PEAKING DUCKS?
Look at the recent results and you'd have to say, yeah, these guys
are at the top of their game. And while some of the wins have left
a little to be desired -- the LA and Nashville victories were
uninspired -- others have been of the breakthrough variety. Start
with the win over Detroit, whom the Ducks had not managed to beat
since the 1996-97 campaign despite putting forth several
competitive performances. It just seemed that the Wings always had
Anaheim's number. But no more.
Defining moments might also be found in the sweep of conference foe
San Jose. Anaheim spared no mercy on consecutive nights, and used
the series as a springboard to further separate themselves from the
dregs of the West. Craig Hartsburg later said that, henceforth, the
Ducks should be looking ahead in the standings to see whom they
might catch, rather than behind them to see whom they should fear.
The Detroit win was a franchise-record seventh in a row for the
Ducks, who are 13-3 in their past 16 games and currently sitting at
five games above .500 -- another franchise first. More
impressively, the combination of Anaheim's run and Detroit's recent
woes has left the Ducks just one point behind the Red Wings in the
Western Conference standings. You can read that sentence again, if
you like, just for the unexpected thrill. And as for Phoenix, whose
cerebrally lacking head coach recently opined that he had points to
waste in pursuit of physical revenge against Anaheim for earlier
perceived offenses, their standings lead has dwindled to three
little points. At this point, the Ducks seem a real threat to earn
home ice advantage in the playoffs.
HOW? WHY?
How did it happen, this recent run of success? Well, regular readers
of this column will know that it was our unending faith in the
offensively stalled veterans -- Green, McInnis, Sandstrom -- who
would be the key to Anaheim's turnaround.
You're not buying it? Okay. I'll give. I didn't think we'd ever hear
from those boys again in any significant manner. But I'll also give
credit where credit is due: They're chipping in. When Steve Rucchin
went down with a broken nose (Nashville) and concussion (San Jose),
Travis Green stepped into the breach and performed well. McInnis has
been potting the odd goal, and Sandstrom -- his wrist finally strong
again -- has points in 10 of the last 14 games (5-9-14).
Moreover, the continued dominance of Anaheim's special teams --
first in the league on the power play, at 21.8% prior to the
Detroit game -- has meant everything. Anaheim has scored a
power-play goal in 45 of the past 55 games, and put up great
shorthanded numbers (85% kills) to boot. Not only has that provided
a scoring boost in and of itself, but fear of the power play
(typically featuring Kariya, Selanne, Rucchin and Frederick
Olausson, currently contending to be the top-scoring defenseman in
the league), has caused opposing teams to think twice about being
over-aggressive at even strength.
Then, of course, there's Guy. Hebert has continued to be a rock in
the net, going 5-0 with a 1.00 GAA and .968 save percentage over
the past five games.
TEEMING TEEMU
Whenever the Ducks are doing well, some of those following the team
become compelled to make a case for Teemu Selanne as MVP. Yes,
Kariya's contributions are immense. And yes, without Hebert these
guys would be going nowhere. But Teemu is so important to this
team, it's impossible to imagine them accomplishing anything close
to their current success without him.
Start with the numbers. Selanne has a 16-game point streak
(14-14-28), good for a franchise record and second-longest in the
NHL this season -- Eric Lindros ran off an 18-game streak. (Our
money says Teemu busts that number with his eyes closed, and if he
doesn't, it's only because Dallas shuts out the Ducks on March 12.)
In the set against San Jose, Teemu figured in each of Anaheim's
seven goals over two nights (3- 1 and 4-1 victories), and notched
his 300th goal in just his 464th game -- sixth-fastest in NHL
history.
But the numbers only tell part of the story for the NHL's most
recent Player of the Month and Player of the Week. Selanne is a
bull who cannot be intimidated, will not get depressed if things
aren't going well, and can spark the team to a turnaround when need
be. It's laughable to think that this player's desire to win could
ever have been questioned -- simply because of his sunny-side-up
personality -- or that he could once have been had for Oleg
Tverdovsky and Chad Kilger. But beyond Jaromir Jagr in Pittsburgh,
it's hard for this observer to imagine anyone being more important
to his team -- on or off the ice -- than Selanne is to the Ducks.
And if the Ducks "do any damage" (as Teemu likes to say) in the
playoffs, the NHL will be handed as charismatic a player as they've
ever had in the national spotlight.
COMING UP
Four of the next five come against conference foes -- Vancouver,
Dallas, Phoenix and LA. The Dallas and Phoenix games figure to be
huge; the former as a yardstick of Anaheim's progress, the latter
as a measure of the team's desire to nab home ice from Schoenfeld
and the rival Coyotes.
