From March 30, 2006

For a game that featured few shots, fewer scoring chances, and one team playing the trap, Wednesday's Anaheim at Dallas game was strangely intriguing.

En route to a 2-1 win, the Stars outshot the Ducks 29-16 and spent much of the night playing a trapping style designed to stymie the potent Anaheim forecheck. Scoring chances were as rare as a Tim Horton's in Texas, yet the stat that tells the story comes a few columns later.

Hits.

Anaheim 49, Dallas 41.

The hits came early and often, and some of them were massive. Ducks' defenseman Vitaly Vishnevski threw 7 hits, while Dallas blueliner Philippe Boucher was credited with 10 hits.

The most significant hit in the game, however, came at the 15:39 mark of the second period when Boucher leveled Anaheim star Teemu Selanne at the blueline with a hard hit. With no enforcers on the ice, diminutive Chris Kunitz came to Selanne's defense, going after Boucher. Dallas tough guy Jeremy Stevenson stepped in, but Kunitz was undeterred, going into the face of both much larger players.

A scrum ensued, and referees Don Koharski and Dan Marouelli gave the extra minor to Kunitz. A questionable call? Perhaps. A bad penalty for Kunitz to take? Definitely not.

Kunitz sent a message to the Stars and the rest of the NHL heading into the playoffs -- touch Selanne, and you will pay. Even if there is no enforcer on the ice, the Ducks once again proved they will protect Selanne.

On the way to the bench after the scrum, Dallas defenseman Willie Mitchell had some words for Selanne from the safety of the Stars' bench. Mitchell was not nearly as talkative on the next shift when he was challenged by Ducks' heavyweight Todd Fedoruk. Mitchell and Fedoruk were given coincidental minors, and the specter of a more intense rematch remains with two more games between the clubs in the next week.

Although the Stars scored the winning goal on the power play following the penalty to Kunitz, the much bigger message was sent, and it needed to be sent. The Ducks will not be pushed around, and they will protect Selanne at any cost.

Nine days earlier, the Ducks proved that theory, once again in Dallas. When Joe DiPenta felt Steve Ott's hit on Selanne was borderline, DiPenta dropped the gloves with Ott. Although it was DiPenta's first fight of the year and Ott is a noted heavyweight, DiPenta fought Ott to a draw.

From that point on, the Ducks dominated the game, scoring two third period goals to win 2-1. There was another difference in that game, however, and that was the forecheck.

Anaheim was relentless on the forecheck all night, and it was the primary reason for the win. Samuel Pahlsson's forecheck caused Janne Niinimaa to cough up the puck with just over three minutes remaining in that game, and Pahlsson turned that miscue into the game winner.

Dallas made two adjustments this time around. First of all, Niinimaa was a healthy scratch, as he has been every game since the turnover. Secondly, the Stars played a trapping style, standing up the Ducks at the blueline and largely negating the Ducks' forecheck.

As a result, the game was devoid of the end-to-end action and scoring chances of Anaheim's game the night before in Colorado. Dallas' style of play Wednesday may have been boring to watch, but it was certainly effective.

When the two teams meet again Friday night at the Pond, it will be the Ducks' turn to make adjustments. Selanne got a measure of revenge on Mitchell as time ran down, giving Mitchell a thunderous hit to the left of Dallas goaltender Marty Turco. Another scrum ensued, and another message was sent.

Anaheim coach Randy Carlyle will almost certainly move Fedoruk back to the top line with Selanne and Andy McDonald. Fedoruk has seen limited action on that line since the Olympic break, and the trio has looked impressive. More importantly, Fedoruk acts as a protector for Selanne, much the same way Dave Semenko and Marty McSorley did for Wayne Gretzky.

If Fedoruk moves to the top line, look for Chris Kunitz to join fellow rookies Ryan Getzlaf and Corey Perry on the Kid Line. In limited action, that line has also been very impressive as a unit.

Regardless of any adjustments, two things are certain. One, the "Star"-Spangled Banner will not be played at the Pond, as the Ducks prefer to play America the Beautiful or God Bless America when the "Stars" are in town. The second certainty is another hard-fought, physical, battle in the trenches between these two teams.

The end-to-end rushes might not be there, but there is plenty of bad blood between the two teams. And when it comes down to it, either style of play creates excitement for the fans.

From March 26, 2006

Five games, seven nights, four time zones.

It sounds like something out of the Ultimate Hockey Fan Road Trip, but for the Anaheim Ducks, it was anything but a vacation.

At the peak of the NHL Western Conference playoff gridlock, the Ducks finally got a chance to play some of their much-talked about games in hand. But did they all have to come at once?

Sunday in Columbus, the next night in Dallas. Wednesday at home against Colorado, followed by Nashville in town two nights later. Finally, a weekend sojourn to Phoenix, just for good measure.

To summarize, during the week that would likely define their season, the Ducks played five games spread over the league's four time zones. Either someone at the NHL office failed to consult a map, or someone there had a bad experience at Disneyland as a kid.

As if the schedule was not enough, the Ducks added a certain degree of difficulty to each game. The Ducks fell behind 3-1 in the second period at Columbus. Midway through the third in Dallas, Anaheim trailed 1-0. Before the game was 15 minutes old against the Avalanche, Colorado was up 3-0. Nashville came into the Pond and took a 1-0 first period lead. After an understandably sluggish start in Phoenix, the Ducks were down 1-0 midway through the opening stanza.

The end result? A 5-0-0 record for the week and sole possession of fifth place in the Western Conference.

Not bad for a team that started the week outside of the playoffs.

It sounds like something out of a movie, but would anyone really name a movie "The Mighty Ducks?"

Oh, wait a minute......

For those who have not noticed, the "Anaheim Steamroller" is operating at full force. Since late November, the Ducks have the second-best record in the West, trailing only Detroit. After a slow start away from the Pond, the Ducks have dominated on the road, posting one of the league's best road records.

When Anaheim hired general manager Brian Burke prior to the season, past history suggested he would bring a culture of winning to the traditionally mediocre franchise.

Nobody thought it would happen this fast.

Coming into the season, the Ducks had a lot of question marks, and a sluggish opening month and a half had many observers thinking the playoffs were a year or two away. When Brian Burke traded high-priced center Sergei Fedorov to Columbus for defenseman Francois Beauchemin and journeyman Tyler Wright, many people thought it was merely a salary dump.

Those who were watching closer, however, knew otherwise. Columbus visited the Pond in early October, and Beauchemin was arguably the best player on the ice for the Blue Jackets. In the second period alone, he made two excellent defensive plays, one preventing a sure Anaheim goal.

Burke and the Ducks' pro scouting staff must have taken notice. Shortly after arriving in Anaheim, Beauchemin was paired with defending Norris Trophy winner Scott Niedermayer on the blueline. The two have been inseparable since, forming what might be the NHL's best defensive tandem.

The moves did not stop, or start, with that deal, however. Since the Ducks last took the ice before the lockout, the team has parted ways with Steve Rucchin, Keith Carney, Sandis Ozolinsh, Petr Sykora, Niclas Havelid, and Kurt Sauer.

Replacing those faces, some of which were long-time Ducks, are names like Beauchemin, Todd Marchant, Todd Fedoruk, Corey Perry, Ryan Getzlaf, Jeff Friesen, Jonathan Hedstrom, Joe Dipenta, Sean O'Donnell, and Travis Moen.

Oh, right. There is a name or two missing from that list.

Everyone knew Scott Niedermayer would make a huge impact on the Ducks. For the past decade, he has been one of the premier defensemen in the NHL, and landing him was a significant sign the Ducks were on the right path. In joining his brother Rob, Scott also stepped into a situation that immediately felt like home.

The signing of Teemu Selanne, however, was not expected to make as big of an impact. Hobbled by nagging injuries, Selanne posted a career-low 16 goals and 32 points in 78 games with Colorado in 2003-04.

The lockout-induced one-year hiatus from hockey did wonders for Selanne, as that gave him time for the necessary surgeries and recovery time to get his Hall of Fame career back on track. The results have been staggering.

Selanne was a long-time fan favorite during his first tour of duty in Anaheim, and nothing has been different this time. Through 68 games this season, Selanne has been the key to Anaheim's offensive success, pacing the team with 33 goals and posting a team-high 74 points.

Selanne's linemate, Andy McDonald, has had a career season. Playing with the Finnish Flash, McDonald has 28 goals and 68 points through 70 games, numbers that more than double his previous career highs. Nobody has benefited from Selanne's presence more than the hard-working McDonald, and it shows in his on-ice confidence.

As if things were not optimistic enough in Duckland, more changes are on the way. The Ducks will drop "Mighty" from the team's name, and will simply be known as the Anaheim Ducks. No longer the only pro sports team to start with the nickname instead of the city name (Mighty Ducks of Anaheim), the Ducks will also announce new colors and a new logo prior to the 2006-07 season.

If the Ducks continue their current pace, the other change could be routine sellouts at the Pond. Anaheim is as entertaining as any NHL team, and it is hard to bet against their chances in the post-season.

A new GM, a new name, new jerseys, new players. The only thing that would make the picture more complete is new championship banners in the Pond.

The way the Ducks are playing, do not bet against that happening.