Repeat Performance
Vancouver – The last time the Anaheim Ducks played the Vancouver Canucks, Teemu Selanne had his best performance of the season.
For Monday’s game at the General Motors Place, the Ducks (18-12-3) will face the Canucks (18-12-3) without their leading goal scorer.
Oddsmakers from Online Sportsbook Sportsbook.com have made the Canucks –145 money line favorites for Wednesday’s game against the Ducks. Current NHL Public Betting Information shows that 73% of more than 157 bets for this game have been placed on the Canucks -145.
Selanne will miss at least four weeks after cutting his thigh in the opening minutes of Friday’s 3-2 shootout victory at Edmonton. The injury came when he collided with Oilers defenseman Denis Grebeshkov along the boards and lacerated his left quad with his right skate.
An MRI on Saturday revealed no damage to any tendons or other connective tissue, and the injury will not require surgery.
"It’s just bad luck, but it could be worse," Selanne told the Ducks’ official Web site. "There’s a bright side. That’s how I’m going to look at it."
Bobby Ryan is expected to move up to the top line with Ryan Getzlaf and Corey Perry to fill Selanne’s spot. Ryan has produced four goals and 11 points in 15 games since being recalled Nov. 15. The Ducks also recalled center Andrew Ebbett, who had 10 goals and 19 assists in 28 games with Iowa of the AHL.
Selanne, who had 14 goals, had a season-high four points in a 7-6 shootout loss Oct. 31 to Vancouver. He scored twice and assisted on two other goals, including Corey Perry’s tying score with 57 seconds left in regulation. However, Selanne also missed on Anaheim’s first attempt in a shootout that eventually lasted 13 rounds.
The Ducks’ struggling power play also takes a big hit without Selanne, the NHL’s leader with 13 power-play goals. Anaheim, which has 24 goals with the man advantage, has converted one of its last 21 opportunities in its last four games.
While the Ducks will be without Selanne, they will get back goaltender Jean-Sebastien Giguere, who returns to the team after attending his father’s funeral in Montreal.
Giguere’s backup, Jonas Hiller, tied a franchise record with 51 saves and stopped all three shootout attempts in Friday’s win. Anaheim improved to 3-1 in shootouts this season, but their only loss came Oct. 31, when the Canucks’ Mattias Ohlund made the winning shot against Hiller.
Giguere started that game, but was pulled after giving up four goals on 13 shots. He has not beaten Vancouver in his last three appearances, giving up 11 goals in that time. Before that, the Anaheim goalie was 7-0-1 in the nine previous meetings.
Hiller has a 1-1-1 career record versus the Canucks with a 1.87 goals-against average.
Vancouver is wrapping up a four-game homestand and trying to bounce back from a 3-1 loss to Chicago on Saturday. The Canucks had netted three power-play goals and scored nine overall in winning the first two games before going 0-for-6 with the man advantage in the loss.
"We had a couple of chances in the second on the power play, and every time they just put their sticks in the right spot," Pavol Demitra told the Canucks’ official Web site. "We just didn’t have the luck to put the puck in the net."
Daniel Sedin, however, scored for the third time in the last two games, and the team’s leader in goals (15) and points (33) has 10 goals and 21 points in the last 17 contests. Twin brother, Henrik Sedin, has an assist in three straight games and a team-high 25.
Vancouver has won its last two at home over Anaheim and four of the last five overall.
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Posted: 12/22/08 12:35 AM ET