Usual Suspects Shine as Ducks Rout Whalers

There are other Mighty Ducks worth talking about besides Teemu Selanne and Paul Kariya, but whenever those two play there is hardly anyone else you would want to discuss.

Selanne moved past Wayne Gretzky for third in the NHL in scoring this season with a goal and three assists in the Ducks’ 6-3 victory over Hartford in front of 17,174 Friday at the Pond.

Hartford lost for the second time in two nights and wasted a hat trick by Jeff O’Neill. The Ducks got a hand from rookie Sean Pronger, who scored two goals and has four in his last four games.

Still, it was another of many nights that belonged to Kariya and Selanne and the fortunate player who centers them, Steve Rucchin. Rucchin scored his 12th goal of the season and added an assist.

“They’re just so dangerous with the puck,” Hartford Coach Paul Maurice said. “The only time they’re more dangerous is when they don’t have the puck and they’re going to holes. They’re outstanding players to watch--unless you happen to be coaching the other team.”

This morning, the NHL scoring list reads Mario Lemieux 84, Jaromir Jagr 76, Teemu Selanne 68. Gretzky has 67 points.

Selanne’s achievement is all the more remarkable considering he played the first month of the season without Kariya, leaving him as the only focal point for opposing teams. Slow Selanne, they rightly figured, and they were on their way.

Kariya had a goal and two assists Friday and his 55 points rank in the NHL’s top 20 even though he has missed 13 games--11 because of an abdominal injury and two because of a concussion.

This week, Kariya and Selanne were held without a point in a 3-1 loss to Dallas. That was a rare occasion--only the third time this season both have been in the lineup and neither has had so much as an assist. And it has never happened two games in a row since Selanne arrived in a trade with Winnipeg on Feb. 7, 1996.

“Hartford doesn’t play so tight as Dallas does,” Selanne said. “Dallas has two big defensemen on the ice all night. Tonight, we said, ‘Let’s go get a great start.’ ”

It took little more than half of the first period Friday for the Ducks to take a 3-0 lead.

Kariya scored first, lifting a backhanded shot into the top of the net after Rucchin and Selanne passed the puck deftly across the ice, leaving it open for Kariya. Kariya picked it up, switched to his backhand and beat Jason Muzzatti easily.

“That’s just a little play we do a lot in practice and morning skates,” Selanne said. “Rucchin passes it to me and I just kind of barely touch it, slow the puck down. We were laughing because we couldn’t believe we could do it in a game.”

The goal marked Kariya’s 200th NHL point, and it took him only 165 games to reach that milestone. Selanne’s assist on the goal was his 100th point as a Duck, an achievement that took him only 78 games.

Kariya also set a Duck record for most points in a month, finishing January with 22 points in 13 games.

The Ducks threatened to turn the game into a lark early, leading by three after Brian Bellows scored on a power play at 5:28 of the first and Selanne scored his 29th of the season off a leading pass from Kariya.

Kariya and Selanne crossed the blue line almost together near the left wing boards, but Kariya pulled up and Selanne dashed toward the net, reaching out to tip the puck past Muzzatti when Kariya sent a near-perfect pass his way.

The Ducks faltered a bit when O’Neill scored two power-play goals in the second period, and their penalty-killing remains erratic. Still, the lead was never less than two goals.

Duck goalie Guy Hebert made 38 saves, and set a club record by making his 18th consecutive start.

“We got a good start, and Guy is playing so well,” Selanne said.