Kariya, Selanne Remind Ducks of Better Times

The telephone keeps ringing and Pierre Gauthier, Mighty Duck president and general manager, keeps saying, “Thanks, but no thanks.” So far, he’s resisted trading right wing Teemu Selanne and breaking up his dynamic duo of Selanne and left wing Paul Kariya.

Monday, Kariya and Selanne provided Gauthier and an announced crowd of 11,438 at the Arrowhead Pond with an electrifying reminder of the magic they are capable of creating together.

Kariya recorded his first three-goal game in three years and Selanne had two goals and three assists for his sixth career five-point game as the Ducks routed the Calgary Flames, 6-2.

The victory ended the Ducks 0-8-3 winless streak at the Pond and was only their fourth since Kariya suffered a broken right foot Dec. 17. They remain in last place in the NHL’s Western Conference.

“It was the Kariya and Selanne show tonight,” Calgary Coach Don Hay said. “They took over the game and we kind of sat back and watched.”

Given open ice to wheel and deal with the puck, Kariya and Selanne ran amok. Selanne set up Kariya for all three of his goals, including a perfect lead pass that led to a breakaway and a terrific backhander over Calgary goalie Fred Brathwaite. The goal gave the Ducks the lead for good, 2-1, at the 15:01 mark of the first period. Kariya assisted on the first of Selanne’s two goals.

It was the first time they had combined for nine points in a single game. It also brought another round of questions about the possibility of a Selanne trade by the March 13 deadline.

“Obviously, I’d like to play with Teemu for the rest of my career,” Kariya said. “It really is out of our control, though. There is nothing we can do about it.”

Added Selanne: “Whatever happens, happens. Right now, I just want to enjoy playing the games and playing with Paul. I don’t want to think about anything else.”

Said Coach Guy Charron: “There’s a definite chemistry there. When those two are at the top of their games, it’s pretty exciting to see.”

Thanks to Kariya and Selanne, the Ducks built a 5-2 lead going into the third period. Defenseman Jason Marshall scored a shorthanded goal 9:07 into the final period to account for the team’s sixth goal.

Chris Clark’s first NHL goal and a power-play tally by Valeri Bure were the only pucks the Flames got past goaltender Jean-Sebastien Giguere, who made 26 saves.

“Jiggy played extremely well tonight,” Kariya said of Giguere. “Mike Leclerc played a tough game for us. His line [Leclerc, Matt Cullen and Marty McInnis] played with a lot of energy. We stuck together as a team. It’s good to finally get a win. We’ve been playing pretty good.”

But the Ducks had only two ties and an overtime loss to show for a string of steady performances in the last week or so. The Ducks hadn’t won at the Pond since defeating the Florida Panthers, 3-2, in overtime Jan. 3. Their last regulation victory at home was Dec. 17, when Kariya was injured blocking a shot against the Tampa Bay Lightning.

“We need to get something going--for our organization, for our fans,” said Kariya, who has six goals and seven assists during a seven-game point streak. As the final seconds ticked past Monday, the crowd gave the team a standing ovation.

“Tonight was one of those nights when things worked for us,” said Selanne, who has seven goals and five assists in the last seven games. “I’m pretty excited about this. It was fun. . . . When we get rolling, it’s so much fun to play.”