks like we will have to have a showdown somewhere along the way this year. I'm taking bets now.

We play the Bruins on Monday night, which will be no easy task. Our old red-bearded friend Shawn Thornton has found a home here since leaving the hallowed halls of the Honda Center (how's that for alliteration?). A win in this game is the only thing on our minds at the moment. We definitely need the points, and bringing a 2-2 road record into Buffalo the following night would be nice. The Buffalo game will round out our five-game, seven-night trip, at which point we will get some time off for Christmas break.

We actually have a few days in between games this year surrounding Christmas, which is a nice change of pace. In the past, we have had games right before and after the holiday. Fortunately for me, my family has all moved out to the West Coast, so I will not have to travel to be with them this year. Every family has its Christmas or holiday traditions, and ours is no exception. My siblings and I hold a cheesy gift contest every year. The winner of said contest is afforded the right to choose where we must buy each other's real gifts the following year. Last year, for example, my gift to my sister Jen was a "decorative mini plunger" (truly incredible), so I was able to dictate that this year's gifts had to be bought on the world's greatest marketplace ... EBay.

Because I am defending champ, I have a lot of pressure to repeat. Fortunately, I already have some solid gifts locked down, but I don't dare say it is in the bag. Anyway, I won't bore you with anymore of my memories from Christmas past, but will hopefully be able to bore you with news of an incredibly mundane 10-game winning streak by our next correspondence. Happy Holidays!

-- George Parros

The Times again this season has Ducks enforcer George Parros blogging on the ups and downs of life in the NHL.

Photo: George Parros, right, mixes it up with Matt Martin Thursday's Ducks-Islanders game. Credit: Kathy Kmonicek / Associated Press

 

George Parros: Plenty to cover with season in full swing

Hello LA Times readers! Well here we go again!  Welcome back to the best hockey blog on the West Coast or anywhere else for that matter (haha!), I thank you all for joining me once more.  The season is well under way so I’ve got plenty to cover. . . .

The season started out a bit slower than we would have preferred this year.  We had a tough road trip to open the schedule starting with back-to-back home openers for Detroit and Nashville.  No team ever really wants to start the year against Detroit, let alone on the road. Teams always get geeked up for their own home openers, wanting to put on a good show for their fans, which makes those games even more difficult.  Fortunately, your Anaheim Ducks share the same mentality and we were able to get a win against Vancouver for our first game back at Honda Center.

Our team has seen some turnover, which seems to be business as usual for many teams in the salary-cap era.  We have been going into battle with a lot of fresh faces, and I mean that literally because these kids are getting younger and younger every year.  One of the bigger headlines thus far is the addition of Cam Fowler, our first-round pick this year who has played his way onto our squad as an 18-year-old.  Alongside of Cam is another young buck, Kyle Palmieri, who played with Cam at the U.S. development program and is only one year Cam’s elder.  I might also add that Kyle has doubled the number of homegrown New Jersey high school hockey phenoms on the team.  Look out NHL, we’re taking over!  Andy Sutton, who is just coming back from a hand injury, Toni Lydman, Paul Mara and Andreas Lilja have all been great additions to our blue line. We also added some scoring touch and grit with winger and former New Yorker Aaron Voros.

I think the latest and most interesting development of the new season thus far would have to be the arrival of "Movember."  During this glorious month, courageous men the world over are cultivating their moustaches -- my before and after photos are above -- in order to raise awareness and money for men’s health issues.  For the first time since my days in a Kings uniform, I played an NHL game sans 'stache.  One of the main reasons I shaved, other than it being a great cause, was because so many of my teammates agreed to grow their face furniture out for the month as well.  I think the fans will get a kick out of seeing these guys turn into dashing, distinguished gentlemen in one month’s time.  For more information or to make a donation to Movember, please visit us.movember.com.  I also put a link to the site on stachegear.com and will be updating some great 'stache pics from around the locker room soon.

I am writing this entry somewhere over Oklahoma or maybe Indiana by now, I have no idea.  We just played the Dallas Stars and lost a heartbreaker, 2-1, snapping our seven-game standings point streak.  We have been playing some good hockey lately and there is plenty more to come.  I am particularly tired at the moment as I had a busy night.  I had two fights in the game, which tends to drain one’s energy, but certainly helps my penalty minutes lead (it can be tough with guys like Corey Perry on your team who somehow is always right behind me.)

It was nice to catch up with you all. Stay tuned this year and we’ll have some fun!

--George

George Parros shaves off his mustache for a good cause

The Ducks announced Wednesday that in an effort to raise funds and awareness for cancers affecting men, 13 of their players will grow mustaches in honor of “Movember.” Ducks right wing George Parros, who has gained notoriety for his signature mustache during his tenure in the NHL, is leading the charge during the 30-day mustache-growing movement in November. Parros will “start from scratch” by shaving and re-growing his moustache.
 
“My teammates and I are excited to join this great cause,” Parros said. “It’s a fun way to bring awareness to cancers affecting men. I look forward to seeing what kind of ‘staches our team can produce.”
 
Movember is an annual charity event during the month of November where men grow a moustache while raising funds and awareness for men’s health issues. 

Men are encouraged to register at www.movember.com and start with a clean-shaven face. For more details on the Anaheim Ducks participation and ways to contribute to “Movember”, please visit the Ducks “MoSpace page” at http://us.movember.com/mospace/983114/.

--Houston Mitchell

Photos: George Parros before (left) and after shaving. Credit: Ducks.

 

 

Enforcer Westgarth a nice tough guy

Off the ice, hockey enforcers tend to be among the most articulate and interesting people you’ll ever meet.

Kevin Westgarth, who will replace Raitis Ivanans as the Kings’ resident tough guy, is a Princeton graduate with a degree in psychology. Westgarth, who signed with the Kings as a free agent in 2007, blogged for The Hockey News last season and provided interesting insights into life in the minor leagues.

He used his fists to make a statement Tuesday in fighting Ducks enforcer George Parros, a fellow Princeton alum with a finance degree and a sometime Fabulous Forum blogger. According to The Sporting News, Parros is the fourth-smartest athlete in sports — and a South Bay neighbor of Westgarth’s.

The next night, they went out to dinner. Of course.

Westgarth said Thursday that he doesn't have the athletic bragging rights in his own household. He gave that honor to his fiancée, Meagan Cowher, daughter of former Pittsburgh Steelers coach Bill Cowher. The couple met at Princeton, where she played basketball and led the Ivy League in scoring twice and was the first player in the program to be a first-team all-league selection three times. They’ve set a wedding date for next summer.

“She’s actually the real athlete of the family. She’s the best player,” he said. “I’m looking forward to having kids and retiring on what they end up doing.”

Fourth line still has spots open

Kings Coach Terry Murray said he’s still deciding who will join Westgarth on the fourth line. Brad Richardson was slotted there until second-line left wing Scott Parse injured his groin and toe but Richardson lately has moved up alongside Jarret Stoll and Justin Williams. The fourth line in Thursday’s practice was Kyle Clifford, Brayden Schenn and Westgarth.

Richard Clune, Trevor Lewis, Andrei Loktionov and John Zeiler took turns on another line and remain in the mix for spots. Schenn and Clifford are 19 and would have to go back to their junior teams if they don’t make the Kings’ roster.

“With the young players still here, Schenn, Loktionov, I clearly want to use them while they’re here,” Murray said. “Clune and Zeiler and Lewis are here and I’ve got to play around with that and try to get the best looks that I possibly can.”

George Parros: It's an honor to be on the same team with Teemu Selanne

This last week or so has certainly proved eventful. In my last entry, I implored everyone to jump on our bandwagon and help steer it toward a playoff spot. I suppose I should have never mentioned playoffs because as hockey players, we are by nature superstitious and I may very well have jinxed us.
 
This is a very difficult pill to swallow. We are never going to give up but we know the odds are against us. There is nothing more miserable than failing to qualify for a playoff spot because there is nothing better in sports than NHL playoff hockey.
 
The bright side to our current situation is being able to play with a living legend as he attempts to make history. On March 21 against his old team (Colorado), Teemu Selanne scored his 600th NHL goal, making him only the 18th player in history to reach that milestone. He is now two goals away from passing his good buddy and fellow countryman Jari Kurri.
 
It was really cool to be a part of that game and take the ice with him in celebration. He is one of the classiest guys that I have ever played with. It was very reminiscent of a game I played in a few years ago when I wore the purple and black and got to celebrate Luc Robitaille's record-setting franchise goal. There are a lot of similarities between these two legends. They are two of the nicest and most positive guys that I have met. After the game against Colorado, we gave him a big ovation in the locker room and showed our respect for one of the true greats. These are the days that make this job one of the most rewarding jobs out there.

The Times is pleased to have Ducks enforcer George Parros blogging for us on the ups and downs of the NHL season.

Photo: Teemu Selanne of the Ducks poses with the puck and teammates who assisted his 600th career goal, Scott Niedermayer, left, and Corey Perry, that he made during the game against the Colorado Avalanche on March 21. Credit:  Debora Robinson/Getty Images. 

 
 

 

Selanne has a sprained shoulder, Getzlaf has an inflamed ankle, Parros has a cut on his head

Teemu Selanne has a slightly sprained left shoulder and Ryan Getzlaf has an inflammation of the left ankle, a Ducks spokesman said Monday, leaving the status of both forwards as day to day and making them questionable for the team's game against Chicago on Wednesday at the Honda Center.

Both were hurt during the Ducks' 4-2 victory Sunday over San Jose and each underwent an MRI exam today. Selanne is due to be re-evaluated on Tuesday. Getzlaf's test showed an inflammation in the ankle that he sprained a few days before the Olympics but showed no additional damage.

Enforcer George Parros, who was struck by a puck during Sunday's morning skate and suffered a bruise and cut on the side of his head, might practice on Tuesday and is expected to be available for Wednesday’s game.

In case one or more of those players can't play, the Ducks recalled left wing Kyle Calder from the Toronto Marlies of the American Hockey League.

Calder had two assists in 14 games this season with the Ducks. With the Marlies he had 11 goals and 24 points in 31 games, including three goals in his last two games.

-- Helene Elliott

Photo: Ducks winger Teemu Selanne (8) leaves the ice after crashing into the boards and spraining his left shoulder Sunday. Credit: Christine Cotter / Associated Press