Shaun Best / Reuters file

Teemu Selanne's resurgence during the regular season has continued into the playoffs, where he has been Anaheim's MVP, writes Bill Clement of NBCSports.com. 

Crossing paths at the right time
There's not a winger in the NHL that can have a big season without a great degree of chemistry between himself and a quality centerman.

From the right wing Selanne needs a centerman who can skate with the puck, see the plays that have to be made, and then execute the passes to help make those plays. Andy McDonald is all of these things.

McDonald has the skill to make Selanne better. The 28-year-old has been able in recent seasons to push up the maturation ladder, and Selanne found he was able to mesh with McDonald, and a great chemistry has developed between the two.

In the pairing of Selanne and McDonald, what we see is a veteran who reinvented himself through knee surgery and a change of location crossing paths with a younger player who is now mature enough to approach star status. Selanne had a comeback season, and McDonald had a breakout season.

After scoring just 16 goals and getting 16 assists with Colorado, Selanne stormed back this season to score 40 goals and finish with 90 points. It was the fifth-best goal-scoring season of his 13-year NHL career.

In his three-plus NHL seasons before this one, McDonald had a combined 27 goals and 80 assists. This season he surpassed both those totals, exploding for 34 goals and 85 assists in 82 games.

In their careers, players hope to cross paths at the right time with the right people who they can make better and who can make them better, and that's what's happened with Selanne and McDonald.

Proof positive Selanne's back
If there's any doubt that Selanne is the Selanne of old just watch him as he comes down the ice on his off wing — meaning with his right-hand shot he is skating on the left wing. That's when he poses such a problem for opposing defensemen.

If they lay off him because they are fearful of his speed, which Calgary did in the first round of the playoffs, he'll shoot and he'll score. He beat Flames goalie Miika Kiprusoff twice in that series when Calgary went with that strategy.

On the other hand if defensemen play Selanne too close, he will likely use one of the best cutback moves in the NHL, cutting to the middle of the ice to get off his shot.

And if defensemen try and hedge their bets and play him somewhere in between of laying off and being too close, he'll fake cutting back with one of the great hesitation moves in hockey, and then continue to accelerate down ice.

With his knee now healthy, Selanne is able to do all the things that make him such an offensive weapon. In short, there is no easy way to defend against Selanne one-on-one, and that's why he gives defensemen nightmares.

Smiling all season
What Selanne has provided Anaheim with this season is immeasurable. The young players on the Mighty Ducks seem to draw energy from Selanne as he is one of the hardest workers on the team, and he plays a fearless game, willing to go into the high-traffic areas and pay the price for what needs to be done.

He's a great role model and also a great ambassador not only for his team, but also for his sport as he consistently accommodates the needs of the media. And he does all this with a smile that was missing for much of his time in Colorado.

Selanne is once again enjoying playing hockey, happy with his surroundings, and happy with his return to health.

It's been difficult to wipe the smile off Selanne's face this season  and the Mighty Ducks can't help but hope that smile will still be there at the end of the Stanley Cup finals.

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Devils get it done in Game 5

NJ blows three-goal lead, but Ryan Carter's late goal helps No. 6 seed beat NY Rangers 5-3, move within one win of Stanley Cup finals on Wednesday.

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