Sunday, May 20, 2007

Selanne's Ketchup Flows Once Again

After finishing the season 3rd overall with 48 goals, and 11th overall with 94 points, Teemu Selanne picked a inopportune moment to fall into a scoring slump. Prior to Thursday's game #4, Selanne had just 6 points in the first 12 games of the playoffs. Things have changed quickly, as Teeemu has 5 points in the past two games, including the Game five OT winner. The 5 points in two games gives him 11 points in 15 games, which is still well off what we have come to expect from the Finnish Flash, but it is good enough to be tied with Ryan Getzlaf for 12th overall in league playoff scoring.

If the Ducks want to win the Stanley Cup, Selanne is going to have to continue to play a bigger role, as he has during the past two games. It's not as if he wasn't playing well earlier in the playoffs. I actually think Selanne's best playoff performances so far have come during the Vancouver series - games where he was held off the scoresheet but was all over the ice. Prior to finally scoring in Game #4, Selanne was getting his opportunities, but perhaps just rushing his shot a little bi - squeezing his stick to hard as they say.

A quote from Selanne during the 2006 playoffs:

"You know how you can't get the ketchup out of the bottle and you keep beating on it and beating on it, and nothing comes out," he told the Orange County Register. "Then, all of a sudden, here it comes — splat!

"That's how it is with goal scorers. You have to be patient. As long as you keep getting your chances, you feel it's going to happen. "


Anaheim is now up 3-2, with a chance to close out the series on home ice in game #6. Living in the greater Detroit area, I would get the occasional odd glance cheering the Toronto Maple Leafs on during the regular season. The Anaheim Ducks are my second team. Cheering for Selanne and the Ducks has made the playoffs a lot less painful these past two seasons, as Toronto fell just short for the second year in a row.

I plan to go out Tuesday and cheer the Ducks on - I'll have a burger and fries, with a healthy dose of ketchup. I just hope they don't kick me out for making some noise after Selanne breaks the hearts of the Wings faithful.

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