Kelvin Kuo-USA TODAY Sports
The NHL regular season has 60 games in the books. Teemu Selanne, also known as “The Finnish Flash” for his skating speed and Finland heritage, has played in 47 contests this year and posted seven goals. Selanne’s career goal total now sits at 682. He will need to score 18 goals in the remaining 22 games this season to reach 700.
Before the Olympic break it appeared as though Selanne would not reach 700 goals. He has played with a reduced ice time average of 13:58 minutes per game and has sat out of back to back situations. He registered 85 shots on goal before the Olympic break; which is 11th on the Anaheim Ducks’ active roster. In looking at all these factors, it really appears impossible for Selanne to reach 700 goals; or will he?
The Winter Olympics in Sochi are over and “The Finnish Flash” appeared to be skating like a 23 year old and not a 43 year old. Selanne had four goals and two assists in six games. I watched several of the games and he was flying around the rink with what appeared to be a renewed energy in his step.
So will the great performance with Team Finland help Selanne reach 700 goals by the end of the season? In looking at his numbers from Sochi, if he was to score four goals in every six games, he would register close to 15 goals, putting him just three goals short of the 700 mark.
I think it is completely possible to reach 700 goals, despite the difficulty, if Selanne sees more ice time. More ice time on the power play can definitely help where he has thrived in the past and he would most likely need to play in the three remaining back to back game pairings. If Selanne still feels great, Bruce Boudreau could give him more ice time. However, I would rather see Selanne conserve his energy for the playoffs. I would love to see him reach 700 goals and win the Stanley Cup. However, I think if he had to choose between the two, he would definitely want to retire hoisting the Stanley Cup one more time.
So do you think “The Finnish Flash” will reach 700 goals?
Follow us at Twitter for your DUCKS updates and team news! @pucksofafeather
Follow me @DucksDaily93 !