Ducks Standing at Crossroads

The Ducks have begun the most crucial trip of their existence, a trip that could make or break their quest to reach the Stanley Cup playoffs by the end of Year 3, a trip that will take them through six hostile ports in 13 days, a trip that will require close observation and thoughtful critical analysis, but first things first.

What are we going to call the Kariya-Selanne line?

Nicknames are important in hockey.

Everyone who plays or coaches has to have one.

It’s right there, in the small type on the standard NHL players contract: “You must wear a helmet, carry a stick, stand for the national anthem (on most nights, two of them), use the phrases ‘Good in the room’ and ‘Good for the organ-EYE-zation” and have a nickname.”

Usually, this is achieved by automatically attaching a “y” or an “ie” to the end of a player’s surname.

Jason York, for example, is “Yorkie.”

Rob Blake is “Blakey.”

Byron Dafoe, “Byzie.”

Gary Shuchuk, “Shuey.”

Unless, of course, the player’s surname already ends in “y” or “ie”--in which case the “y” or “ie” must be excised.

Wayne Gretzky, therefore, becomes “Gretz” and Glenn Healy turns into “Heals.”

It’s easy, once you learn the system.

High-scoring forward lines in hockey must be nicknamed as well. All the great ones have one.

The Flyers’ line of Eric Lindros, John LeClair and Mikael Renberg--big, ominous, frightening--is, appropriately, “The Legion of Doom.” (“Legion O’ Doom” for short.)

The Kings’ old line of Marcel Dionne, Charlie Simmer and Dave Taylor was, of course, “The Triple Crown Line.”

Detroit in the 1950s had the “Production Line”--Gordie Howe, Ted Lindsay, Sid Abel.

Montreal in the 1940s had “The Punch Line”--Maurice Richard, Toe Blake, Elmer Lach.

Even expansion teams, such as Buffalo in the early 1970s, indulged in the tradition. Those Sabres placed Gilbert Perreault, Rene Robert and Rick Martin on the same line--thus creating “The French Connection.”

Anaheim in the mid-1990s?

Now that the Ducks have a right wing with 36 goals and 96 points and a left wing with 40 goals and 87 points to overshadow, at long last, the Wild Wing that heretofore had been the Disney franchise’s best known name?

It can only be:

“The Legion Of Toon.”

(Unless you prefer “Teemu N’ Paul N’ A Guy Named Alex.”)

“The Legion Of Toon” features two of the league’s top 12 scorers on the flanks and anybody Ron Wilson chooses to stick in between them. For the last two games, that lucky individual was Alex Hicks. Before him it was David Sacco. In the near future, it could be Anatoli Semenov, the new old Duck the team reacquired Tuesday just before the trading deadline.

If so, keep the cold compresses ready for Semenov once he skates off after his first couple of shifts. Last time he was with the Ducks, Semenov did his passing to Tim Sweeney, Patrik Carnback and Terry Yake. He grew used to his slick, slithering feeds ending up smacking against the boards, off a skate, into the seats--anywhere except the back of the net.

Now it’s Selanne down the right, Kariya down the left and assists just waiting to be rung up.

Before Selanne arrived, the Ducks had managed but one hat trick in their first 2 1/2 seasons--Yake, in the team’s first road game. Selanne has been with the Ducks a month, and already has two hat tricks.

After their first two seasons, the Ducks’ all-time leading scorer was Bob Corkum, with 70 points and 33 goals. Both Selanne and Kariya have surpassed those totals before the Ducks’ 70th game this season and would combine for 200 points and 90 goals even if their present production pace takes a dive.

In their last two home games, the Ducks beat the Pacific Division-leading Colorado Avalanche and the Gretzky-Hull St. Louis Blues by a cumulative margin of 9-1. Selanne scored his second hat trick in the Blues’ game--a 5-1 triumph--and afterward, a writer who has watched the Ducks since their inception shook his head in amazement. “I never thought I’d see the day,” he said. “The Ducks have an exciting team.”

Dump and chase is now what the Ducks do to opposing goalies.

Clutch and grab is now what Ducks do to each other several times a game as they celebrate another Anaheim goal.

It has been a remarkable transformation. But it is one thing to go 5-1-1 at the Pond and quite another to go 3-3 or better on the home rinks of Washington, St. Louis, Chicago, Detroit, Dallas and San Jose.

That is the Ducks’ itinerary from here to the end of March. St. Louis and Chicago are jostling for home-ice advantage in the playoffs. Dallas is six points behind the Ducks in the race for the last Western Conference playoff spot. Detroit has never lost to the Ducks. Despite the plane tickets in their hands, the Ducks have embarked on an uphill climb.

They need at least five points on this trip to make their last seven games--five of them at home--meaningful.

The ultimate objective is to be within two points of eighth-place Winnipeg on the morning of April 14. That night, the Ducks will play their last game of the regular season.

At home.

Against Winnipeg.

In other words, it is crunch time for the Ducks’ organ-EYE-zation.

Does “The Legion Of Toon” lead the Ducks into the valley of defeat . . . or onto the motorway to Detroit and a cameo in the ’96 Stanley Cup playoffs?

The fork in the road begins here.