Selannem, Ducks Top B'Hawks
Fired as coach by the Chicago Blackhawks after last season, Craig Hartsburg made a triumphant return Thursday night to the United Center, a building where he didn't win many games a year ago.
His new team, the Anaheim Mighty Ducks, got two goals from Teemu Selanne and won for the first time in four games this season, beating the Blackhawks 5-3 before a crowd of 14,710 -- nearly 6,000 under capacity.
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Hartsburg, who spent the three previous seasons with Chicago, was fired after the Blackhawks missed the playoffs for the first time since 1969. Under Hartsburg last season, the Hawks were just 14-19-8 at home.
Paul Kariya, whose season was ended Feb. 1 when he suffered a concussion after a brutal hit from former Blackhawks defenseman Gary Suter, gave the Ducks a 3-1 lead in the second period with a shorthanded breakaway goal.
Chicago goalie Jeff Hackett stopped Kariya's first attempt, but the Anaheim star rebounded his own miss past Hackett.
Anaheim broke a 1-1 tie earlier in the second when Mike Crowley took a pass from Selanne and scored from the left slot. The goal was set up when Selanne took a loose puck away from Chicago's Chris Chelios behind the net.
Chicago got within 3-2 early in the final period as Jeff Shantz scored on a centering pass from Bob Probert. Tomas Sandstrom scored at 12:45 to give the Ducks a two-goal lead, but Doug Gilmour's first Chicago goal, just 25 seconds later, brought the Hawks within 4-3.
Selanne skated to right side and beat Hackett with just 1:16 left to wrap up the scoring.
The Blackhawks had a two-man advantage on the poer play when Tony Amonte rebounded a shot from teammate Eric Daze and slipped it by Guy Hebert for a 1-0 lead at 9:14 of the opening period.
Anaheim tied it before the end of an 11-penalty first period when Selanne took a nifty pass from Steve Rucchin across the net and backhanded it past Hackett.
Anaheim's five goals were four more than the Ducks had total in their first three games.
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