Ducks Take a Stand, and Colorado Pays Price

They were angry, violent men late Friday night in Dallas, emotions and fists flying in outrage after captain Teemu Selanne was felled by what the Mighty Ducks believed was a cheap shot to the head.

When the Ducks uncorked that energy Sunday at the Arrowhead Pond, they added a bit of restraint and defeated the Colorado Avalanche, 5-3, to end a seven-game losing streak.

Above all else, the Ducks were pleased Selanne was fit to work his offensive magic again--happy to learn he suffered nothing more than a cut on his nose and a stiff neck after Dallas defenseman Craig Ludwig slammed his head against the glass.

Selanne played a strong game against the Pacific Division-leading Avalanche, assisting on goals by Matt Cullen, Sean Pronger and Scott Young. Frank Banham and Tomas Sandstrom also scored for the Ducks.

“I’m feeling pretty good,” Selanne said. “My neck is sore and I didn’t feel as good as I wanted.”

The Ducks said they were proud to have stuck up for Selanne during three brawls in the final 4:08 of Friday’s game. They said they were only sorry they couldn’t get at Ludwig.

The Ducks also were grateful to learn Sunday that only enforcer Brent Severyn was suspended by the league for four games for amassing too many instigator penalties.

They are hopeful Ludwig will be suspended. A decision is expected from Brian Burke, NHL director of hockey operations, by Tuesday at the latest.

“I think he should look at it hard,” Selanne said.

Most of all, though, the Ducks believed they might finally have bonded as a team--just when they appeared to be coming apart at the seams.

“Even though we lost the game in Dallas, we all felt good about ourselves,” said winger Warren Rychel, one of the most aggressive fighters in Friday’s 6-3 loss. “We all did the right things. We stuck up for Teemu. There’s no room for that in the game. [Ludwig] should be suspended.

“It had to be addressed and it was addressed. Look at Paul Kariya. He’s out because of the same thing [a cross check to the head Feb. 1 by Chicago’s Gary Suter].”

Said defenseman David Karpa: “It was something that brought us together. It was a scene right out of ‘Slap Shot.’ ”

It certainly showed against the Avalanche, which played for the second consecutive day after losing to the Kings, 5-2, Saturday at the Great Western Forum.

Rallying from last place in the Western Conference on Sunday to a playoff spot by April 19 remains a longshot for the Ducks. But for now, they will take their victories where they can get them.

Friday, it meant brawling with the Stars to defend Selanne.

Sunday, it meant winning most of the battles along the boards and in front of the net and capitalizing on Selanne’s wizardry with the puck.

“I think the team took a stand,” Coach Pierre Page said of the Dallas game. “If we do play hard and make someone mad, we’ve got to find a way to channel that emotion.”

The next step is bottling it and taking it on the road. The Ducks start their longest trip of the season Wednesday against the New Jersey Devils. They also play Philadelphia, Montreal, Ottawa, Chicago, Detroit and Colorado in what figures to be a make-or-break trip.

To be sure, the Ducks circled their March 25 date at Chicago quite some time ago.

“We’ll have to see when we play the game,” Rychel said when asked if he expected a brawl when the Ducks play Suter and the Blackhawks.

“Oh, I hope not,” Selanne said when asked the same question.

However, he predicted more brawls will follow if the NHL doesn’t soon crack down on hits such as the ones Suter and Ludwig delivered.

“These things are going to keep happening if the league doesn’t stop the hits to the head,” Selanne said. “You never want to see it happen. You never want to see other guys get hit in the head.”

Of the fights Friday, he added: “It wasn’t a good promotion for the league. But it made our team closer, for sure. I think it really helped us. I don’t think we should do that often, but this time it was good.”