Etem's speed a boon for Anaheim's attack

DETROIT -- Teemu Selanne didn't earn the nickname "Finnish Flash" for being slow in some sort of ironic joke.

So considering Selanne is something of an expert about being able to move swiftly on a pair of hockey skates, his endorsement of Anaheim Ducks rookie Emerson Etem should be a valued one.

"Obviously his speed is incredible," the 42-year-old Selanne said of Etem. "That's the one thing that he has to take advantage of every night. They always say, ‘Speed kills,' and he has the speed. Everything else is going to come later. That keeps you ... that is the biggest tool, and then, obviously, experience and opportunity is going to help him. But it is fun to watch when young guys do that."

Etem was born in the summer of 1992, just a few months before Teemu mania would sweep through the plains of Manitoba and the NHL. He's the youngest guy on this Ducks roster, but he's proving the extra pressure of the playoffs doesn't faze him.

He scored his first career Stanley Cup Playoffs goal Saturday night -- on a give-and-go with a future first-ballot Hall of Fame member in Selanne, no less. The goal was a reward for a strong night from Etem, who blew by defenders on a couple of other occasions earlier in the game and contributed to the team's staunch penalty kill.

"I thought he was good," Ducks coach Bruce Boudreau said. "He's young and he's makes mistakes, but they are mistakes of effort. The thing is he that he's such a fast skater and people don't know him it, so he catches them by surprise. His effort is there all the time. He gets about 10-12 minutes of good time each night, and when he gets out there he makes an impact every time.

"It is also good with him that he can play left or right wing. He played a lot of right wing in junior, but I've played him more on the left side this year. He can definitely move back and forth. It is a great learning experience for him, and hopefully he just continues to get better every night."