Ducks Hit Their Stride

Mighty Duck Coach Randy Carlyle had a simple request heading into Friday night’s game against the Nashville Predators.

“We’ve got to be better right from the start,” Carlyle said after the morning skate. “You’re not going to be able to come back as we go forward.”

The message didn’t exactly take, but the Predators, like other top Western Conference teams of late, found out that they can’t slow down the Ducks when they reach full speed.

The Ducks have relied on dramatics in the last few days, but none were needed Friday as a scoring spree in the second period powered them to a 6-3 victory at the Arrowhead Pond, stretching their winning streak to a season-high five games.

“It’s a time where everything is finally coming together,” center Todd Marchant said. “We’re getting big goals at big times. When you combine that with almost a never-say-die attitude and with our work ethic and our system play, it’s a formula for success.”

Coming off an improbable come-from-behind 5-4 overtime victory over the Colorado Avalanche, the Ducks (36-21-12) spotted Nashville a goal before unleashing an offensive assault featuring their young and their forever young.

Teemu Selanne led a multi-point barrage with two goals and two assists and Andy McDonald continued his torrid play with two goals and an assist. Center Ryan Getzlaf set a team rookie record with four assists and fellow first-year players Chris Kunitz and Corey Perry each chipped in with a goal and an assist.

“They’re still getting their feet wet but they’re not rookies anymore,” Carlyle said.

They also may have left an impression should the teams meet in the first round. With their ninth victory in the last 11 games, the Ducks passed the idle Avalanche into fifth place and would play the Predators if the regular season were to have ended today.

Nashville goaltender Tomas Vokoun took the brunt of the Ducks’ offense. After Selanne tied the game late in the first period, the Predators were taken apart by a four-goal blitz in the second.

Kunitz scored on a power play after Getzlaf broke down Nashville’s defense with a solo charge before feeding Perry, who passed it to Kunitz for the easy goal.

Selanne and Perry scored 25 seconds apart for a 4-1 lead and McDonald finished the outburst with a rebound off a shot by Todd Fedoruk, who also chipped in with two assists.

“We’re playing great right now,” Getzlaf said. “We’re playing with that little bit of confidence that you need. When anything happens out there, you don’t see anybody panicking.”

The Ducks also got a strong bounce-back performance from goaltender Jean-Sebastien Giguere. Two days after being pulled in the first period against Colorado, Giguere made 36 saves and was on his game from the outset.

It took a breakaway by Steve Sullivan for Nashville to finally get the puck in the net. It was one of several such scoring chances for the Predators in the first period as they had six odd-man rushes to none for the Ducks.

The heavy activity didn’t faze Giguere, who made 15 of his saves in the period. Included in that flurry were two one-on-one stops of former teammate Paul Kariya, who was booed whenever he touched the puck.

“We knew after the other night to go right back to him,” Carlyle said. “We felt he would be the guy to pick it up for us. I gave him an opportunity to go back tonight and he delivered.”

Selanne reached 30 goals for the eighth time in his career when he snapped a low wrist shot past Vokoun while the Ducks were on a four-on-three power play late in the first to answer Sullivan.

It is the first time the veteran winger has reached 30 since the 2000-01 season.

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TONIGHT

at Phoenix, 6 PST, FSNW2

Site -- Glendale Arena.

Radio -- 1090.

Records -- Ducks 36-21-12; Coyotes 32-33-4.

Record vs. Coyotes -- 6-0-1.

Update -- A big part of the Ducks’ standing in the Western Conference has been their domination of the Coyotes this season. In seven games against Phoenix, the Ducks have outscored them, 27-14, with Selanne getting five goals and Rob Niedermayer three. Ladislav Nagy continues to lead the Coyotes in scoring with 56 points even though he is out for the season with torn cartilage in his right knee.