Kariya Shows His Generalship With a Five-Star Performance

He vowed to do more, to raise his game and the Mighty Ducks right along with him. But Paul Kariya outdid himself with a three-goal game in the Ducks’ record-setting, 8-3 rout Wednesday of the Florida Panthers at the Arrowhead Pond of Anaheim.

Certainly, Kariya raised eyebrows when he had two goals and two assists in his return to the lineup Dec. 12 against Washington after missing 32 games because of a contract dispute.

He merited All-Star consideration with nine goals and 18 points in 16 games, but wasn’t selected to the North American team because he simply hadn’t played in enough games.

So, Tuesday’s promise to carry the Ducks seemed a bit surprising. What more can one man do? But Kariya proved Wednesday it wasn’t just dressing-room bluster.

He scored two goals and had two assists in the first period as the Ducks built a four-goal lead. He scored again in the second, converting on a penalty shot against rookie goaltender Kevin Weekes.

It was Kariya’s third career hat trick and second five-point game. And it was the second goal on a penalty shot for the Ducks this season. Joe Sacco scored against Montreal’s Jocelyn Thibault during the Ducks’ 4-3 overtime loss Nov. 12 to the Canadiens.

Kariya vs. Weekes hardly seemed fair. Kariya was the NHL’s third-leading scorer last season with 44 goals and 99 points. Weekes was playing in his fifth NHL game.

Kariya was awarded the penalty shot after Weekes was whistled by referee Kerry Fraser for throwing his stick to break up a breakaway at 13:26. Kariya beat Weekes with a shot between the pads.

Soon enough, the game turned into target practice for the Ducks. Sacco, Teemu Selanne (two goals), Matt Cullen (first NHL goal) and Warren Rychel also scored for the Ducks, who set a franchise record with eight goals in the game.

Radek Dvorak, Ed Jovanovski and Scott Mellanby scored the Panthers’ goals.

By game’s end, Kariya’s goals almost seemed forgotten. But there was no way the Ducks would have won without the spark he provided.

“He’s the kind of guy who takes a lot of pride in carrying a team,” Rychel said of Kariya. “If he’s not perfect he’s kind of critical of himself. It’s tough on him. People expect him to carry the team on his shoulders.

“But you can’t expect that. No one can do that in the National Hockey League.”

Kariya’s heroics enabled the Ducks to begin an eight-game stretch before the Olympic break next month with a solid victory.

But can a team with only four victories in 21 games leading up to the All-Star break really be viewed as a playoff contender? And more to the point, can the Ducks repeat last season’s late surge to secure a winning record and a playoff berth?

“If we’re fresh mentally and play as a team, anything is possible,” Coach Pierre Page said. “If we just go real hard as a team, then the odds are good. I figure there are about nine teams fighting for about three spots now [in the Western Conference playoffs]. There are 33 games left. That’s a lot of games and a lot of points still left.”

For once, the Ducks seemed to carry a sense of urgency to the ice with them. They had been only talk until Wednesday.

But the Ducks jumped on the Panthers right from the start, routing goaltender John Vanbiesbrouck after building a 4-0 lead in the first period.

Kariya accepted a pass from Selanne and tucked a shot beneath Vanbiesbrouck for the first of his goals only 1:06 into the game. Kariya then set up Sacco for a goal on a two-on-two rush at 11:18.

Kariya scored again at 15:22, swatting a bouncing puck past Vanbiesbrouck for a 3-0 Duck lead.

Selanne then scored his NHL-leading 34th goal, with the Ducks holding a two-man advantage at the 17:34 mark, for a 4-0 Duck lead.

Dvorak ended Guy Hebert’s shutout bid four minutes into the second period, deflecting a shot from the right wing by Kirk Muller.