Anaheim Ducks Fly to Safety against the Colorado Avalanche – NHL Updates
Anaheim Ducks had to fight their way to victory against Colorado on Monday night. Teemu Selanne scored three times for Ducks who defeated Avalanche by 5-4 at the Honda Centre in Anaheim, California.
They were down by two entering the second period, but Ducks’ Selanne made sure that the slump did not last long.
He gave Anaheim their inaugural goal when he made his first penalty shot in over 18 years early in the second.
Both teams gave over 22 minutes in penalty time for various incidents of fighting and roughing each other up during the first period alone.
Avalanche’s David Koci and Ducks’ George Parros went at it 4:09 into the first and were awarded a five minute major penalty each for fighting.
Avalanche’s Ryan O'Reilly and Matt Duchene both scored within five minutes of the first period to take an early lead for Colorado.
Colorado’s defenseman, John-Michael Liles, gave the home team a penalty shot when he covered the puck with his hand in the goalies crease.
Selanne was selected to take the shot, which he was successful at. It was his first since 1993 back when he played with the Winnipeg Jets.
It gave the Ducks a much needed spark which lasted till the end.
Left winger, Jason Blake, tied up the match nearly three minutes after Anaheim’s first goal.
Selanne gave him the opportunity from behind the net which eventually went in after skidding off Erik Johnson’s skate.
Selanne added his second of the night to take the lead midway through.
Cam Fowler assisted the 40-year-old to make his third double goal game of the season.
David Jones was able to tie the match up again after a fast give and go with teammate, Daniel Winnik, to end the second period at 3-3.
Fowler picked up his record breaking tie-breaker goal, 2:49 into the third and final period.
He became the first rookie defenseman for Anaheim to have a record of nine goals and 27 assists in his initial season.
Captain Ryan Getzlaf fed Selanne on a power play with less than five minutes remaining in the third. He became the fourth 40-plus year old NHL player to achieve a hat trick.
Before the season, he gave hints on various occasions about this being his last season as a professional player, but the Anaheim crowd wanted him to stay, chanting “One More Year!” after the game ended.
"My mind goes like an elevator," Selanne said commenting on rumours about his retirement. "One day I feel I could play 10 more years and the next day I feel like, 'Why are you still doing this?' That's why I'm not even thinking about that during the season.
It's better to think about those things after the season when you're stable.
Paul Stastny gave Colorado a final goal with under a minute remaining off Milan Hejduk’s third assist of the night, but they were not able to recover after that.
Chicago was praying for Anaheim to lose so that they could move up in the Western Conference, but the Ducks washed away their hopes as they regained the seventh spot with 91 points, ahead of Blackhawks by one and below fifth placed LA by one.
Anaheim Ducks will stop in Calgary for their next matchup against the Flames on Wednesday, while the hopeless 14th place Avalanche meets the Predators on Thursday to fulfil the requirement.
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