Jan 19, 2013; Vancouver, British Columbia, CANADA; Vancouver Canucks defenseman Kevin Bieksa (3) tries to clear the puck from the net of goaltender Cory Schneider (35) as Anaheim Ducks center Kyle Palmieri (51) tries to pick it up during the second period at Rogers Arena. Mandatory Credit: Anne-Marie Sorvin-USA TODAY Sports

Vancouver, BC - The Ducks, lead by Teemu Selanne, looked strong against the defending President’s Trophy winners last night. One area of concern going into the game was the power play. Top power play killer Cam Fowlerwas scratched due to the flu. The Ducks united and went a perfect 3-for-3 on the man advantage.

In the first period, off-season acquisition Daniel Winnik got the scoring started at the 6:31 mark. Daniel Hamhuis was the next to score on a slapshot midway in the frame. Daniel Sedin scored a power play goal after Jonas Hiller could not corral rebound a minute and a half after Hamhuis’s tally. The Ducks got their first chance with the man advantage at the 15:04 mark and wasted no time in scoring. After Selanne won a faceoff, Sheldon Souray got the puck and slapped it past Cory Schneider to tie the game.

The second period was all Ducks. Winnik again started the scoring off 3:33 into the frame. Max Lapierre was called for hooking at the 6:24 mark and on the ensuing faceoff, Corey Perry netted a wrister to pad the lead.  Schneider got the hook after Kyle Palmieri notched his first of the year 11 seconds later. Selanne netted his first of the year on a power play in the closing seconds of the second.

Alexander Edler notched a power play goal at the 9:27 mark. Selanne cemented the top star honors with his second goal of the night and fourth point overall. There were no further penalties or scoring the rest of the game.

After the game, Selanne got word of another 40 year-old, Jaromir Jagr, having a big night and had this to say about the senior skaters big performances:

“Way to go old boys. Most of the nights you feel it’s a young guy’s game. Physically, health-wise, I feel great. But I know I need at least four or five games to get my legs back. To be honest, I can’t wait until I start feeling good because it is going to be way more fun than this.”

The Ducks will return to the ice Monday in Calgary to face the Flames. Puck drops at 6:00 p.m. PST. The game will air on Fox Sport Prime Ticket.

Three Stars:

1. ANA Teemu Selanne (2 G, 2 A, +1)

2. ANA Daniel Winnik (2 G, 0 A, +2)

3. ANA Saku Koivu (0 G, 2 A, +2)

SOG:

Edmonton Oil Kings defenseman Griffin Reinhart (via thepensnation.com)

His game heavily relies on his size and long reach that makes it very difficult to one-on-one. He anticipates what the offense is going to do very well and displays good hockey instincts. He uses his big body to unload some pretty big slap shots for an 18-year-old. Much like fellow defensive prospect Cody Ceci, Reinhart is very good and covering ground after pinching in the offensive zone. He has good agility and versatility to go along with his very good skating ability. However, during his time with the Oil Kings, there was some concern about Reinhart and the ability that he can play major minutes consistently at the NHL level. He struggled a lot early last season when he logged big minutes. As the season progressed, he did get a bit better but scout’s will question whether or not he can carry a heavy workload just yet. His upcoming season with the Oil Kings will be a good test as to whether Reinhart is ready as he will become the number one defenseman in Edmonton.

In the past season with Edmonton, Reinhart had 12 goals 24 assists for 36 points in 58 games. Those numbers are expected to increase next season as he should get a bigger workload. His size is really attractive as a defenseman prospect. Every team in the league would like to have a guy that big who can be a top-pairing defenseman. It is almost certain that he will return to the Oil Kings, but if he excels in training camp it;s possible he could stay where he is drafted. The Ducks have been rumored to want to get bigger, especially on defense and Reinhart fits. However, I think that the Ducks will only consider Reinhart if either Filip Forsberg or Radek Faksa are already taken. However, it’s the draft and anything is possible.

Here are a couple of videos on Griffin:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R1BQ77yQYJw

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yRDo6JeiheI

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