NEW YORK- If the Ducks repeat as Stanley Cup Champions, they will point to Jan. 28 as the date they became whole once again.

On the day following the All-Star Game, the organization announced that Teemu Selanne had come out of hiatus and signed a one-year contract. In his first two games back, including Thursday's 4-1 victory against the New York Rangers at Madison Square Garden, Selanne has two assists and hasn't seemed to have lost a step.

"I'm rusty," said a laughing Selanne while resting on a stationary bike following the game. "I feel pretty good, but still every game is important for me. I can't wait until I feel like normal again."

The obvious benefit of Selanne coming back into the fold was that the Ducks were able to add a future Hall-of-Fame scorer without having to make a trade.

The veiled advantage is that Ducks coach Randy Carlyle could tinker with his lines.

Prior to Tuesday's victory against the Islanders, Carlyle reunited the Perry-Kunitz-Getzlaf line. Offensively, the Ducks (29-22-7) will go as far as the trio will carry them. Getzlaf finished with an assist and a plus-two. Perry's 28th goal of the year, midway through the second period, was proved to be the winner. Kunitz increased the Ducks' lead to 3-1 with 13:32 remaining in the second. It was his 16th of the year. Selanne skated with Todd Bertuzzi and Doug Weight. Bertuzzi scored his 12th goal of the season in the third period.

New York City native Mathieu Schneider opened the scoring with his seventh goal of the year midway through the first. He also added an assist on Perry's goal. Ryan Callahan scored New York's lone goal early in the second period to tie the score at 1-1. It was Callahan's first goal since the first game of the season.

Smith awaits word from Maple Leafs

Neil Smith, the Ducks pro scout and former general manager of the Rangers, said that he has not heard from Cliff Fletcher about the vacant Toronto Maple Leafs' GM job. Smith believes that Fletcher will take his time before making a hire, suggesting that the Leafs' search will last until the summer. When asked if there are similarities between the rebuilding job in Toronto and what he encountered with the Rangers when he was named GM in 1989, Smith was very pointed.

"They were different eras and there were different ways to build a team. It's not the same because of the cap. We (the Rangers) had assets, but the assets we had were unknown," Smith said. "Ricky (Mike Richter), (Brian) Leetch, Tony Granato and Tomas Sandstrom were already here. I'm not sure Toronto has those assets but they have the resources to be really good."

Homecoming for Parros

George Parros, a New Jersey native, had 60 people at the game, including his former high school team.

He put on a show for them, assisting on Schneider's goal and fighting Rangers tough guy Colton Orr in the second.

http://www.dailynews.com/sports/ci_8202316