Flexible Selanne Achieves His Goal

Teemu Selanne made a surprise appearance at the Ducks’ morning skate, which was an optional workout for those playing Wednesday night against the Toronto Maple Leafs.

What was the story?

Didn’t Selanne get his fill of skating during Tuesday’s 90-minute marathon practice?

Or was he in Coach Craig Hartsburg’s doghouse?

Neither was the case, as it turned out.

“In Ottawa, I didn’t feel good in the game,” he said of Monday’s 2-2 tie against the Senators. “My body was tight and I had no energy. We didn’t skate that morning, just stretched at the hotel. I wanted to make sure I wasn’t like that two games in a row.”

Joked Hartsburg: “He must not have had enough ice time [Tuesday].”

Actually, there was a method to Selanne’s madness.

Fact is, he had only two goals in the last four games before Wednesday. He was held without a goal or an assist against Ottawa and also was blanked in a 1-0 victory Dec. 22 against the Colorado Avalanche.

So, Selanne joined Antti Aalto, Matt Cullen, Jason Marshall, Tomas Sandstrom and backup goalie Dominic Roussel for a 30-minute session of drills and skating Wednesday morning.

It must have worked because Selanne scored the Ducks’ only goal in a 4-1 loss to the Maple Leafs.

*

Marshall’s parents traveled all the way from Cranbrook, in the Canadian province of British Columbia, in the hopes of seeing him play his final game at Maple Leaf Gardens.

But Marshall’s injured left hamstring wasn’t sound enough to let him play and he was sidelined for the fourth consecutive game.

“I’m getting pretty sick of this,” Marshall said. “I want to play. I was hoping I could play. [But] it’s better to be 100%. If I hurt it again, I could be out a lot longer.”

Marshall hopes to play Friday against the Buffalo Sabres.