Balance Tips Scales in Favor of Ducks

Teemu Selanne didn’t give a postgame question much thought Sunday at the Arrowhead Pond. Score less to win more? In a heartbeat, bub.

“I’d score only five goals [a season] if I could win the Stanley Cup,” Selanne said after scoring twice to help the Mighty Ducks thump the expansion Atlanta Thrashers, 4-1.

There’s no question the Ducks will need more than a handful of goals from Selanne in order to qualify for the playoffs this spring.

But Coach Craig Hartsburg’s pleas for a more balanced game from last season’s NHL-leading goal-scorer apparently haven’t fallen on deaf ears.

“We need a hard-working Teemu Selanne for us to be successful,” Hartsburg said after Selanne ended a six-game goal-scoring drought Sunday.

“When he outworks people, outhustles the defensemen, outskates people to the front of the net, he’s one of the top three players in the game.

“When he’s at his best, he’s not only fun for the fans to watch, but a force for us.”

Hartsburg’s message is one coaches all around the league are delivering to skilled players such as Selanne. Play a better all-around game and the team will be better for it. Sacrifice a little individually to help the team win.

“The key for Teemu is to play well for a lot of nights in a row,” Hartsburg said. “Then the goals will come. The more you battle through things, the more you’ll be rewarded.”

Steve Yzerman exchanged 60-goal seasons for solid two-way hockey and the Detroit Red Wings have won two Stanley Cup championships in the last three seasons.

The Ducks haven’t reached the Red Wings’ level yet, but Sunday’s victory was another step in the right direction.

Selanne had the Ducks’ first and fourth goals, but he and linemates Paul Kariya and Steve Rucchin played steady defense, paying close attention to both ends of the ice.

“The last two or three games, our line hasn’t turned the puck over at all,” Selanne said after the Ducks ended a 0-4-2 slump at the Pond. “We’re still in the process of learning when to just dump the puck in and when to make plays.

“I don’t think we like that [conservative style], but we have to do what works. We have to set an example for everyone else. If we turn pucks over, other lines will turn pucks over. If we do stupid stuff, other lines will do stupid stuff.”

It’s fair to say the Kariya-Rucchin-Selanne line set an excellent example Sunday for the Ducks’ other lines, and for young players around the globe.

Each of the three had five shots on net. Kariya, who had two assists, and Rucchin (three assists) were on the ice for three of the four Duck goals. Selanne was on for the two he scored. Rucchin also won 21 of 33 faceoffs.

“If we can do all those little things and still do damage every night, we’ll win,” Selanne said.

The Thrashers, last in the Southeast Division with 18 points, seemed like easy pickings. But the Ducks have belly-flopped several times against teams they should have routed with simply a mediocre effort.

With Selanne leading the way at both ends of the ice Sunday, the Ducks made certain there was no repeat of losses earlier this season to Montreal (twice) and Tampa Bay.

Selanne’s power-play goal 3:45 into the second period, the 100th of his career with the man advantage, got the Ducks rolling.

Left wing Mike Leclerc scored 39 seconds later. Right wing Ladislav Kohn then gave the Ducks a 3-0 lead at the 7:50 mark.

Atlanta’s Dean Sylvester ruined Dominic Roussel’s shutout bid with a third-period goal.

A blistering slap shot off Roussel’s mask from Atlanta’s Andreas Karlsson stunned the backup goalie, damaging his mask. “I was seeing stars for a few seconds,” Roussel said. “I would have stayed down if it was in practice.”

Roussel stayed on his feet, but Sylvester capped a goal-mouth scramble by slipping a rebound into the net at 8:11 of the final period.

Selanne then scored an empty-net goal with 2:46 remaining to seal the victory and record his third multiple goal game this season.