Selanne Now Keeping Track of His Goals

MONTREAL — Teemu Selanne banked his first goal Saturday into the net off the goaltender’s keister. He chipped the second one off a defenseman’s elbow. Or maybe it was his hip.

Even Selanne wasn’t sure after scoring his NHL-leading 45th and 46th goals in the Mighty Ducks’ 5-4 victory over the Montreal Canadiens before 21,273 at the Molson Centre.

But it doesn’t particularly matter how they went into the net, the point is that they did.

Selanne has thrown down a challenge to the rest of the league’s top goal scorers. Catch him if you can, Peter Bondra, Pavel Bure and John LeClair.

At the moment, he leads Washington’s Bondra by three goals and Vancouver’s Bure and Philadelphia’s LeClair by four.

“I’d like to win it,” Selanne said of the goal-scoring title. “If somebody’s going to score more goals than me, that’s OK.

“They’re going to have to earn it, though.”

Indeed.

With the Ducks having lost any reasonable chance of making the playoffs after their recent seven-game losing streak, fighting to win the goal-scoring title will ensure that Selanne plays at maximum effort in the final 13 games.

Memories of his 76-goal rookie season in 1992-93 with the Winnipeg Jets remain fresh in his mind. In particular, he can’t shake the disappointment of being tied by Alexander Mogilny on the final night of the regular season.

Selanne had eight third-period shots against Edmonton Oiler goalie Bill Ranford in a desperate fight to break the deadlock. But he could not score his 77th.

“I scored 50 goals before they started asking, ‘Who is that guy?’ ” said Selanne, when asked about setting the NHL rookie record in ‘92-93. “I feel better now. I’m stronger. I’m faster. I’m more experienced.”

Recently, it also has become evident he’s not out there carrying the offensive burden by himself.

Paul Kariya remains sidelined by post-concussion syndrome and the chances of his returning diminish with each passing day.

But rookies Frank Banham and Matt Cullen have given opponents something else to ponder in the last few games. Banham had a goal, his fourth in five games, and Cullen had two assists.

“Frank can really read the game,” Selanne said. “It’s great to see, especially when you know how much he’s gone through with all the injuries.”

Banham--an 83-goal scorer with Saskatoon of the junior-level Western Hockey League in 1995-96--battled a groin injury that required surgery, but is showing his fitness now.

Of Cullen, Selanne said: “He’s made a big surprise. I think he’s going to be a great player. You can see the way he can dominate the game by handling the puck.”

Banham and Cullen provide the sort of relief Selanne needs to fight against almost constant defensive pressure--some of it even within the rules.

Without Kariya, opponents know the way to beat the Ducks is to beat up Selanne. Those tactics were the reason behind defenseman Craig Ludwig’s elbow to Selanne’s head that led to the third-period rumble March 13 against the Dallas Stars.

The task of shadowing Selanne fell to Montreal defenseman Dave Manson on Saturday. Against Manson’s persistent hooking, holding and slashing, Selanne managed to break free for power-play goals in the first and second periods.

“Playing with Paul I don’t have to do anything extra,” Selanne said. “He knows what I’m doing. I know what he’s doing. Without him I have to fight harder to get these [scoring] chances.”

In some ways, Selanne has become a more well-rounded player because Kariya has been sidelined for so long--because of a contract dispute to start the season and now because of his injury.

“I’m still disappointed Paul is out,” Selanne said. “Early in the year, when I knew he was going to be out, I tried to change my game. So far, the year has been good to me.”

The next step: topping the 50-goal barrier.

Selanne has done it twice--in his rookie season and also last season, when he had 51 goals to finish second to the Phoenix Coyotes’ Keith Tkachuk, who had 52.