Ducks keep streak in check
History beckons for the Ducks. They never expected they’d be in a position at this point in the season to break a long-standing record held by one of the greatest teams in the annals of the NHL.
They hear the buzz, how they’ve gotten at least one point in each of their first 15 games, tying the mark set by the 1984-85 Edmonton Oilers.
The Ducks can surpass it Thursday night but pay no mind.
“I haven’t heard one time any of my teammates talk about the streak,†forward Teemu Selanne said. “That’s a great sign. When we lose in overtime or the shootout, it feels like a loss. It’s a great sign because we’re not happy about one point.â€
The 11-0-4 Ducks travel to Vancouver to face the Canucks. One more victory, or by pushing the game to overtime where a team gets a point even with a loss, and they make it 16 in a row.
The streak itself comes with an asterisk.
Twenty-two years ago, points were not awarded for overtime losses. That began with the 1999-2000 season. And the shootout to break ties after the five-minute overtime wasn’t in existence until last season.
The Ducks, if they were playing under the same rules those Oilers had, would have had the streak ended at 12 after losing last week in overtime to the New York Rangers.
The Oilers set the mark with a 12-0-3 record before absorbing their first loss. With Wayne Gretzky and Mark Messier leading the way, the Oilers went on to win their second consecutive Stanley Cup championship.
As omens go, it is hard to beat.
Asked if he’d love to take down a record held by those mighty Oilers, Chris Pronger said, “Sure. They hold quite a few.â€
The Ducks tied the record Monday night with a 3-2 overtime victory over Pittsburgh and remain the only team in the league without a loss in regulation. But the talk about creating history has been largely muted in the dressing room.
The streak isn’t what matters most to them. They’re more concerned with reaching their potential.
Although they have found different ways to win, the Ducks have yet to consistently show the suffocating fore-checking game they forged last November in turning around their season.
Pronger acknowledged that point and offered a scary thought to the rest of the league.
“We haven’t played in a game where it’s all clicking,†he said. “We’ve been a little flat at times. I don’t think we’ve played a 60-minute game the way we want to play. Granted, other teams play a part in that.
“We haven’t scratched the surface of how good we can be.â€
Coach Randy Carlyle said the players have blocked out the growing attention surrounding the streak.
“The things that happen outside the game sometimes take a life of their own,†Carlyle said. “We can’t control that. The only thing we can control is how we approach our day-to-day business attitude toward the games that are coming. All that other stuff is fine and dandy.
“We’ve stated all along that we’re not in a sprint. We’re in a marathon. If we fall flat on our face in the last half of the season, nobody will remember this streak.
“It’ll be something that’s in history.â€
It’s a different history for the Ducks, though, who rarely have done well in the season’s first half. Their four playoff appearances, in fact, were all marked by second-half surges.
Now in his sixth season in Anaheim, goalie Jean-Sebastien Giguere likes being out in front of the pack for once.
“It’s a nice little perk,†he said. “Obviously, we want to keep it going as long as we can. We know it’s going to end at some point. It’s inevitable.
“But it’s a treat right now. It’s fun to be around here. Why not keep it as long as we can?â€
Go beyond the scoreboard
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