MIGHTY DUCKS INSIDE LOOK: FREISEN NOT MUCH FOR SENTIMENTALITY EX-DUCK SCORES TWICE ON FORMER TEAM, INSPIRED MORE BY TIME WITH RIVAL SHARKS.

Byline: Matt McHale Staff Writer

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. - Jeff Friesen was the player the Mighty Ducks received two years ago for the popular Teemu Selanne, so you know what they think about him in Anaheim.

Nothing compares, though, to the pain of watching him score two goals in Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Finals for the New Jersey Devils.

Friesen's second-period goal marked the first time in the first game of four playoff series that the Ducks trailed. He added an empty-net goal to cap the Devils' 3-0 victory at Continental Airlines Arena.

Surprisingly, Friesen said it wasn't the sight of his former team that inspired him. He spent just one year in Anaheim before getting sent to New Jersey in a deal for Petr Sykora.

Instead, it was his experience playing the Ducks during his years with the San Jose Sharks that made the difference.

He learned a lot about Ducks goaltender Jean-Sebastien Giguere every day in practice. But the Sharks were a Ducks rival. That he remembered.

``We played in the same division, and those were always big games,'' Friesen said. ``That's good to have those kinds of games to fall back on.''

Friesen had been a consistent 25-, 30-goal scorer during his years in San Jose, but he had just 14 in his only season with the Ducks.

Neither of those teams ever went deep into the playoffs, and it showed in his stats. Before this season, Friesen never had more than two goals in a playoff year. This year he has six, including four game-winners in the past seven Devils games.

His contribution became even more critical to the Devils when veteran Joe Nieuwendyk went down with a groin injury in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference finals against Ottawa.

Friesen scored the series-clinching goal in Game 7 to beat the Senators.

But this is different. In seven NHL seasons, he never played in the Finals. Last year, the Ducks were 29-42-8-3. Their season was over in November.

After a scoreless first period Tuesday, the Devils outshot the Ducks 15-4 in the second. They pushed the Ducks around from the opening faceoff, and Friesen scored off a rebound on a shot by Sergei Brylin.

``I was pretty excited,'' Friesen said. ``It's my first time going this far. I don't know what I think about when I score those goals. It's an unbelievable experience for me. I'm trying to take it in stride and not get too excited.''

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Photo:

Jeff Friesen, top right, spent one year with the Mighty Ducks before getting sent to New Jersey in a deal for Petr Sykora.

Bill Kostroun/Associated Press