Ducks duo packs a lot of punch

Like a child having to wait to open gifts on Christmas morning, Randy Carlyle was achingly eager. It was Christmas in July, in a way, because a franchise-shaking move was at hand, but he couldn’t say a word.

“There was a pretty big smile on my face when I came up to the draft and I thought it was actually done on the draft floor,” said Carlyle, the Ducks’ second-year coach. “But there were some complications from the league standpoint. We thought we were going to announce it at that point. I knew it wouldn’t take long.”

It was the trade last summer for Chris Pronger.

This week, as the Ducks prepare for the Western Conference finals, the shockwaves are still being felt in the NHL.

Pronger, 32, is a former Norris Trophy winner, which is awarded each year to the NHL’s best defenseman. And in joining the Ducks, he became part of what is now one of the most formidable pairings the NHL has seen, teaming with Scott Niedermayer, another former Norris winner and only a year older.

To the surprise of no one, the two are finalists for the Norris this season.

Many elite tandems have roamed the league’s blue lines. Indeed, Pronger learned from partner Al MacInnis in St. Louis and Niedermayer was tutored by Scott Stevens in New Jersey.

But two certain Hall of Fame defensemen still in their prime and on the same team?

The NHL hasn’t seen such a punch since the late 1970s when Larry Robinson, Serge Savard and Guy Lapointe were the backbone of the Stanley Cup-winning Montreal Canadiens.

Vancouver Canucks forward Bryan Smolinski said that when he heard about the Pronger trade last July, he thought, “Can they get any better?”

In a word, yes.

With their two superstars aboard, the Ducks won their first Pacific Division title with a 48-20-14 record and a franchise-best 110 points. Flourishing under an up-tempo attack favored by Carlyle, also a former Norris winner, Niedermayer had a career-high 69 points and Pronger had 59 in an injury-shortened 66 games.

The playoffs have seen both take their customary leading roles. Pronger is among the top scorers with 11 points, tied with Detroit’s Nicklas Lidstrom among all defensemen. Niedermayer has only five points, but his first goal of the postseason in Game 5 against the Canucks was the series clincher and his 11th career overtime winner.

The signing of Niedermayer and the trade for Pronger, both engineered by General Manager Brian Burke in consecutive summers, have made the Ducks hard to beat.

Ducks defenseman Francois Beauchemin agreed, adding that the two have one thing in common: a work ethic.

“They take their job very seriously and that’s something you learn, how to prepare yourself for a game,” he said.

Ducks forward Teemu Selanne put it this way: “When you have, in my mind, the two best defensemen in the league that can play together without getting tired for almost 30 minutes night after night, I don’t know how much more you can ask for.”

Pronger and Niedermayer also couldn’t be any more different.

The boisterous Pronger has a big shot and plays with a mean streak that often makes him the target of opposing fans. But the towering defender also excels at positioning on offense and defense, and it is his controlled presence in any situation that brings order to the Ducks.

Much of his ability to dominate opposing forwards comes from his 6-foot-6 frame and 78-inch wingspan. Selanne said top players usually need a step to get around most defensemen, but with Pronger, three are often needed.

“It’s ridiculous,” Selanne said of Pronger’s reach.

Niedermayer has a fierce determination that sits under his cool, businesslike facade. He is perhaps the league’s most graceful skater, which gives him the opportunity to freelance into all areas of the ice and the ability to race back on defense for any change in possession.

“Every player has a toolbox,” Minnesota Wild Coach Jacques Lemaire said. “And when you talk about Niedermayer and Pronger, their toolbox is full. You watch Niedermayer skate. He does it the same way some people get up and eat in the morning.”

Pronger sees what he does -- the ability to get shots on net -- as simple hockey.

“You’re just looking for a lane really,” he said. “You’re just trying to align yourself up in the right spot where you can catch the [penalty killers] coming out at an angle or coming out trying to get into the lane. It’s just a matter of just getting it toward the net.”

Many thought Pronger would play alongside Niedermayer this season. Carlyle instead kept Niedermayer paired with Francois Beauchemin and slid Pronger in next to Sean O’Donnell.

With Pronger and Niedermayer each playing as many as 30 minutes a game -- and sometimes more -- the Ducks have at least one of the world’s best defensemen on the ice for most of the game.

“Somehow, you have to score when they’re not on the ice,” said Smolinski, whose team was eliminated last week by the Ducks.

On the power play, Pronger and Niedermayer are side by side, and that can make teams shudder.

“We complement each other,” Niedermayer said. “Our strengths are different. What we like to do with plays are quite different.”

Pronger is among the best at setting up a power play and his slap shot is a weapon that often creates rebounds for others.

Because he is so adept at controlling the blue line, Pronger frees up Niedermayer, who can then move about in the offensive zone and put into motion his imaginative playmaking ability.

“You notice it,” Pronger said. “Of course, you do. You see the ice in a similar way. You’re able to distribute the puck or make the read on whether to shoot or pass or whatever you need. It makes it a lot easier know he’s thinking the same way you’re thinking.”

As either draws attention, they can feed the Ducks’ long list of offensive weapons, from Selanne to Andy McDonald and Ryan Getzlaf on down.

“There’s may be not another guy like Niedermayer in the league in the way he moves and creates,” Vancouver defenseman Mattias Ohlund said. “And obviously Pronger shoots the puck a lot from up top. They’re very different players.

“They have a lot of skill and talent. Obviously when you’ve got two of the best defensemen in the league running your power play, it’s going to make it tough to kill them off.”

The Ducks’ power play has been potent from opening night. It ranked third in the regular season with a 22.4% conversion and has produced goals in six of their first eight playoff games.

“When you have one or two guys on a power play, it’s quite easy to check them if you put pressure on them,” Selanne said. “But for us, they have to respect Prongs and Scotty. And then other guys can get more room.

“It’s one thing if they just have a good shot or they’re a good passer. They can see the game and make plays. They make everything so much easier.”

It is what Carlyle anticipated when he got the word that Pronger was on his way to Anaheim. At the time, the coach didn’t plot out scenarios on the many ways to use his bedrocks.

Carlyle only allowed himself one thought.

“It’s going to be a pretty intimidating blue line,” he said.

eric.stephens@latimes.com