National Hockey League roundup: Dubnyk, Wild blank Ducks

After four-plus mostly successful seasons with the Anaheim Ducks, coach Bruce Boudreau’s tenure in Southern California mighty be ending quietly. Minnesota will be aiming to add another victory to their winning streak overcoming the Jets, but let’s not forget that last season’s Jets vs. Wild head-to-head favours Winnipeg, as the Canadian team managed to win three of five games played.

No. 1 – Matt Dumba. They were whistled for four minor penalties in the first 11 minutes of the period, which prevented them from putting together any kind of offensive pressure to get themselves back in the game. He did not score his first goal of the season until his 10 game, got his fourth goal in Minnesota’s 29 game and seemed perfectly content to dish the puck to someone else.

Anaheim was the popular preseason pick to win the Stanley Cup after falling to Chicago in Game 7 of the Western Conference finals last season, but the slow start reportedly has caused general manager Bob Murray to lose his patience. “Human nature would dictate that it would. When you have the puck, that’s going to be good defense”. “A lot of guys play hurt, and I play hurt, too”. Like I’ve said earlier, you’re holding the stick so tight and you can’t make plays. “We have to be better and that’s the bottom line”. If the Ducks aren’t finishing the chances they create, they’re not creating many that they can finish.

After losing their first eight games, however, the start of this season became a nightmare for the Blue Jackets. Carter fired a wrist past Andersen while the goaltender was sliding across the crease.

Dumba almost doubled the Wild lead a minute later when he had a wide-open shot at the net, only to have Andersen swat the puck out of the air with a flailing stick save.

Shots on goal – Anaheim 3-6-6 15. The Ducks certainly have the pieces to ratify this in a hurry and put this ugly stretch behind them but a road match up against the Hawks isn’t exactly an easy recipe for success and while Chicago is without Duncan Keith the Hawks have won both games without him and are favoured to do it again here.

Needless to say, the Central Division is the arduous and the firmest division in the National Hockey League and, for this reason, scoring goals and obtaining victories have extra weight on all the division opponents. “You have to make sure that frustration doesn’t creep in”. “I’ve still feel I’ve got a little bit more, but it’s a good start so far”.

Coach Mike Yeo, the intense-but-composed mentor of the Wild, had walked the length of the bench to greet Carter with a fist bump of his own, a rare move from the bench boss. I’ve been through a few things like this during a year.

A short-handed goal by Carter late in the second period, capping a two-on-one rush to the net with right winger Justin Fontaine, made it 3-0.