Selanne wins it in shootout

Chris Pronger was 16 seconds away from enjoying a Flyers victory on his 35th birthday in his first game against the Ducks since they traded him in June.

Teemu Selanne spoiled it all for his former teammate.

Selanne’s second goal of the game tied the score in regulation, and he had the only goal in a shootout to lift the Ducks to a 3-2 victory against the Philadelphia Flyers on Saturday night.

“He comes in so fast on the goalie and changes the angle so quickly that it’s hard for the goalie to react,” Pronger said. “He doesn’t have a hard shot, but he’s got a very accurate, quick release.”

Pronger should know the scouting report. He spent the last three seasons with Selanne in Anaheim, and they won a Stanley Cup title in 2007.

“Fun to play against him,” Selanne said. “You don’t realize how good he is when you play on the same team. He was there like a wall.”

Selanne found a way to shoot past that wall on his second goal. He scored twice in the third and made it 2-2 when he beat Flyers goalie Ray Emery from the post to send the game into overtime.

“It almost looked like he had a twinkle in his eye there at the end like he was going to make something happen,” said Flyers Coach John Stevens.

Pronger scored his first goal with the Flyers after spending three years in Anaheim. Mike Richards also scored his NHL-best sixth goal of the season. Both Flyers goals came on the power play.

Danny Briere, Richards and Simon Gagne all missed their shootout attempts for the Flyers. Corey Perry was stopped on the Ducks’ first attempt, but Selanne beat Emery again for the winner.