NIEDERMAYER IS CALM IN THE STORM DUCKS' CAPTAIN NOT FAZED BY POSTSEASON CRUCIBLE.

Byline: RICH HAMMOND Staff Writer

ANAHEIM - In the waning moments of Game 7 of the Mighty Ducks' Western Conference first-round series against Calgary on Wednesday, Ruslan Salei slapped hands with Francois Beauchemin on the Ducks' bench and patted Scott Niedermayer on the head.

Salei and Beauchemin couldn't stop smiling. Niedermayer, the team captain, leaned over the boards with a stoic expression on his face, looking more like a member of the soon-to-be deposed Calgary Flames.

The Ducks had just achieved something huge, a playoff upset of the Flames, but Niedermayer, a three-time Stanley Cup champion, wasn't about to do cartwheels over a first-round series victory.

He knows the Ducks' work is far from done. It continues tonight in Game 1 of best-of-seven Western Conference semifinals against Colorado at the Pond.

"That's just my makeup," Niedermayer said Thursday. "I don't get too excited either way. I'm definitely proud of what we accomplished, but at the same time, I don't know what we really accomplished.

"We had a goal, and we did it, and now we have another tough opponent coming up. I was happy that we won, so don't let the looks deceive you, but that's probably just the way I am."

The Ducks couldn't be happier about it. Niedermayer had a tremendous series against Calgary, one in which he averaged more than 29 minutes of ice time, had two goals and three assists, took only two penalties and helped hold Calgary star forward Jarome Iginla to zero points in Games 6 and 7.

It came as no surprise. Niedermayer performed at a high level throughout his first season with the Ducks, and Thursday he was announced as one of the three finalists for the Norris Trophy as the league's top defenseman.

Detroit's Nicklas Lidstrom is considered the favorite for the award, which Niedermayer won in 2004. Around the Ducks' dressing room, the opinion seems unanimous that Niedermayer should win again.

"There are things he does that the other guys don't," Ducks defenseman Sean O'Donnell said of Niedermayer. "He does great things offensively and he's able to be that shut-down guy. He takes hits, and when he gets riled up, he gives them. He's exceptional at a lot of things."

How much credit does Niedermayer deserve for the Ducks' success?

He played all 82 games and totaled 63 points, sixth-most among NHL defensemen. He spearheaded the Ducks' power-play and penalty-kills units. And, after the midseason trade that sent Sergei Fedorov to Columbus, Niedermayer paired with Beauchemin and helped him look like an All-Star.

For all that, and more, Niedermayer is well on his way to earning his four-year, $27-million contract.

"The contribution he's made to our group this year has been huge," coach Randy Carlyle said. "He deserves all the recognition he's getting. He plays, day in and day out, huge minutes. He's our captain and he controls every situation. ... for our situation, I don't know if anyone else could do what he's done."

When the Ducks fell behind Calgary three games to two, he provided steady leadership, culled from 11 previous trips to the playoffs with the New Jersey Devils.

"He doesn't get too rattled out there," said Rob Niedermayer, Scott's brother and a Ducks forward. "That's probably what makes him such a good player, that he doesn't get too high or low."

That's good, because Colorado presents a different, and difficult, challenge compared to Calgary. The Avalanche is more balanced. Joe Sakic, Alex Tanguay, Andrew Brunette and Milan Hejduk all scored between 24and 32 goals in the regular season as the Avalanche totaled 283 goals, fourth-most in the NHL.

Perhaps Niedermayer had that stat in mind as he patted rookie goaltender Ilya Bryzgalov on the back and allowed himself a rare moment of celebration.

"I'm sure, in my first playoff series that I ever won, I was pretty excited, and rightfully so," Niedermayer said. "I'm proud of what our team accomplished, I really am. I just realize that there's a lot more hockey to be played if we're going to get what we really want."

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(color) Ducks defenseman Scott Niedermayer is a Norris Trophy finalist.

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MIGHTY DUCKS vs. COLORADO