EL SEGUNDO HERALD June 8, 2017 Page 5 Ducks Fly South for Summer By Adam Serrao Amidst all of the current hoopla surrounding the NBA Finals and Major League Baseball, there remains the long seemingly forgotten sport of hockey. Hockey always seems to get overshadowed by sports like basketball and baseball--but during that relative eclipse, local professional teams like the Los Angeles Kings and the Anaheim Ducks have their way of advancing into a Stanley Cup Final or two. While the Kings had their runs in 2012 and 2014, the Ducks’ last Cup victory was 10 years ago in 2007. Anaheim has come close to enjoying an appearance or two in the Final since then, but after being tracked and taken down by a predator this year, the Ducks find themselves left with nothing but empty hands and an offseason full of questions once again. Nothing quite gets Los Angeles buzzing like a postseason run through the playoffs by the Los Angeles Kings. Bars are packed, banners are flying, and every game that Dustin Brown, Drew Doughty, Anze Kopitar and Jonathan Quick take the ice becomes an event. The Ducks, on the other hand, came and went from this year’s Stanley Cup playoffs without creating much of a buzz in L.A. at all. Sure, Anaheim made it into the conference finals to face off against this year’s Stanley Cup participant, the Nashville Predators. With that most precious spot in the Final up for grabs, though, the Ducks admittedly failed to execute in positions that mattered the most on a continuous basis. “I don’t think our compete level was where it needed to be,” Ducks captain Ryan Getzlaf explained after a pivotal Game 5 loss at home. “I think they came out and worked harder than we did in the second and third periods. That was the difference in the hockey game.” That turned out to be the difference in the series and in Anaheim’s season as well. The Predators went on to obtain a 6-3 win in Game 6 of the series to clinch a victory in the Western Conference Finals and advance to the Stanley Cup Final for the first time in their 18-year existence. The Ducks didn’t go down without a fight, but for the second time in three years the team ultimately skated off of the ice with the same empty feeling of a season without a Stanley Cup that they are seemingly getting ever so used to nowadays. “This is the worst feeling in hockey,” Getzlaf said once his team’s history was finally burnt into the record books. “The season’s over and you’re not winning the Cup. It doesn’t matter what round it is. It still hurts.” With injuries across the roster and a goalie in Jonathan Bernier who was making his first career playoff start, Anaheim put together a valiant effort in an impressive comeback attempt that tied Game 6 at 3-3. Nashville’s speed and execution were ultimately too much for a Ducks team that, despite their grit, wound up taking a 6-3 loss. “There’s a lot of fight in this room,” a dejected Corey Perry related. “This one’s going to sting for a while,” he said, surely echoing the sentiments of all Ducks fans alike. There is certainly no reason to believe that the Ducks don’t have the team structure to remain competitive next season, but with every loss shy of the Stanley Cup Final also comes the inevitable call for change. With the expansion draft waiting in the wings, the Ducks face the real possibility that they may not be able to keep all of their top blueliners. Kevin Bieksa is a player who has been mentioned in trade talks, but he has a no-movement clause built into his contract. Great defensive players like Hampus Lindholm and Sami Vatanen will be sidelined for extended periods of time that could bleed into the beginning of next year’s regular season, which could make them available to other teams on the trade market as well. That being said, an already difficult Anaheim offseason may be even more challenging than originally planned. If none of the aforementioned players on the roster become available, the Ducks may have to look into moving a player like Cam Fowler who, despite having his best season in skates, still had subpar possession numbers this past year. Fowler could be difficult to fit under the cap in future years, so don’t be surprised if Anaheim tries to move him in a trade now. If not Fowler, then Josh Manson could also fit into a possible trade scenario that would work out for Anaheim in the long run. No matter what happens in the offseason to the roster, the fact remains that last year’s Anaheim Ducks came close, but simply didn’t have enough to reach the Stanley Cup Final. One way or another, the Ducks will be forced to lose at least one quality player on the roster, forcing the team to take a different look into its chase for the Cup next season. As the NHL season officially winds down, Anaheim is now left sitting at home to watch Nashville--the team that beat them--face off against the Pittsburgh Penguins in what has already been an extremely exciting Stanley Cup Final. Instead of the Ducks, there are two other squads battling it out to decide the league’s best hockey team once again. – Asixlion@earthlink.net • El Segundo Little League Crowns Champions By Gregg McMullin The El Segundo Little League wrapped up its 63rd season with Championship Saturday that crowned the league champions in the AA, AAA and Major divisions. It was a day to crown champions and to celebrate another memorable Little League season in El Segundo. The day started with the AA Division and the Red Sox defeating the Angels 9-3. Then the Angels outscored the Cubs 13-7 and the Dodgers came from behind to defeat the Orioles 8-7. It was another successful season that seems to have flown by way too quickly. In years to come, the memories will linger of the past four months of practices and games, sitting in the bitter cold at games at Center Street School or in the stands at Brett Field. And who will forget visiting the snack bar and ordering up some of Staci Sperber-McEwan’s newest menu items? Over the last four months, there were no losers--only winners with dirty uniforms, precious smiles and plenty of memories to last a lifetime. The crowds for championship games seem to grow beyond those of the regular season. In the AA Division, the Red Sox and Angels had a huge crowd that was boisterous in a great way of support. In the AAA game, the large crowd of fans and supporters was just as impressive. The numbers increased for the Major Division game and fans lined the outfield fence to see the most exciting matchup of the day. Red Sox Win AA Division The Angels got to Red Sox starter Heath Shoepe for two runs to start the game. The Red Sox countered with five runs of their own in the first inning, including an RBI by Carson Puffer. In the second inning, Cole Davidson and Ollie Owen drew walks. Camden Quaintance then hit a blistering ground ball that was fielded by Ryan Wiacek to end the inning. The Red Sox scored four more in the second inning to essentially put the game away. Constantine Goumas walked and later scored on an RBI by Grant Ostler. Austin Northington walked and scored on an RBI single by Wiacek to make it 7-2. Jameson DuPertuis drew a seven-pitch walk, Shane Simbeck was hit by a pitch for an RBI and Dryce King had an RBI to make it 9-2. The Angels, hoping to rally, scored one run in the third inning. Dylan Stenberg clobbered a double in the left-centerfield gap and later scored on Lukas Da Silva’s RBI single to make it 9-3. Quaintance came on to pitch for the Angels in the third and struck out the side. In the fourth inning, Wiacek moved from shortstop to the mound for the Red Sox. He ended the hopes of the Angels by striking out the side and giving his team the AA championship. Angels Too Much for Cubs and Win AAA Crown The Angels had the most wins during the regular season and outscored their opponents by 50 runs during the year. So it was logical See Little League, page 8
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