Sometimes, things play out as are expected. Sometimes the predictors are all correct, and the tension is let out of the room, and nothing can stop that momentum from carrying things to a final known destination.

Don’t know what I am talking about? Here is a quote from Earl Sleek at his post before today’s game at The Battle of California:

You might think that I’m confident about the Ducks’ chances tonight against the 14th-ranked Thrashers, but don’t forget: the Ducks have lost their last three games against teams ranked 14th or worse. Anytime they feel like bucking that trend, I’m ready to support that.

They did not buck that trend tonight, losing to the Thrashers 8-4. Before the game, I was lamenting not going with the ticket upgrade for better seats (my seats were cheaper than Doug Stanhope’s dates, ZING!). But after what we witnessed, the pain of the game would have only been closer to see.

And even though the genius of Mr. Sleek has already been on display here, it wasn’t over. As the game sat with sixteen shots for the Ducks, Earl said that the seventeenth shot would be “glorious.” And the Ducks scored on that shot. And then, cool as ice, Sleek said the nineteenth shot would be excellent. And the Ducks scored on that one. Everyone who heard his predictions looked at him with our mouths open. All of us looked like Tyler Arnason only we could probably win faceoffs. Sleek called the shots. I was planning to phone him with his predictions before the Kentucky Derby, but his next one didn’t hit. Still, two out of three is good enough for the ponies, and was good enough for me.

Let me say this about Mr. Earl Sleek. He was great. It’s always strange when you meet someone for the first time that you only know from their blog. You wonder if you will have anything else to talk about other than hockey. You wonder if they are going to be closet cases, head jobs, or just plain droll. Earl was one of a handful of bloggers I talked to a lot when I started Jerseys and Hockey Love. He was a lot of fun online, and always good for some chat. Then the season started, and we all had to follow our own teams, and like the old gang at the soda shop, we went our separate ways. It was good to finally meet the man who leads the best “battle blog” out there, and I’m glad that Mirtle was smart enough to pick him and his crew up. I was not disappointed.

Enough of that, on with the show.

I hadn’t been to the Honda Center since it was Arrowhead Pond and the Ducks were Mighty. Not much has changed, except the entire color scheme.

This guy was freaking me out.

He did repel from the rafters (grid) but didn’t have a very smooth landing. Who am I to criticize? He had to land on hockey skates. That can’t be easy.

No, the scoreboard is not on fire.

Fuzzy GM will… do something EVIL!!!! Yeah!!!

He looks a little too relaxed for what is about to happen.

Now this is Ducks hockey.

More after the break.

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