Ducks Douse Flames to End Losing Streak

There were plenty of mistakes, to be sure. They were outshot again. Their special teams could have played better. And the defense corps was no bargain either.

So why was this team smiling Monday night at the Pond?

Somehow, some way, the Mighty Ducks’ shortcomings didn’t appear so bad in a relatively easy 5-1 victory over the Calgary Flames before 16,975.

The Ducks ended a three-game losing streak by tightening their defense, driving hard to the net and playing with emotion.

There also were contributions from the usual sources and from some unexpected ones too, which didn’t hurt as the Ducks won for only the fifth time at the Pond.

Teemu Selanne scored two goals to increase his NHL-leading total to 30. Paul Kariya had an assist for his ninth point since signing a two-year, $14-million contract Dec. 11.

Selanne and Kariya were the best players on the ice for the Ducks, but for a change, others contributed with strong games.

Backup goaltender Mikhail Shtalenkov stopped 33 of 34 shots and won for the first time since defeating the Vancouver Canucks, 3-2, on Nov. 8.

Defenseman Dmitri Mironov scored his first goal since Nov. 2, ending a 20-game drought.

Forward Kevin Todd and rookie right wing Jeff Nielsen also scored for the Ducks, who don’t play again until starting a six-game trip Saturday at St. Louis.

In many ways, the Ducks hardly resembled the same bumbling crew that lost, 4-2, Sunday to the San Jose Sharks. Or 6-2 Friday to the Phoenix Coyotes. Or 6-2 Wednesday to the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Except for a few moments in the first and second periods, the Ducks controlled the game from start to finish.

Their goal total was the highest since they defeated Washington, 6-4, in Kariya’s return Dec. 12. It also was their best defensive game since they defeated the Edmonton Oilers, 3-1, on Nov. 28 at Edmonton.

The Ducks hit everyone in a Flame uniform right from the start, which wasn’t so great in the game’s first two minutes since it cost Bobby Dollas a five-minute penalty and a game misconduct for checking from behind.

Against a better opponent, the Ducks (13-18-6) might have paid a price. But the last-place Flames (10-21-7) couldn’t score on the five-minute power play.

Calgary held a 13-4 advantage in shots in the first period, but had nothing to show for it.

The Ducks needed a hefty dose of luck to take a 1-0 lead on Selanne’s first goal.

Skating behind the Calgary net, Selanne tried to flip a centering pass into the slot. But the puck struck the skate of a Calgary defenseman and ricocheted past surprised goaltender Rick Tabaracci at 8:23.

The Ducks then killed off three other shorthanded situations in the first period and led for the first time after 20 minutes since Nov. 29, the last time they played the Flames.

They had trailed or been tied after the first period of eight consecutive games, which may explain why they were 1-6-1 in that span.

In the Nov. 29 game at Calgary, the Ducks built a 2-0 lead, but gave up two third-period goals then lost on Sandy McCarthy’s overtime goal.

There would be no such rally for the Flames this time.

After Cory Stillman’s goal 23 seconds into the second period, the Ducks seized control.

Todd scored a power-play goal for his 200th NHL point and a 2-1 Duck lead at 11:35 of the second period.