No Doubt, Ducks Stop the Devils

There’s no great mystery why the Mighty Ducks win games.

Left wing Brian Bellows described the winning formula succinctly after the Ducks’ 3-1 victory over the New Jersey Devils Wednesday before 17,174 at the Pond of Anaheim.

“Paul [Kariya] and Teemu [Selanne] have to score,” Bellows explained. “We have to get a goal from another line and we have to get a good game from [goaltender] Guy Hebert.”

When the Ducks manage to pull it all together on the same night, they look like the contenders their coach says they are.

Perhaps Coach Ron Wilson has it pegged. Maybe he’s not overselling the Ducks, trying to pump them up for the stretch run.

Could it be that they really are in great shape to make the playoffs for the first time?

Kariya and Selanne each scored goals Wednesday. Jari Kurri scored the go-ahead goal. Hebert was sharp again, shutting out the Devils over the game’s final 59:42.

The Ducks played sound defense, won battles in the corners and in front of the net and made only a few mistakes.

And they edged within a point of eighth place in the Western Conference standings.

“I think it’s a sign we’re coming together as a team,” Hebert, who stopped 41 of 42 shots, said of the Ducks’ fourth victory in five games.

Hebert came down with flulike symptoms one day after appearing in his first All-Star game on Saturday at San Jose. He missed practice Monday, but was back Tuesday.

Wednesday, he gave up a goal by New Jersey’s Brian Rolston only 18 seconds into the game. It was hardly an ideal start, but Hebert and the Ducks rebounded swiftly.

“Guy kept us in the game long enough until everyone else got going,” Wilson said.

As always, or so it seems, Kariya and Selanne put the Ducks on the right track, hooking up for game-tying goal.

Kariya’s terrific centering pass from the right-hand corner found Selanne, who was standing alone in front of the net. Selanne converted to extend his point streak to nine consecutive games.

Selanne earned his 400th point in the NHL by assisting on Kariya’s second-period goal.

In between, Kurri scored the go-ahead goal, his first in seven games, as the Ducks’ second line applied sustained pressure on New Jersey goalie Mike Dunham.

Bellows did most of the dirty work. He set up the goal by gaining control of a loose puck along the left-wing boards, driving toward the New Jersey net and fending off a defenseman with his right arm while delivering a perfect pass to Kurri with only his left hand on the stick.

Kurri’s one-timer beat the helpless Dunham and the Ducks had a 2-1 lead.

“That was tremendous,” Wilson said of Bellows’ play. “It must have been 30 to 35 seconds that he controlled the puck and knocked people off it. It’s tough to control the puck and bang and battle for 35 seconds. I think he wore the New Jersey defense down.”

Soon enough, Wilson found himself answering questions about the Ducks’ lack of scoring depth beyond their first line of Selanne (26 goals), Kariya (17) and Steve Rucchin (10).

“It’s almost like it’s bad when they score,” Wilson said of Kariya and Selanne. “People say, ‘You’re a one-line team.’ Maybe we ought to tell Paul and Teemu not to score and let everybody else score and then we’re not a one-line team.”

New Jersey, playing for the second consecutive night, couldn’t seem to keep pace after Selanne tied the score, 1-1, at the 8:57 mark of the first period.

Perhaps his biggest save came on Bill Guerin’s breakaway midway through the second period. With the Devils trailing, 2-1, Guerin slipped behind fallen Duck defenseman Ken Baumgartner and skated in alone against Hebert.

Guerin deked once, went to his backhand, but couldn’t get his shot past Hebert, who made the save with his right leg.