"We've got to be a little sneaky here," said Teemu Selanne, who has nine points in the first eight games. "That's good. We don't need that kind of pressure for ourselves."
You would have to look far and wide beyond their faithful to find those who saw the Ducks as a playoff team after their 13th-place finish in the Western Conference last season.
But offseason acquisitions Daniel Winnik and Sheldon Souray have made an immediate impact while young forwards Kyle Palmieri and Nick Bonino are adding production and deepening their lineup past their stars.
The key, as they began a telling six-game trip, is not to rest on what they've accomplished to this point.
"The team's playing well but we try to remind each that there's no time to get satisfied," Selanne said. "You just have to keep pushing and stay hungry and just try to reach another level.
"We can do it. That's why we want to push ourselves."
