Former Ducks GM Brian Burke just entered the Hockey Hall of Fame, and his first thank-you went to the Samueli family.
It's a moment Anaheim has waited on, and one the whole league can appreciate. The Ducks have one Stanley Cup in franchise history, and Burke was the GM when it arrived.
ZachCav shared Burke's message early Tuesday, and it opens with Burke thanking the Samueli family "for giving me the keys to the car."
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Burke didn't spend the rest of it on himself. He pointed to the 2007 title as what happens "when a group of players refuses to be outworked," then added that "team toughness and a legendary D corps helped."
That's a GM crediting his owners and his players before his own résumé. For a man who built his name on that kind of hockey, it fits.
Burke is out of the front office now, but Anaheim has a reason to feel good about the timing. The Ducks have won five straight and sit at 10-7-1 through 18 games, with Sunday's 5-2 win over Pittsburgh the latest.
Can the Ducks carry the moment into Nashville?
They have the player to do it. Cutter Gauthier, a 22-year-old winger and the fifth overall pick in 2022, was named the NHL's first star of the week.
He has 15 goals in 17 games, 10 of them on the power play. Every fan base in the league has seen what a hot power play does to a standings race, and Anaheim is riding one.
The Ducks are 7-3-0 on the road but 3-4-1 at home, and Wednesday's game against Nashville is the kind that tests the streak. The Predators have won four straight themselves and play at Los Angeles tonight.
I like the Ducks' chances. A team that scores like this on the power play will find a way, and a Hall of Fame week is a good time to ask whether the streak stretches to six.
Quick hits
VANCOUVER CANUCKS: Manny Malhotra was asked last night if he has a message for fans after a sixth straight loss, 3-1 to the Flyers. That's a tough question to answer on a night like that.
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SAN JOSE SHARKS: Mason Marchment went after Victor Eklund in the third period against the Islanders, after Eklund ran Kiefer Sherwood into the boards. Expect that one to come up again.
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SHOOTOUT: Ivar Stenberg ended the Sharks' five-game losing streak by scoring in the eighth round of the shootout to beat the Islanders 3-2. Eight rounds is a long way to go for a win.
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NEW YORK ISLANDERS: Stefen Rosner flagged that Matthew Schaefer tied Bobby Orr and Scott Stevens in the NHL record book as the Islanders faced the Sharks. That's rare company.
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ASSIST STREAK: BR_OpenIce says the NHL website isn't crediting Connor McDavid with an assist on a play, which could end his 18-game streak to open the season. The scoring call is worth watching.
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