The NHL season is off to a fast start already as teams around the league are competing during a lockout-shortened schedule.
Some teams will greatly benefit from the quirks of the schedule, while others may struggle in the early parts of the season to fall out of playoff contention. The Anaheim Ducks got things started off the right way with a win on Saturday, while the Calgary Flames will look to rebound from a Sunday loss when the host the Ducks on Monday night.
Anaheim opened the year with an emphatic 7-3 victory over the Vancouver Canucks, who had the best regular-season record in the Western Conference last year. The start for the Ducks is much better already than last season, when the team lost 15 of their first 17 road games.
The Ducks are planning to lean heavily on veteran Teemu Selanne this season and he has proven exactly why from his first game against the Canucks. The 42-year-old scored two goals and two assists in the victory and looked faster than some players who were half his age.
"He defies age on certain nights," coach Bruce Boudreau said after the Ducks snapped a stretch of five straight season-opening defeats. "A 42-year-old getting four points in an NHL game ... it's quite amazing."
The team has had a few down seasons, but coach Bruce Boudreau is optimistic about the 2013 campaign.
"I love it. I've got six months bottled into me," Boudreau said. "It's what we do. This is my 38th year (in pro hockey), and to miss the first part of it was killing me. I can't wait for the games to get on."
The Ducks will face off against the Canucks at home again on Friday night and they could be undefeated with a win against the Flames. Calgary is coming off a tough loss at home against the San Jose Sharks on Friday night, netting just one goal from Lee Stempniak.
Although goalie Miikka Kiprusoff had a rough night, he made 25 saves in his 600th career game. Sharks center Patrick Marleau skated all around the Flames' defense, scoring two goals in the second period.
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