While we all contemplate Teemu Selanne's abilities as a Scanner as he concentrates on Dubya during Anaheim's White House visit, a quick question: Who in their right mind doesn't consider the Ducks to be a prime contender in the Western Conference right now? The answer is Allan Muir of Sports Illustrated. Even with the return of Niedermayer and Selanne (is he better than Pau Gasol?), even with Sammy Pahlsson on the horizon, color Muir unimpressed with the Ducks' chemistry:
Last year's team played like starving dogs, tracking down the puck as if it were a hunk of meat. Intensity and relentless physicality made the Ducks the league's most frightening date on the schedule. This year? They're still big and strong, but they're not as ferocious on the forecheck. That's led to fewer scoring chances, a fact borne out by their standing as the meekest offense of any team holding a playoff spot in either conference.
The absence of Selanne and the traded Andy McDonald has diminished the effectiveness of alternate captain Chris Kunitz and left Anaheim without reliable secondary scoring. Francois Beauchemin, overworked and overextended, is a shadow of the player he was last season. And the lack of a right-handed triggerman has meant the power play, so critical to Anaheim's success last season, has floundered when the first unit is off the ice.To Muir's credit, he does believe that Anaheim could still right the ship depending on whom Brian Burke brings in at the trade deadline. But the notion that the Ducks have been biding their time until the veterans returned -- a belief I thought was rather widely held in hockey circles -- seems lost on him. Anaheim's in a postseason slot, it's getting its troops back, it's the defending champion; how on Earth can the Ducks be written off?
The timing of this column is rather baffling. Selanne's been back for one game -- a win, snapping a six-game skid -- and his impact on the offense could be formidable. While Doug Weight's been a bust since coming over from the Blues, Selanne's made more than a few center look damn good during his career. His addition to the lineup creates a scoring depth sorely missing for the last several months. We're talking about a player who scored 23 points from Feb. 15 to March 18 last season. Say, what's today's date?
Selanne's biggest impact could be on special teams. The Ducks are wallowing at 20th in the League with the man advantage; Selanne had 48 (!) points on the power-play last season -- more than Dustin Penner scored in every situation combined over 82 games.
The Ducks are at MSG tonight, and then it's a Niedermayer homecoming game in Newark against the Devils on Friday. Both they and the Red Wings will be in their third game in four days when they meet on Sunday for NBC's national game. And I've got to agree with the Peacock's Mike Milbury: "These two teams are the gold standard by which all others are judged."
