Selanne in the spotlight.
Teemu Selanne is, rightfully and uniquely, a center of attention in Anaheim for two very different reasons right now.
For most every action he makes in a game this season, there is an equal and opposite reaction in the hockey history books. With a pair of goals against Nashville on Thursday, Selanne brought his career points total to 1,220 and demoted Jean Beliveau to 39th in the all-time rankings.
Asked about passing Beliveau, the longtime Montreal Canadiens captain, Selanne said "hearing things like that, it's a great honor."
"I'm very thankful how my career has gone," he said "I'm very lucky I've played with so many great players over the years. That's helped with my game and my success."
Selanne also tied former Winnipeg Jets teammate Keith Tkachuk on the career power-play goals list, for 11th all-time, with 209. Joe Nieuwendyk (215) and Mike Gartner (217) are also within Selanne's reach this season, which could be his last, as his two-year contract expires in June.
Several players are within Selanne's sights on the career points list. Matching or eclipsing the 601 career goals of fellow Finn Jari Kurri (he's next on the career list) could give him incentive to play beyond this year.
Cementing his place among hockey royalty, while an engaging plotline for fans, is not the focus of the 39-year-old right wing.
At the moment, Selanne merely hopes to build on Thursday's performance. At 8:05 of the third period, he and linemate Saku Koivu connected for a 4-on-4 breakaway goal, flashing some of the flash missing from a pairing previously plush with more potential than points.
"We have had some really good games, so many good chances, but the puck hasn't gone in," Selanne said. "It's a little frustrating, but hopefully this gives us the boost we need to take it up a level.
"Everything's about confidence," he added. "I really hope tonight's game will give us the boost that we need."
Head coach Randy Carlyle purposefully sent out the pair to start the 4-on-4 situation, allowing the Finns to use their quickness through the offensive zone -- the perfect place for a confidence boost.
"Four-on-four, I love that," Selanne said. "There's even more extra room, even more extra time. We've really got to take advantage of our tools that we have there. There's not a lot of 4-on-4s."
Said Carlyle, "you try and put those players in those situations as much as possible. If they get a little more room out there -- and 4-on-4 is one of those opportunities -- I've played them 4-on-4 as a pair right from the beginning of the season. It really wasn't something we just concocted tonight."
About J.P.
J.P. Hoornstra has been covering the Anaheim Ducks since 2007. Eight months after the University of Wisconsin won its third NCAA hockey championship, he was born in a frigid Madison winter. He betrayed his blue-blooded beginnings by graduating from UCLA in 2003, and welcomes any and all dialogue on the finer points of hockey.
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