Free agents pay dividends for Mighty Ducks

 

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Game Information

Arena: United Center Location: Chicago, Illinois

Referees: TimPeel, DeanWarren Linesmen: RyanGalloway, DanSchachte

Attendance: 16,533 (83.9% full)

Team Stat Comparison
251	Goals	209
222	Goals Against	279
87	Power Play Goals	51
84	Power Play Goals Allowed	88
9	Shorthanded Goals	6
13	Shorthanded Goals Allowed	12
1459	Penalty Minutes	1544
18	Average Penalty Minutes	19

Scoring Summary
1ST PERIOD			ANA	CHI
8:22		Mark Bell Assists: Martin Lapointe, Brent Seabrook	0	1
11:33		Teemu Selanne (Power Play) Assists: Petr Sykora, Corey Perry	1	1
17:30		Joffrey Lupul (Shorthanded) Unassisted	2	1
2ND PERIOD			ANA	CHI
2:19		Joffrey Lupul Assists: Kip Brennan, Keith Carney	3	1
8:40		Curtis Brown Assists: Kyle Calder	3	2
9:39		Scott Niedermayer (Power Play) Assists: Sergei Fedorov, Andy McDonald	4	2
16:04		Rene Bourque (Power Play) Assists: Kyle Calder, Curtis Brown	4	3
3RD PERIOD			ANA	CHI
1:40		Rob Niedermayer (Shorthanded) Assists: Andy McDonald	5	3

CHICAGO (AP) -- The Anaheim Mighty Ducks got goals from likely and unlikely sources in their season-opening 5-3 win over the Chicago Blackhawks on Wednesday night.

Teeumu Selanne and Scott Niedermayer -- Anaheim's big free agent acquisitions -- scored power-play goals and Rob Niedermayer, Scott's younger brother, added one with the Mighty Ducks short-handed.

But Joffrey Lupul, entering his second NHL season, had two goals, one at even strength, the other short-handed.

"Getting the first goal was a relief," said Selanne, in his second tour with the Mighty Ducks. "The first win was more important."

Scott Neidermayer was happy to get back to work after losing a season to the lockout in what could be a faster, more-fluid NHL because of several rules changes.

"Both teams were excited to get back on the ice," he said. "You have that combined with the number of penalties and it wasn't really a control game for either team. There was a lot of activity all over the ice."

The Mighty Ducks converted two of nine power-play chances, while the Blackhawks were 1-for-9.

Rob Niedermayer said the last time he and his brother scored a goal for the same team in the same game was with Team Canada during the 2004 World Cup. Scott wasn't so sure, but looks forward to skating with his brother.

"I don't have that good a memory of it, but if he said it, it must be true," Scott Niedermayer said of scoring in the same game. "Just going the full season of competing together for the same team will be special for us."

Lupul profited from playing on Anaheim's special teams to get his first career short-handed goal.

"I don't think I saw two seconds on penalty killing last year," Lupul said. "Now (coach) Randy (Carlyle) is giving me a great opportunity to kill penalties and work on the power play. It's something I've got to run with."

Anaheim got 36 saves from Jean-Sebastien Giguere.

However, Chicago's Nikolai Khabibulin -- the highest profile free agent goalie this summer after helping Tampa Bay win the Stanley Cup in 2003-04 -- allowed five goals on 24 shots.

"I have to do a better job of controlling (the puck)," Khabibulin said. "I really wanted to do well. Home openers are usually a tough game to play."

Chicago rookie Rene Bourque scored in his first NHL game, while Mark Bell and Curtis Brown added goals.

"It's one game. I'm not going to sit there and beat the team down after one game," Chicago coach Trent Yawney said. "The start was excellent. When we played 5-on-5 hockey, we were very, very good.

"When they scored two short-handed goals, that's difficult. It takes a little wind out of your sails."

Eight of the nine free agents signed by the Blackhawks since July 2004 played Wednesday. Only defenseman Jaroslav Spacek (sore ribs) didn't dress.

The Mighty Ducks had three newly signed free agents -- Selanne, Scott Niedermayer and Jason Marshall -- in their lineup.

Bell opened the scoring at 8:22 of the first period by jamming a loose puck past Giguere from a scrum in front of the net.

Selanne was credited with a 5-on-3 power-play goal at 11:33 that tied it 1-all.

Petr Sykora's shot from the point struck Selanne, then ricocheted off Chicago defenseman Jassen Cullimore and slipped between Khabibulin's pads.

Lupul's scored the first short-handed goal of his career with 2:30 left in the first to put Anaheim ahead 2-1.

After breaking away down left wing, Lupul cut in front and fired a low shot that squeezed between Khabibulin's pads and barely trickled over the goal line. Lupul's second goal, at 2:19 of the second, made it 3-1. He cut down left wing, backed in rookie defenseman Brent Seabrook, cut to the net and scored on another low shot.

Brown cut it to 3-2 at 8:40 when he took Kyle Calder centering pass and scored from the edge of the crease.

Scott Niedermayer's goalmouth deflection on the power play made it 4-2.

Bourque made it 4-3 by popping in a rebound on the power play with 3:56 left in the second.

Rob Niedermayer converted a rebound for a short-handed goal at 1:40 of the third to make it 5-3.

Game notes
The Blackhawks welcomed back fans with quick personal messages from GM Dale Tallon, the coaching staff and individual players on the new United Center videoboard. ... The game drew a crowd of 16,533, even though the White Sox were playing Game 2 of their ALDS with Boston a few miles away at U.S. Cellular Field.