Giguere, Ducks Keep Rolling

Suddenly, and quite remarkably, there is life at the Arrowhead Pond. Too late, of course, to save the 2000-01 season, but there is grit in the corners, speed on the wings, sound defensive play and superb goaltending.

So, who swiped the Mighty Ducks’ uniforms while we weren’t looking?

A workmanlike 3-1 victory Friday over the Chicago Blackhawks certainly wouldn’t have figured as recently as last week. The Ducks certainly seemed to inspire a lively announced crowd of 13,492.

No question, the Ducks fed off the standout goaltending of Jean-Sebastien Giguere, who made 34 saves for his third consecutive victory. Giguere had plenty of help.

Right wing Paul Kariya scored twice for the third consecutive game, the first time in the franchise’s eight-season history anyone has recorded three consecutive multi-goal games.

Left wing Jeff Friesen assisted on both of Kariya’s goals, giving him four assists in two games since he and goalie Steve Shields were acquired Monday from the San Jose Sharks for Teemu Selanne.

Defenseman Oleg Tverdovsky broke a 1-1 tie by sending a missile from the left wing between Chicago goalie Jocelyn Thibault’s stick and the left post 6:20 into the third period.

“It’s good to string some wins together,” Kariya said after the Ducks’ first three-game winning streak since mid-December.

“It’s a long time coming. We got tremendous goaltending tonight from ‘Jiggy.’ He really carried us. We didn’t have it rolling. In the first period, it could have easily been 3-0 for [Chicago]. Instead it’s 0-0 and then we get the first goal.”

With Chicago’s Alexander Karpovtsev in the penalty box for holding Marty McInnis’ stick 3:18 into the second period, the Ducks struck quickly on their only power-play opportunity.

Friesen deftly slipped a cross-ice pass to Kariya, who was stationed near the right post, for an easy tap-in and a 1-0 lead six seconds into the man-advantage.

Blackhawk center Michael Nylander accepted a pretty no-look centering pass from tough guy Bob Probert and sent a one-timer over Giguere’s left shoulder for the tying goal with 13 seconds remaining in the second period.

But Tverdovsky’s fifth goal in his last 13 games put the Ducks ahead for good. Kariya’s sixth goal in three games, on a backhander from center ice while the Ducks were shorthanded and Thibault was on the bench in favor of a sixth skater, secured the victory.

The Ducks’ playmaking in the second and third periods would have been meaningless if Giguere hadn’t turned away the Blackhawks repeatedly in the opening 20 minutes, however.

Giguere stopped Steve Sullivan on a breakaway and an ensuing rebound from near the right post, denied Eric Daze while the Ducks were shorthanded and made several other quality saves in a busy first period. Giguere stopped 14 first-period shots.

“The more I play, the better I feel out there,” said Giguere, who has started 12 consecutive games since Coach Guy Charron named him the team’s No. 1 goalie. “I don’t have much experience in the league. I feel good. I’m young. I want to show them I can play a lot. I think I’ve shown them I can play in this league. I want to show them I can play lots in this league.”

With Guy Hebert now a New York Ranger after being claimed off waivers Wednesday and Shields set to undergo season-ending shoulder surgery, this is Giguere’s chance to get a head start on the starting job for next season.

“Obviously, it’s going to be a good competition,” Giguere said. “I’m excited to see Steve play. He’s a great goalie. He brings experience and stability to the organization. I’ll do my job and who knows what is going to happen?”

In addition to winning three in a row, Giguere has a 2.30 goals-against average and a .920 save percentage in his last 12 games.

“Jiggy makes a difference between winning and losing,” Charron said. “[Chicago] had flurries of scoring chances in the first period and he made saves that inspired his teammates to keep working. He’s given our team confidence.”