Wait Worth It for Giguere

ST. LOUIS — The Mighty Ducks’ Jean-Sebastien Giguere is a patient man.

He has been as good as any goalie in the NHL since Dec. 1 and had very little to show for it. Yet, he remains an optimist.

Giguere has the league’s best goals-against average and save percentage since Dec. 1. Yet his record in that stretch was5-9-3 until the Ducks started their current four-game winning streak. He has now won his last four starts, playing the same as he has for the last two months.

“When we weren’t winning, I just worked really hard in practice,” Giguere said. “At some point things were going to change around. At some point, you’re going start winning.”

Giguere received ample support Monday in a 1-0 win over St. Louis. He faced only 15 shots from a team that averages nearly 30 a game.

“We played very well defensively in the neutral zone; that was the key,” Giguere said. “We didn’t give them any space to skate. When they can’t skate, they can’t create.”

Giguere was among the runners-up to Vancouver’s Brent Sopel for NHL player of the week. Giguere had a 3-0 record, a 1.30 goals-against average and a .942 save percentage.

Pittsburgh’s Mario Lemieux and Alexei Morozov were also runners-up.

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Paul Kariya’s second-period goal made it five consecutive games that the Ducks’ top line has scored a goal since Mike Leclerc was teamed with Kariya and Andy McDonald.

Chris Foster