Giguere Gives Crowd a Perfect Alternative

They came to bury Paul. They settled for praising Jiggy.

This was a long-anticipated matchup for Mighty Duck fans, Paul Kariya’s first visit to the Arrowhead Pond since signing with Colorado as a free agent. They were left wanting, as Friday’s game went on sans Kariya, who stayed in Denver because of a sprained right wrist.

So as a consolation prize, the 17,174 in the Arrowhead Pond got to see something that has been sort of missing from the arena almost as long as Kariya: Goaltender Jean-Sebastien Giguere.

Giguere turned in his best effort since last spring, making Sergei Fedorov’s first-period goal stand up in a 1-0 victory over the Avalanche in a chippy game.

That had the fans giving Giguere a standing ovation at game’s end.

This wasn’t vintage Giguere, whose effort was more gritty than pretty. But he held his own against heavy pressure.

Giguere made 38 saves, as the Ducks were out-shot, 29-9, in the last 30 minutes, in getting his first shutout this season, which moved the Ducks out of last place in the Pacific Division.

“That was really a big deal to have a game where Jiggy could leave feeling good about himself when he left the rink,” Coach Mike Babcock said.

This came against a team that was more like Avalanche-Lite, as Peter Forsberg, Alex Tanguay and Kariya were out because of injuries. That mattered little to the Ducks or Giguere, who won for the first time since a 4-3 victory over St. Louis on Nov. 16.

The Kariya absence was especially tough on fans. This was to be his first game in the Pond since bolting to the Avalanche last summer, after Duck General Manager Bryan Murray made him a free agent by not making a qualifying offer that matched Kariya’s $10-million salary.

The idea of heckling Kariya boosted ticket sales for the game. But those who used their tickets had to settle for booing one-time Duck fan favorite Teemu Selanne as a surrogate. Selanne and Kariya signed as a package deal with the Avalanche.

“I’m not surprised,” said Selanne, who was never booed in the Pond in the two-plus seasons with San Jose after the Ducks traded him.

“The fans can do what they like, they paid for their ticket. Maybe they can boo me and leave Paul alone. I think it would be embarrassing if they did that to Paul after all he did here. It was a business decision.”

Selanne didn’t have to contend only with fans. Defenseman Keith Carney managed to tie up Selanne, who had an open net to shoot at in the third period.

Giguere did the rest.

There were several scrums at the crease and Giguere ended up under a mass of bodies.

The Avalanche picked up the pace midway through the second period. Giguere was bumped and shoved and even spent a few crucial seconds without his stick during an Avalanche power play.

“We had enough chances,” Selanne said. “I was surprised we couldn’t get one through.”

The Ducks did. They spent 7 minutes 12 seconds on the power play in the first period and managed to get to intermission with a 1-0 lead.

With Colorado’s Rob Blake off for slashing, Adam Foote was called for slashing and unsportsmanlike conduct, giving the Ducks a two-man advantage for 1:08 and a power play for 5:08.

They finally converted when Fedorov skated through the slot, passed to Petr Sykora, then chipped in the return pass for a 1-0 lead at 14:58.

“I thought Petr was going to score,” Fedorov said. “He had an empty net, then he returned the puck.”

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It may have been a costly win for the Ducks. Defenseman Sandis Ozolinsh, back from a rib cage injury, suffered a strained left shoulder in the second period and did not return. He will be examined by team doctors today....Carney, who has had a back injury, blocked a shot in the first period and had to leave. The X-rays on his left ankle were negative and he returned. He will be examined today.