It took Ryan Getzlaf of the Anaheim Ducks nine seasons to record his first career treble, a feat that sparked more amusement than celebration.
These days in Anaheim, it is all fun and games as the Ducks have surged to the top of the NHL points standings.
After Getzlaf scored his three goals, all in the first period in a win over the Buffalo Sabres last week, his response was self-deprecating humour.
“It’s about time, don’t you think?” he said to a team photographer in the locker room when she brought him three pucks to hold as a prop.
He also welcomed the ribbing he got from teammates, including from Teemu Selanne, 43, who has 22 career hat-tricks.
“Teemu said he had 10 by this number of games in,” said the Ducks’ captain, who added he had been talking with linemate Dustin Penner recently about the fact that neither of them had ever scored a triple. “It was a joke. Pens and I were saying that’s a long list of players to not be on.”
Added Penner, dryly, “All the pressure is squarely on my shoulders now. It weighs heavily.”
Everything else is just fine.
The win over Buffalo improved the Ducks to 7-0-1 over their last eight games, and 7-0 at home.
Their 63 goals lead the league.
They also are flush with top-notch goaltenders. Regulars Jonas Hiller and Viktor Fasth (currently on the injured list) are being pushed by rookie Frederik Andersen, who won his first five games with a 1.50 goals against mark.
Meanwhile, minor league netminder John Gibson, 20, is considered a future centrepiece of the franchise.
The surplus should give them an opportunity to make a trade should a need arise as the season progresses.
In the meantime, the Ducks need only make small adjustments.
“Defensively, we have to keep getting better,” said Penner.
“Sometimes we’re reaching for the puck, taking chances. But that happens when you’re up 4-1, 5-1 in a game.
“We just need to make smart plays.”
They have been among the worst teams in the NHL on the power play, and defending it, but special team deficiencies have not bitten them, yet.
Coach Bruce Boudreau just wants to keep the momentum going.
“We’ll keep trying to do the same things we’ve been doing, and not get into any bad habits so this becomes the norm,” Boudreau said.
“At some point we’ll probably go through a stretch that’s not as good, but we’ll try to put that off as long as we can.”
Or, as Getzlaf might say, hopefully as long as it takes for him to score a treble.
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