ana/fla info

[Aces High]

Mighty Ducks of Anaheim (29-22-8-4) at Florida Panthers (19-22-12-9)

(Sports Network) - The Florida Panthers try to extend their unbeaten streak to five games tonight when they welcome the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim to Office Depot Center.

Florida is 3-0-1 during its run, including Monday's 2-2 home tie with Buffalo. Jaroslav Bednar tied the match with 2:06 left in regulation as the Panthers came back from a pair of deficits. Olli Jokinen also tallied, while Roberto Luongo finished with 23 saves.

Jokinen extended his career-long points streak to nine games (7g, 8a), and leads the team with 32 goals, 27 assists and 59 points. Linemate Viktor Kozlov added an assist and stretched his run to six (4g, 4a).

The Panthers enter tonight's action tied for 11th in the Eastern Conference with Pittsburgh at 59 points. They are seven points behind Boston, which holds the final playoff spot.

Florida, 0-3-2-1 in its last six home matches, will open a three-game road trip Thursday in Tampa.

Anaheim, meanwhile, is 1-1 in the first two portions of a four-game trek, including Tuesday's 2-0 loss to the Lightning. Tampa Bay's Nikolai Khabibulin stymied the Ducks with 24 saves, while Martin Gerber finished with 24 stops on the heels of his first NHL shutout.

Gerber has started the last two games in place of Jean-Sebastien Giguere, allowed six goals on 31 shots in a 6-2 loss to the Rangers last Friday. The latter player should be back in net this evening.

The Ducks, with 70 points, sit seventh in the Western Conference -- one behind Minnesota and three ahead of Edmonton. Anaheim, which had won five of its last seven road contests heading into Tuesday, will visit Phoenix on Friday.

Anaheim and Florida skated to a 4-4 tie at the Pond on November 24, and the Panthers are 2-0-1 in the last three meetings and 5-1-1 in the last seven. The Ducks are 0-2-1 in their last three trips to South Florida.


2002-03 Head-to-head record Tied 0-0-1 (0-0-1 at Ana; 0-0 at Fla)
2001-02 Head-to-head record Florida 2-0 (1-0 at Ana; 1-0 at Fla)
2000-01 Head-to-head record Anaheim 1-0 (1-0 at Ana; 0-0 at Fla)
1999-00 Head-to-head record Florida 2-0 (1-0 at Ana; 1-0 at Fla)
Home Record Anaheim 16-8-6-1; Florida 7-13-7-5
Away Record Anaheim 13-14-2-3; Florida 12-9-5-4
Record vs. Southeast Division Anaheim 4-1-1-0
Record vs. Pacific Division Florida 2-2-2-0
Record vs. Eastern Conference Anaheim 7-7-3-2
Record vs. Western Conference Florida 4-8-4-2

2002-2003 Meetings
11/24 - Tied, 4-4 ot (at Ana)

2001-2002 Meetings
11/21 - Florida, 6-0 (at Fla)
01/04 - Florida, 2-1 (at Ana)

2000-2001 Meetings
01/03 - Anaheim, 3-2 ot (at Ana)

Game Notes
Note - Florida is unbeaten (2-0-1) in the last three meetings.
Note - Florida is 5-1-1 in the last seven meetings.
Note - Florida is 5-4-3 in the last 12 meetings.
Note - Anaheim is winless (0-2-1) in its last three at Florida.
Note - Florida is unbeaten (1-0-1) in its last two at Anaheim.
Note - Florida is 3-1-1 in its last five at Anaheim.
Note - These two teams are 3-3-1 in the last seven meetings at Anaheim.
Note - Anaheim is 6-3-1 in its last 10 games.
Note - Anaheim has won five of its last eight road games.
Note - Fla is unbeaten (3-0-1) after winless (0-2-1-1) in its last four games.
Note - Florida is winless (0-3-2-1) in its last six home games.

Anaheim last five games Florida last five games

02/17 - T vs. NY Islanders, 2-2 ot 02/15 - L vs. Washington, 1-2
02/19 - W vs. Columbus, 2-0 02/18 - W at Montreal, 3-0
02/21 - L vs. NY Rangers, 2-6 02/20 - W at Ottawa, 4-3
02/23 - W at Carolina, 4-0 02/22 - W at Philadelphia, 4-2
02/25 - L at Tampa Bay, 0-2 02/24 - T vs. Buffalo, 2-2 ot

 

[Aces High]

SUNRISE, Florida (Ticker) -- Defenseman Sandis Ozolinsh faces a former team for the second time this week as the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim visit the Florida Panthers on Wednesday.

On Sunday, Ozolinsh had a goal and an assist in a 4-0 win at Carolina, which traded him to Florida for defenseman Bret Hedican and Kevyn Adams on January 16, 2002.

In 37 games with Panthers last season, the seven-time All-Star scored 10 goals and collected 19 assists. This season, he had seven goals and 19 assists in 51 games with a minus-16 rating before he was traded to the Ducks on January 30 along with defenseman Lance Ward for center Matt Cullen, defenseman Pavel Trnka and a 2003 fourth-round draft pick.

In 12 games with his new team, Ozolinsh has three goals and four assists and a plus-4 rating. He has 498 career points.

Although the Ducks fell to 1-1-0 on a four-game road trip with Tuesday's 2-0 loss in Tampa Bay, they are 7-4-1 with Ozolinsh.

Florida is 4-3-2-1 since the deal and comes into Wednesday's game with a four-game unbeaten streak (3-0-1).

On Monday, the Panthers rallied from a pair of deficits and skated to a 2-2 tie with Buffalo, which extended their home winless streak to six games (0-3-2-1).

Panthers center Olli Jokinen seven goals and eight assists during an eight-game points streak. Both franchises entered the NHL in 1993-94 and the Panthers lead the all-time series, 8-4-3.


February 26, 2003
Sandis Ozolinsh makes his first appearance at the Office Depot Center since being traded to Anaheim as the Mighty Ducks visit the Florida Panthers.
The Panthers sent the four-time All-Star defenseman and left wing/defenseman Lance Ward to Anaheim on Jan. 30 for center Matt Cullen, defenseman Pavel Trnka and a fourth-round pick.

``It came as a bit of a shock to me,'' Ozolinsh said at the time of the deal. ``I don't think anyone enjoys being traded, but sometimes it's for the best.''

The Mighty Ducks were in ninth place in the Western Conference before the trade, but have since won seven of their last 12 (7-4-1) to jump into seventh in the conference -- three points ahead of eighth-place Edmonton and one behind sixth-place Minnesota.

For his part, Ozolinsh has three goals and seven points since joining the Ducks. He has tallied seven goals and 26 points this season.

However, the Ducks have lost two of three, including Tuesday's 2-0 loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning.

Martin Gerber, coming off his first career shutout in a 4-0 win Sunday at Carolina, made 24 saves for Anaheim.

The Panthers have earned points in all but three games since the trade (4-3-2-1) and are unbeaten over their last four, including Monday's 2-2 tie with the Buffalo Sabres.

Olli Jokinen and Jaroslav Bednar scored for the Panthers, who continue to have problems at home. Jokinen extended his career-high point streak to nine games, registering seven goals and 15 points during the stretch.

Florida has just seven wins at the Center this season (7-13-7-5) and missed a chance to earn its first four-game winning streak since February 2001. The first three victories of the unbeaten streak came on the road.

``I felt we had to play with more desperation here than we have,'' Panthers coach Mike Keenan said, ``and I don't feel that it resembled the same level of desperation we played with on the road.''

Florida is seven points behind Boston for the eighth and final playoff spot.

STANDINGS: Mighty Ducks - 70 points, 2nd place, 16 PB, Pacific Division. Panthers - 59 points, 3rd place, 9 PB, Southeast Division.

TEAM LEADERS: Mighty Ducks - Paul Kariya and Petr Sykora, 23 goals; Kariya, 38 assists and 61 points; Kevin Sawyer, 115 PIM. Panthers - Jokinen, 32 goals, 27 assists and 59 points; Peter Worrell, 165 PIM.

SPECIAL TEAMS (through Feb. 24): Mighty Ducks - Power play: 17.8 percent (48 for 269), 9th in NHL. Penalty killing: 88.1 percent (230 for 261), 1st. Panthers - Power play: 14.8 percent (40 for 271), 20th. Penalty killing: 79.9 percent (223 for 279), 28th.

GOALTENDERS: Mighty Ducks - Jean-Sebastien Giguere (26-18-5, 7 SO, 2.40 GAA); Gerber (3-8-3, 1, 2.06). Panthers - Roberto Luongo (15-24-6, 6, 2.85); Jani Hurme (4-7-6, 1, 2.70).

SEASON SERIES: Tied, 0-0-1.

LAST MEETING: Nov. 24; Tie, 4-4 (OT). At Anaheim, Kristian Huselius scored with 14 seconds left in the third period and Valeri Bure had three assists for the Panthers. Steve Rucchin scored twice for Anaheim, while Keith Carney had two assists.

ROAD/HOME RECORDS
Mighty Ducks - 13-14-2-3 on the road
Panthers - 7-13-7-5 at home.