Ducks Still Seeking Personal Goals

With two games left in the regular season, the Ducks’ Teemu Selanne is one goal from 50, and Paul Kariya is four points from 100.

“After you score 76, 50 is not as big a deal,” Selanne said with a sly grin. “I would feel different if I hadn’t done it before.”

Still, Selanne--who has 49 goals and 106 points--hasn’t scored 50 goals since he set an NHL rookie record with 76 during the 1992-93 season.

As for Kariya, reaching 100 points for the second season in a row would be a remarkable feat because he missed 13 games because of injuries.

“It’d be nice,” said Kariya, who has 42 goals and 96 points. “When I first came back, I was happy just to be playing.”

Selanne thinks it would be more than nice for Kariya to reach 100, a mark only he and Pittsburgh’s Mario Lemieux have topped so far.

“That would be unbelievable,” Selanne said. “That’s always big--especially this year when not so many guys have done it. When he didn’t play the first month, he could never think he could still score 100 points.”

Selanne says he won’t press to score his 50th, or to set up Kariya or even Jari Kurri, who is four goals from 600.

“It’s hard to try to set someone up,” Selanne said. “If you’re watching for one guy, it doesn’t open up chances.

“I remember my first year, the last game, Alexander Mogilny got two goals to get to 76. I already had 76, so I knew if I scored one I would have the most goals in the league. But I tried too much. I had a breakaway and couldn’t score. Then we had a five-on-three and I didn’t score.

“I’ve learned it’s best to just go do the things you normally do. If it’s coming, it’s coming. You just work hard, and try to play well.”