Pierre McGuire's In the Crease

Pierre McGuire

December 24, 2007

Now that defenseman Scott Niedermayer (right), has returned to the Ducks (he had flirted with retirement), watch for Anaheim's power play to start climbing from 21st in the league, where it ranked through Sunday, to the top 10. Also expect third-place Anaheim to win the Pacific; Dallas and San Jose blew chances to pull away when the Niedermayerless Ducks struggled early on.... When Sidney Crosby made his first career trip to Western Canada this month, playing to sellouts in Edmonton, Calgary and Vancouver, he delivered on and off the ice. After Crosby's breathtaking three-point third period in Pittsburgh's 4--2 win over the Oilers, the Penguins arrived in Calgary at 1:35 a.m. in --13� weather. Crosby saw four young fans standing by a fence at the airport holding signs reading WELCOME TO CALGARY SID, WE LOVE YOU. Crosby put his bags on the team bus, walked over to the young fans and talked with them for 10 minutes before he got back on the bus.