Ducks Strike Goal With Ex-Lightning

He’s been precisely what the Mighty Ducks needed to shake off their season-opening funk. Strong in front of the net and in the corners. Helpful on the power play. Reliable on the second line.

That’s been Brian Bellows’ method of operation since the Ducks traded for him two weeks ago.

But what was going through his mind early in the second period on Sunday at the Pond? There he was handing the Edmonton Oilers their first goal of the game.

It was a gift, a perfect centering pass to Mariusz Czerkawski, who easily beat goaltender Guy Hebert. Problem was Czerkawski plays for Edmonton and the goal gave the Oilers a 1-0 lead.

“A bonehead play,” Bellows later called it.

Bellows’ thinking was sound. The Oilers were pressing. The Ducks couldn’t clear the puck. Bellows spotted linemate Jari Kurri up ahead and tried to pass him the puck from the left-wing boards.

Didn’t work.

Bellows’ pass instead flew to Czerkawski and the Ducks were down a goal. This was clearly the worst moment in Bellows’ short stay in Anaheim.

“From the moment the puck landed on his stick I thought, ‘We’ve got to get that back,’ ” Bellows said. “You can’t bury your head. You’ve just got to play better.”

His moment of redemption came with the scored tied, 2-2, in the waning moments of the third period. The situation was similar. The Ducks pressed the harried Oiler defense. Bellows pounced on a loose puck along the left-wing boards, turned and fired a low shot on goal.

He knew Kurri and Kevin Todd were stationed in front of the net, and in a tight defensive struggle a lucky break might mean the difference.

It did.

Todd deflected the puck, sending it fluttering past Oiler goalie Curtis Joseph and soon enough the Ducks added an empty-net goal and secured a 4-2 victory.

“Brian made a great play just by shooting the puck at the net,” Todd said.

The victory improved the Ducks’ record to 4-1-1 in the six games since they traded a draft pick to Tampa Bay to get Bellows, a veteran winger, a former 55-goal scorer.

The deal has been a steal.

Bellows has played the role of power forward to the hilt. He’s played an effective role on the Ducks’ first power-play team. Although he’s still looking for his first goal as a Duck, he has three assists.

Certainly the Ducks have a standout first line with wingers Paul Kariya and Teemu Selanne and, say, Steve Rucchin or Ted Drury at center. But until acquiring Bellows, their second line hasn’t scared opposing defensemen.

But Bellows, Kurri and Todd have proven to be a formidable second line, and that takes some of the pressure off the top line.

“Occasionally, teams have to take their top defensive pairing off [the Kariya-Selanne] line,” Bellows said. “They have to be more concerned with more than one line now.”

Plus, Coach Ron Wilson doesn’t have to wear out Kariya and Selanne by overplaying them in late-game situations. With the obvious exception of more victories, what the Ducks have needed most this season is more production from their second line.

With Bellows’ help, they got it Sunday.

“It’s nice for a goal to go in for us,” Todd said.