Selanne nets winner for Ducks in OT

Associated Press
11/7/2006 1:01:58 AM

ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) - Teemu Selanne scored a power-play goal 44 seconds into overtime after drawing a tripping penalty from Noah Welch, and the Anaheim Ducks extended their fast start with a 3-2 victory over the Pittsburgh Penguins on Monday night.

Chris Kunitz and Corey Perry also scored for the Ducks, who outshot Pittsburgh 40-17 while improving to an NHL-best 11-0-4. By earning at least one point in each of their first 15 games, they tied the 1984-85 Edmonton Oilers for the most consecutive games without a loss in regulation to start a season.

Dominic Moore and Chris Thorburn scored first-period goals for the Penguins, who concluded a four-game road trip with their second straight loss following a five-game winning streak. Sidney Crosby, who scored 39 goals last season as a rookie and became the youngest player in NHL history to record at least 100 points, did not have a shot on net for the third consecutive game.

Selanne had plenty of open ice to manoeuvre with the teams skating 4-on-3 in overtime, and he got in perfect position to redirect Scott Niedermayer's centring pass from the right circle. It was Selanne's 44th game-winning goal with the Ducks, tying Paul Kariya's franchise record.

The Penguins played without defenceman Mark Eaton, who dislocated his left wrist just 63 seconds into Saturday's 3-2 loss at San Jose and is scheduled to undergo surgery on Tuesday in Pittsburgh. Eaton, who leads the team with 36 blocked shots and is a key member of the penalty-killing unit, was injured when Jonathan Cheechoo of the Sharks rode him into the corner boards and landed on top of him.

Jocelyn Thibault made 16 of his 37 saves during the second period in his first start of the season. The 13-year veteran was 1-9-0 with a 4.46 goals-against average in 16 appearances last season before missing the final 40 games because of a hip injury that required surgery.

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