Teemu Selanne gets victory at home as Anaheim Ducks beat Jokerit Helsinki 4-3 in Overtime-NHL Update
Teemu Selanne, Anaheim’s legendary player, finally made that much awaited debut in his hometown of Helsinki, Finland to play against the Jokerit team, which had the local fans going wild for a view of their national hero.
Ducks overpowered the Helsinki team by beating them 4-3 in a close overtime matchup on Tuesday, October 4, 2011, to end the 2011 National Hockey League (NHL) preseason with a levelled 4-4 record over the series.
"It was a special night”, Helsinki native Teemu Selanne said after the matchup with his former team. "I really enjoyed being in the game. It was tough for us, but it was a nice experience".
It was certainly a historic moment that will be in the minds of everyone present for quite a while when Selanne took to the ice after the announcer introduced the veteran player and the crowd stood up to give an unprecedented ovation.
Corey Perry gave Jokerit something to work for as he scored two back-to-back goals in the first period, the first assisted by Saku Koivu followed by Ryan Getzlaf and Teemu Selanne on a power play.
Tom Koivisto put Jokerit on the scoreboard by potting a goal of his own with 1:04 remaining in the second. Cam Fowler did not let Anaheim stay out for long by scoring his third of the preseason with the final six seconds remaining of the period.
Jokerit got back into the match after Riku Hahl scored in the opening two minutes and Ben Eaves made the equalising shot with less than four minutes remaining to force an uncertain overtime.
"They’ve got a lot of skill and a lot of speed", Perry said of the Finnish team. "They are a team that likes to hold onto the puck and they had a great game plan. They battled and they battled back hard, and made it interesting against us".
Ryan Getzlaf won the match by scoring in the extended period, ending the preseason and a wild ride in Helsinki which they probably will never forget.
Anaheim kicks off its regular season opener against Buffalo Sabres on Friday, October 7, in Helsinki, Finland.
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