Ducks-Hawks Game 3, Anaheim’s new D duo, Hossa and Babcock.

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Was it just me, or did the marathon Game 2 between Anaheim and Chicago return a killer hangover?

Game 3 was sloppy, and while there were plenty of chances, the puck always seemed at odds with everyone.

Honestly, at times my own head hurt watching.

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There was a lot of praise for Simon Despres Thursday, and a few rambles back, Dobber talked about him, too. His strong play for the Ducks makes sense. When you join a deep team and pair with Cam Fowler, it works.

Considering the defense crew he was running with in Pittsburgh, it is a huge upgrade and maybe shouldn’t be that surprising, especially given his pedigree.

Plus, Fowler looks incredible, and he has played nearly flawless during the second season, hasn’t he?
The pairing is clicking, and they’re a combined plus-17. Say what you will about the flaws surrounding plus/minus, and there are plenty, but the guys on the bench know leaving dash-free is important. Plus, they both sit with a goal and six helpers over 12 playoff games.

They’ve primarily matched up against Patrick Kane, Brad Richards and Bryan Bickell this series, and the trio tallied for the first time Thursday. It was a rather fluky goal, too. Three Ducks avoided running into each other after a poor attempted pass from Richards to Kane. It was a sitting meatball for Kane.  There is a video clip below.