Selanne Is Difference for Ducks in 6-4 Win

Teemu Selanne signed a one-year, $1 million contract with the Mighty Ducks to return and restore his reputation as an elite scorer after one difficult season with the Colorado Avalanche.

Looking more like the rookie speedster that tore up the NHL than a 35-year-old veteran, Selanne continued his recent onslaught. He scored two goals to spark the Ducks to their biggest offensive performance of the season in a 6-4 victory over the St. Louis Blues on Friday night at the Arrowhead Pond.

It was the kind of night the skill-laden Ducks envisioned at the start of the season. Joffrey Lupul, Rob Niedermayer and Jonathan Hedstrom each had a goal and an assist, and the team had three power-play goals to go with a season-high 39 shots.

“Actually we need a couple of more games like this,” Selanne said. “We need to get some guys involved in scoring. That’s how we’re going to build chemistry and confidence.”

After spotting the Blues a two-goal lead, the Ducks responded with Selanne leading the way. Coming off major knee surgery last year, Selanne appears to be rejuvenated in his second tour with the Ducks after scoring a career-low 16 goals in 2003-04 with the Avalanche.

At 10:56 of the third, he got loose on a breakaway off a long pass from Vitaly Vishnevski and put in his team-leading eighth goal with a backhand past Blues goalie Reinhard Divis for his sixth goal in the last six games.

“I’ve been feeling good pretty much all year,” said Selanne, in his 12th season. “It’s fun to play again when you’re healthy. Every stride, every time I skate, it feels good.”

They would need all the offense as they were shaky in their own end. St. Louis pulled within one goal, twice but the Ducks managed to keep them at arm’s length as Jean-Sebastien Giguere made 24 saves.

Selanne got his first goal at 14:42 and Hedstrom followed less than two minutes later with a backhand past Divis for his first career multi-point game.

*

Forward Corey Perry, who assisted on Hedstrom’s goal, didn’t return after taking a hard hit into the boards in the second period.