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sportsWIRE Clash of the Coasts Game Story Collection : January 31-Februrary 2, 2000

(To Leave, go to page bottom : Links in stories might not work)

Los Angeles Times : Dynamic Duo for Ducks Finding Its Stride Again

ELLIOTT TEAFORD , Times Staff Writer

BOSTON -- It's not simple. It's not effortless. It only looks that way when Paul Kariya and Teemu Selanne work their offensive magic as they have the last two weeks.

Kariya and Selanne each scored twice and had two assists Monday in the Mighty Ducks' 4-2 victory against the overmatched Boston Bruins at the FleetCenter.

Ho-hum. So what else is new?

At the moment, there is no hotter one-two punch in the NHL than Kariya and Selanne.

Kariya has a six-game goal streak and Selanne a five-game streak, the longest by teammates since Josef Beranek and Eric Lindros had six-game streaks for the Philadelphia Flyers in October 1993.

"I'll jump on their backs any time," goalie Guy Hebert said of his scalding teammates.

If this keeps up, the Ducks will no longer be a struggling team. They will once again be among the top teams in the NHL's Western Conference.

Monday's victory was the 10th-place Ducks' second in a row on a four-game trip. Kariya had two goals and Selanne one in a 7-1 rout Saturday of the Pittsburgh Penguins.

It's the Ducks' first winning streak since they won four in a row in December. They are 5-11-2 since the streak ended Dec. 22, however.

Desperation has played a role in the team's turnaround. A conversation between Kariya, Selanne and Coach Craig Hartsburg a few weeks ago also helped.

"We've been playing good two-way hockey all year," Kariya said. "Maybe there was some miscommunication with Craig. He sat us down and told us, 'You guys have a little more [offensive freedom]. Make some plays out there.' "

That was all Kariya and Selanne needed to hear. They've been shredding opponents since the meeting, which Kariya said took place a couple of weeks ago.

Kariya has 10 goals and five assists during his streak and Selanne has six goals and five assists during his. Kariya and Selanne have scored 16 of the Ducks' last 22 goals.

"Craig gave us a little more [freedom] and we've tried to open it up a little bit," Selanne said.

Center Steve Rucchin's return from an 11-game absence because of a staph infection in his left ankle hasn't hurt the all-star wingers either. Rucchin had an assist Monday, giving him a four-game assist streak since rejoining the lineup.

But this was not merely a two-man effort.

Hebert made 20 saves, giving up a first-period goal to Joe Thornton and a third-period score to Anson Carter.

Defenseman Oleg Tverdovsky had two assists, giving him one goal and seven assists during a season-best five-game points streak. Tverdovsky has 27 points this season, topping his 1998-99 total of 25.

"Their best players played better than our best players," Boston Coach Pat Burns said.

And no one was better than Kariya and Selanne.

Kariya's deflection of Rucchin's shot gave the Ducks a 1-0 lead 3:53 into the game. Thornton tied the score at 5:12. But Kariya set up Selanne for power-play goals at 9:34 and 14:44, each pass a pinpoint cross-ice feed that had many in the announced crowd of 15,689 cheering.

After Carter closed the gap to 3-2 with 10:40 left in the game, Kariya scored from the slot as a Duck power play expired with 4:50 remaining.

"When they got their goal in the third, our guys got stronger," Hartsburg said.

Boston Hearld : Bruins' effort just yucky: Mighty disappointing in loss to Anaheim
by Karen Guregian

Tuesday, February 1, 2000

Just when you think the Bruins are going to snap out of their midseason funk, they toss out a clunker that makes you wonder if they're ever going to right the ship.

Somewhere during the Amazing Paul Kariya and Teemu Selanne Show, the Black 'n' Gold lost whatever momentum they had gained in recent outings, specifically Saturday night's shutout of Buffalo.

Last night's 4-2 setback to the Anaheim Mighty Ducks - or rather the two-man band scoring all the goals - zapped all the positives and re-emphasized all the negatives surrounding the Bruins. Such as:

They can't win at home;

They can't score;

They can't kill penalties;

They aren't listening to direction;

They just aren't very good.

Whatever reservoir of confidence and good will they built up after their well-played victory Saturday in the wake of owner Jeremy Jacobs' blast at the team and coaching staff disappeared last night faster than you can say power-play goal.

While Kariya (two goals and two assists) and Selanne (two goals and two assists) were dynamite to watch, the B's didn't make enough of an effort to stop them.

``We weren't very good,'' B's coach Pat Burns said matter-of-factly following the game. ``Their best players were better than our best players. If you let Kariya and Selanne do what they did, they're going to beat you every time.''

In at least two cases, they let Kariya and Selanne do their thing by taking stupid penalties.

Five-on-five is tough enough trying to contain them. But short-handed? The way the Bruins, the league's worst penalty-killing team, has fought off man advantages?

It was a cakewalk for the duo, who have an incredible chemistry on the ice.

``When we are hungry, we have the feeling that nobody can stop us,'' said Selanne.

``When we play that way, we are a dynamite combination.''

Both of Selanne's goals last night came on the power play, on remarkable cross-ice feeds from the red-hot Kariya, who has 10 goals and five assists in his last six games.

``We didn't kill penalties very good,'' said Burns, whose team fell behind 3-1 in the first period. ``We didn't force them at all. We just went into a box, and it was a shoot-off. If you do that, you're going to give up too many chances. You have to jump and force them. We've been doing that lately. We didn't do that tonight.''

While Joe Thornton (No. 13), and Anson Carter (No. 21) netted first- and third-period goals, respectively, it really wasn't a close game.

``We're all disappointed. Not just me,'' Burns said. ``I think the whole team is. To get some kind of consistency going after playing not only the last game, but the last couple . . . This is probably one of our real bad games in the last eight or nine. We really didn't show tonight. At least in the past, we kept it close and put up a better fight. At 3-1, it was basically over.''

Now, the B's have to face Eastern Conference foes Ottawa (tonight at the Corel Centre), and Toronto (Thursday at the FleetCenter) before the All-Star break.

``We're all (still) searching for answers here,'' B's goalie Byron Dafoe said. ``This wasn't a very good effort, especially after a big win against Buffalo the other night. Once again, we're struggling at home. The good thing is, we're on the road. So we'll regroup.''

Or, it'll just be another tease.

Boston Herald : Ducks trio too powerful
by Rich Thompson

Tuesday, February 1, 2000

You can't keep a good power play down for long.

That's the hard fact of timing that befelled the Bruins' penalty killers in last night's 4-2 loss to the Anaheim Mighty Ducks at the FleetCenter.

Putting the brakes on a high-powered line like the Mighty Ducks' trio of left winger Paul Kariya (two goals, two assists) right winger Teemu Selanne (two goals, two assists) and center Steve Rucchin (one assist) is a difficult assignment when the teams are at equal strength. Give that threesome the open space to set up with a man in the penalty box and the pressure to keep them in check can be abnormal.

The Mighty Ducks had the NHL's best power play last season by converting on 83-of-378 opportunities (22 percent). Going into last night's game, the Ducks' power play was just 22-of-200 (11 percent), one of the worst in the league.

The Mighty Ducks last night broke out of their funk by scoring two power-play goals and a third tally just five seconds after Dave Andreychuk's two-minute sentence for elbowing expired.

The Bruins' checking line of Joe Thornton, Rob DiMaio and P.J. Axelsson did an adequate job holding down the Ducks' big line when they played even up. They, however, had problems maintaining the pace when the Bruins were shorthanded.

``When they are at the top of the their game, I'll tell you what, there are not two better players in the league than (Kariya and Selanne),'' said DiMaio. ``They have been playing together for a long time and they have a lot of chemistry.

``They struggled earlier in the year I heard, but now they are clicking and they beat us tonight, that's what happened. On the power plays, we gave them too many opportunities to set up and we weren't aggressive.

``They will pick you apart when you're that way.''

Selanne scored consecutive power-play goals at 9:34 and 14:44 to give the Mighty Ducks a 3-1 lead after one.

Bruins coach Pat Burns didn't place the blame on his checking line even though the B's prepared for the Mighty Ducks' big three during yesterday's morning skate.

``They tried to check them as best they could, but they got power plays,'' said Burns. ``I thought they did the best they could.''

FOX Sports : Anaheim 4, Boston 2 02/01/00 12:50:22 AM GAME SUMMARY | RECAP

CNNSI.com : Mighty Ducks down Bruins 4-2

Selanne, Kariya both score in fifth straight game

Posted: Monday January 31, 2000 10:56 PM

BOSTON (AP) -- Teemu Selanne and Paul Kariya made it clear that they're the best one-two punch in hockey.

Selanne and Kariya each scored two goals -- the fifth straight game they've both scored -- as the Anaheim Mighty Ducks beat the Boston Bruins 4-2 on Monday night.

Selanne and Kariya, who also had two assists each, are the first teammates to score in five consecutive games since Eric Lindros and Josef Beranek of Philadelphia scored in six straight in October 1993.

"When we are hungry, we have the feeling that nobody can stop us," said Selanne, who scored off two perfect passes from Kariya. "When we play that way, we are a dynamite combination."

Before the current stretch of five straight, the pair hadn't scored in the same contest in 33 games.

Anaheim is 35-6-9 when Selanne and Kariya score in the same game, but just 3-3-2 this season. The two stars have scored 39.4 percent of the Ducks' goals (52-of-131) this season.

On Saturday night, Kariya had two goals and an assist and Selanne added a goal as the Mighty Ducks beat Pittsburgh 7-1 to snap a three-game winless streak.

"Coach [Craig] Hartsburg set Teemu and I down and gave us more rope," Kariya said. "He said we were being too conservative, and now we are just playing our game."

Joe Thornton and Anson Carter scored for Boston, which snapped its longest home winless stretch since 1962 (0-5-4) with a 1-0 victory over Buffalo on Saturday. The Bruins haven't won consecutive home games since winning four in a row in early November.

"Their best players were better than our best players," Boston coach Pat Burns said. "If you let Kariya and Selanne do what they want, its tough."

Anaheim broke a 1-1 tie on Selanne's power-play goal 9:34 into the opening period. Kariya fired a perfectly placed cross-ice pass from the right wing to Selanne, who one-timed a shot past Byron Dafoe from the bottom of the left circle.

The two teamed up again on another power play 5:10 later. Kariya, positioned along the left boards, sent a pinpoint pass to Selanne at the top of the crease. He banged home his 22nd goal of the season.

The Mighty Ducks were only 4-for-70 on the power play before scoring two goals in their win against Pittsburgh.

"Paul's vision of the ice on both goals was exceptional," Hartsburg said. "There are not too many guys that would see someone open on the other side of the net under those circumstances."

Selanne fed Kariya for his 30th goal of the season with just under five minutes left in the third period, making it 4-2. Kariya has scored in six straight.

Dafoe, who faced just 25 shots, felt it's the pair's play-making ability that makes them so dangerous.

"There's no question that when they're on the ice, they make something happen," Dafoe said. "Those guys are very talented. They create things on their own."

The Bruins had cut it to 3-2 on Carter's team-leading 21st goal midway into the third period.

The Mighty Ducks moved ahead 1-0 when Kariya tipped Steve Rucchin's shot between Dafoe's pad 3:54 into the period.

Boston tied it 80 seconds later when Thornton completed a 3-on-1 break by redirecting Rob DiMaio's cross-ice pass past Guy Hebert.

Boston Bruins Official Website : BOSTON (Ticker) -- Paul Kariya and Teemu Selanne are heating up and they're trying to take the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim along for the ride. Kariya and Selanne both had two goals and two assists to extend scoring streaks as the Ducks held on for a 4-2 victory over the Boston Bruins, who continue to struggle at home.

Kariya extended his goal-scoring streak to a career-high six games, while Selanne tallied for the fifth straight contest. The Ducks also got 20 saves from Guy Hebert and have posted consecutive road wins for the first time since December 15-26. "Teemu and Paul had a great game. But I think the rest of our team played pretty well, too," Anaheim coach Craig Hartsburg said. "I think that's what makes us real successful. When our big two are strong and we get good play around them, it makes us tough to beat."

Overall, Anaheim is 3-2-1 during Kariya's streak, moving within one point of the final Western Conference playoff berth. "Craig told us around Christmas time to open it up a little bit," Kariya said. "And I think ever since then Teemu and I have been feeling a little more loose on the ice, more comfortable, more in rhythm. This is something we need to continue for the rest of the season as we make a postseason push."

Joe Thornton had a goal and an assist for Boston, which fell to 1-6-4 in its last 11 games at the FleetCenter. The Bruins are 3-3-3 in their last nine overall and fell into a tie with Pittsburgh for the final postseason spot in the East. "I think it's a pretty fragile situation in this locker room right now. We're frustrated," said Boston right wing Rob DiMaio. "We can't seem to put wins together. There's not a lot of confidence in here right now."

"It's pretty obvious what happened out there -- their two best players beat our team," Bruins coach Pat Burns added. "They're tough to defend, they get open on the ice so quickly, they get you out of position. We weren't able to control their quickness and that really hurt us tonight." Kariya and Thornton traded goals in a 78-second span early in the first period before Selanne scored twice to put the Ducks ahead for good.

Bruins right wing Landon Wilson was penalized for hooking at 8:41 and Selanne converted 53 seconds later on the ensuing power play. He took a pass from defenseman Oleg Tverdovsky at the top of the left faceoff circle and put a one-timer past goaltender Byron Dafoe. Selanne, who will start for the World squad in Sunday's All-Star Game, made it 3-1 just over five minutes later with another power-play goal. He was unchecked above the crease and buried a pass from Kariya and buried the puck for his 21st of the season.

"You couldn't really ask for better passes than Paul gave to me, right on the stick," Selanne said. "Our timing and our rhythm right now is very good." Selanne nearly had a hat trick but his apparent second-period goal was disallowed when referee Lance Roberts ruled that Ducks center Steve Rucchin had his skate in the crease.

Limited to 15 shots over the first two periods, the Bruins came to life in the third. Anson Carter drifted in front and scored his 21st goal off Thornton's centering pass with 10:40 remaining to make it 3-2. But Kariya's 30th goal sealed Anaheim's victory with 4:50 left. He actually flubbed a one-timer from the edge of the left circle, but the puck got past Dafoe's glove as the All-Star starter reached the 30-goal mark for the fourth time.

"I can't say that they took us by surprise. We should've known what to expect," said Boston right wing Steve Heinze. "They're two of the best in the world and they got on us quickly."

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