(BRUCE BENNETT/GETTY IMAGES)

It is remarkably alarming how quickly prosperity and luxury wash away to become much more loathsome adjectives – inadequacy, incompetency, ineptitude.  With a month left in the regular season, the Anaheim Ducks sit on the outside of the playoff picture looking in.

Entering the 2009-10 season, the Ducks looked to be a solid team on paper – not a frontline contender, but strong enough to be assured a playoff spot by almost every panelist and prognosticator attempting to divine the team’s fortunes.  Scoring was expected to increase thanks to some shrewd off-season dealings by Bob Murray, the heir apparent to Brian Burke’s GM throne after the latter took his show to Toronto last season.  The one glaring sore spot was an unfamiliar lack of superstars on the blueline, the ratio having been cut in half when Chris Pronger was traded to the Flyers.

Idealistic about the future after a surprising playoff run and with the team bearing the trademark resilience of one surviving well in a salary cap era, Murray had no reason to expect that the Ducks could not be fitted with the right parts and reinvent their style accordingly.  Once equally feared and loathed, the team underwent a profound and almost immediate fundamental shift in paradigm from the defensive to the offensive.  Its anchor and captain, Scott Niedermayer – comfortable and adept at both ends of the rink – no doubt helped facilitate the decision to retool on the fly.

The only potential area for concern (and one that perhaps should have raised a few more red flags) was coach Randy Carlyle, a retired Norris Trophy-winning defenseman, and his ability and willingness to tailor his existing coaching style to the new personnel.

What does any of this have to do with goaltending?  Like any machine, well-oiled or otherwise, the Ducks surprising success in 2008-09 hinged on the synergy of its individual components.  That is to say the team that had been performing below expectations finally started playing with a unity that made it more than the sum of its parts.  After a tumultuous season by Jean-Sebastien Giguere, the team finally handed over the reins of its goaltending job to Jonas Hiller, who supplanted the former in time to save the Ducks season.

Heading into camp last fall, however, the race was wide open and the Ducks were again entertaining a battle for top billing in net.  The ostensible hope was that the competition would breed success for at least one of the goaltenders, much as it had during the 2006-07 season when Giguere emphatically asserted his dominance in the Anaheim crease.  In a perfect world, the plan was for both goaltenders to play well, pushing each other to perform while simultaneously increasing their respective values on the trade market.

That is not what happened.

Things took a left turn

Things took a left turn somewhere along the way and the Ducks found themselves well down the road to goaltending perdition, so the story goes.  Hiller struggled mightily to display the immense promise teased to Ducks fans, and Giguere – without goaltending mentor and longtime friend Francois Allaire – did not rebound from his subpar 2008-09 season.

While the Ducks collectively faltered, the goaltending was not there to bail the team out.  The team did not galvanize around the realization that it was far better on paper than it had been performing on the ice, and the freefall down the Western Conference standings began.  On many occasions Carlyle’s stubborn persistence in abiding by his publicly-declared “win and you’re in” strategy backfired, as neither Hiller nor Giguere was given a chance to establish consistency.  There were tantalizing flashes of it, but every glimpse proved fleeting and Murray was left to ponder the imponderable: should he have traded a goaltender in the summer?

The short answer is a decidedly ambivalent maybe.  Murray’s lack of prescience precludes any expectation that he should have (or even could have) known that the competition between goalies would ultimately undermine his plan.  The practical upshot to dealing Hiller during the summer was that his value, then at an apex after his playoff success, could have brought in legitimately useful pieces to fill holes in the roster.  In dealing Giguere, Murray could have established incontrovertible confidence in Hiller that could have conceivably pushed him to familiar heights or better.  Murray can be forgiven for not wanting to roll the dice, because Hiller did not have a long-term contract in place and just as easily could have left Murray looking daft if he walked this year.

Establishing the rules of the game is only half the battle, and Murray seemingly forgot that the outcomes (beyond the possibility of Hiller jilting the Ducks and leaving them sans a starter) comprise the other half.  As general manager, it is solely his responsibility to ensure the team’s success through the decision-making process that determines personnel shifts.  Murray’s goal was to hold his hand close and play his cards when the best opportunity presented itself.  Instead, he ended up stalemating a zero-sum game that brought the Ducks no tangible return in exchange for a goalie two years removed from the Stanley Cup.

That’s not to say Murray made the wrong choice.  Hiller finally started to play to expectations, and in doing so sealed Giguere’s fate.  Though the evidence is relegated to an ultimately inconsequential footnote in the aftermath of the trade, it is not hard to see that once Carlyle realized the folly in swapping goaltenders with maddening consistency no matter the circumstance, Hiller was given an opportunity to succeed at every juncture Giguere was left to fail.

The most damning indictment in the case is Giguere’s last start as a member of the Ducks, a pathetic showing against the Washington Capitals: a road game played on the second of two nights against the best team in the Eastern Conference.  Why Giguere was given that start and not the arguably easier one the night before in Atlanta is up for interpretation, but looking back, it appears to be the final step in vindicating Murray’s decision to pull the trigger.

For better or for worse

For better or for worse, Jonas Hiller is the Ducks’ new starting goaltender.  His is a future that is bright and, not yet 28, it is entirely plausible that the best is still to come.  It is unfortunate that his coronation has come at a grievous cost to many Ducks fans.  The loss of Jean-Sebastien Giguere is as much a loss off the ice as it is on it.  Regularly lauded for his class and his active participation in community events, Giguere was the de-facto face of the Ducks franchise once Paul Kariya left.  As the last member of both Ducks playoff runs, Giguere represented an integral piece of Ducks history (both Mighty and not) and Anaheim fans should be –if they are not already – sad to see him leave under such circumstances.

It must be stated, however, that the circumstances were dictated by Giguere and his (well-earned) no-trade clause.  Fortunately, he and Murray were able to reach an accord that worked out for both sides and allowed Giguere to leave the Ducks in an reasonably amicable manner.  He has found shelter in Toronto under the watchful eye of Brian Burke, who out of either unwavering faith or maternal instinct harbors ex-Ducks personnel.  In that sense, Murray has effectively succeeded in finding resolution to a situation his lack of action originally devolved from a win-win to a zero-sum game.

What’s left now for the Ducks is to hope that Hiller is the real deal.  To be certain, there is very little to indicate Hiller cannot thrive under a heavy workload in Anaheim, and for a team envisaged with an offensive imperative, that is great news.  With a little luck and persistent consistency from Hiller, Bob Murray (or whoever is at the helm of Ducks management in the future) will not have to revisit the same conundrum when Hiller’s contract nears expiration.

Unless, of course, the Ducks find the next Jonas Hiller toiling in obscurity somewhere in Europe between now and then.

Let me begin by begging your forgiveness for that awful pun, but let’s face facts: it was only a matter of time before that word got put to good use on this blog.  The answer to that question in the context of the word “quacked” meaning “screwed” is not quite so simple.

Perhaps it’s too presumptuous and untoward to write off the Ducks’ season with a month remaining on the schedule.  The numbers don’t paint the prettiest picture, but the simple fact is that the team is but a stone’s throw away from the playoffs – with just enough time to make up lost ground.

To be blunt, even counting the improved play of the team since January, the Ducks are still facing an uphill battle to qualify for the postseason.  The principal obstacle in that battle remains the glut of teams vying for a dearth of playoff positions.  The Ducks sit near the bottom of the conference, but are only five points away from the eighth-seeded Detroit Red Wings.  Just eight points separate the Ducks from the Nashville Predators in the seventh slot, and it appears the grasp on those bottom two seeds – no matter who is holding them on any given day – is tenuous at best, especially in the fiercely competitive Western Conference.

The chasm at the top of the conference is much more apparent.  After the Chicago Blackhawks and San Jose Sharks, there is a 10 point tumble to the third place (based on points) Phoenix Coyotes.  Disregarding the fact that neither the Ducks nor any other team has a legitimate chance to catch the top two, Anaheim has in its way the other three teams in its division: Phoenix, the Los Angeles Kings, and the Dallas Stars.  Leapfrogging at least Dallas seems inevitable if the Ducks have aspirations of playing hockey into the latter stages of April and beyond, and the race to catch the Coyotes and Kings is not yet lost.

Luckily, this is not entirely unfamiliar territory for the team.  The Ducks got off to a similarly sluggish start in 2005-06 and rebounded well enough to make a charge to the Western Conference finals.  The key then was consistency and the ability to ride momentum long enough to maintain a level of play where the team was competitive on a nightly basis, no matter the opponent.  The similarities continue when examining the makeup of that team: one reliant more on its offensive game, moving the puck fast and effectively.  The problem that dogged the team early this season was a persistent denial of its makeup as an iconoclast of Brian Burke’s former rugged, defense-first teams – a problem because the personnel required to employ such a style was not present (Chris Pronger having left the biggest void).

There also exists a certain parallelism to last year’s team that general manager Bob Murray re-tooled at the trade deadline.  Murray has once again banked on some last minute acquisitions (notably Lubomir Visnovsky) to provide a spark and hopefully propel the team into the playoffs.  Credit must be given to coach Randy Carlyle for that unexpected success, as he was able to successfully integrate the new players into a system that had the entire team firing on all cylinders.

Unfortunately for the Ducks and Carlyle, that was last year, and some of the criticism for this year’s lackluster start should fall on him.  His steadfast refusal to make any major changes in his game plan and his unfaltering loyalty to underperforming players makes the team an easy target too frequently.  There is little doubt that the team’s early struggles brought the goaltending situation to a head that culminated in the departure of the longest-tenured Ducks player, Jean-Sebastien Giguere.

The silver lining for the team now showing through is the markedly improved play of its new number one goaltender, Jonas Hiller.  In the absence of Giguere (and the long shadow cast by the whole situation), he has returned to the level of play that carried the team to within a game of the third round last season.  His strong showing at the Olympics for Switzerland vindicated Murray’s decision and undoubtedly opened a few eyes around the league.

But familiar territory or not, with a half-dozen other teams in contention, memories of past glory are not enough.  The Red Wings are finally getting healthy, and the Flames (currently in ninth) are perhaps the only team to have shifted more personnel than the Ducks.  In Nashville, the Predators continue to win, and with Olympians Shea Weber and Ryan Suter on defense, they will not likely fall by the wayside.

And so it falls on Anaheim to make its own luck.  Chief in that quest will be getting the most out of all players on a consistent basis.  The offense – with Teemu Selanne finally regaining his health and plenty of Olympic gold, silver and bronze to go around – should not have a hard time putting pucks in the net as long as Carlyle does not get impatient and butcher any chemistry he finds.  In net, Hiller’s task will be crucial but unextraordinary: maintain the level of play he has shown since January, and do it consistently.  It is on defense where the biggest challenge lies.  Given the recent restructuring, it is certainly understandable if things do not mesh immediately.  If the team hopes to go anywhere, however, the new players will have to achieve a level of stability and dependability that is characteristic of playoff teams.

It seems that the imperative is clear: mesh now or pay later.

You know him well.

Do you recognize the kid in the above picture? Here are a few hints: 1) He’s a current Ducks player; 2) This picture is from 1996; 3) Just a guess, but he probably speaks a couple of languages. Still can’t figure it out? Click through and find out.

His name is Jonas. He’s carrying our wheel. We thank him for all he has shown us, and yes, this is indeed how we feel. Lame Weezer puns notwithstanding, those lyrics have in them the truth if you look hard enough. Jonas Hiller is carrying our proverbial wheel as the now-undisputed number one goaltender. I’m sure Bob Murray will thank him for showing him how much he could save by switching to Geico choosing him as the starter (roughly $1.5 million a year if you compare his cap hit to Jean-Sebastien Giguere’s and discount the Vesa Toskala and Jason Blake salaries that will be off the books… eventually).

Searching on eBay has again yielded a gem: a peewee card of Jonas Hiller, a pre-rookie issue of sorts (Hiller would have been 13 or 14 years old at the time).  Although I can’t personally vouch for this item’s veracity, a quick look at the photo seems to dissuade any notion of forgery or trickery on the part of the seller.  If it is indeed our beloved butterfly prodigy depicted, this card would make an excellent conversation piece and surely be a most esoteric addition to any Ducks memorabilia collection.

While cruising around eBay, I also uncovered a particularly vivid tie that is sure to class up any formal attire its purchaser deigns to wear (image, if the auction is gone).

Remember: you’re never quite so sharply dressed as when you’re dressed in purple.  And jade.

SOURCE LINKS

]]> http://www.anaheim-ducks.info/2010/02/03/qwednesday-feb-3/feed/ 0 http://www.anaheim-ducks.info/2010/02/01/mad-monday-god-hates-marty-turco/ http://www.anaheim-ducks.info/2010/02/01/mad-monday-god-hates-marty-turco/#comments Mon, 01 Feb 2010 18:07:01 +0000 Patrick http://www.anaheim-ducks.info/?p=787

(RICHARD WOLOWICZ/GETTY IMAGES)

Oh, Westboro Baptist Church, you’re always out to top your last fit of insanity — and some would argue, inanity — aren’t you?  But why go to such lengths when the world already recognizes your psychopathy and adores you for it (much in the same way it adores a sharp stick in the eye)?  We will concede that Marty Turco’s play sometimes makes small children and certain Texan bloggers cry, but to denounce our favorite sport is an affront to all of its fans, rooting for the wrong team or otherwise.

In the interests of fair journalism, it wouldn’t be right to pass judgment before we hear from WBC on the matter:

God H8s Ur hockey! Valor Pl. & Olive St. WBC will picket your stupid, cold (you will truly pray for these days of being in the cold hockey games when you burn in hell for eternity) violent, time-wasting hockey game – your SPORT. You know there will be only a few more of these entertainment events before God lets Obama simply destroy this nation. God does not have anything good to say about your sport(s).

At this point it seems that no person, profession or faith is safe from the harsh (if uneducated) verbal barbs this organization uses to poison the world.  Luckily for Turco, it seems he was already on WBC’s shitlist.

Fellow hockey fans: is it time we take to the streets and fight back?

(NOTE: The links provided herein are for informational purposes ONLY.  Quacked does not endorse any opinions contained on external sites.)

SOURCE LINKS

]]> http://www.anaheim-ducks.info/2010/02/01/mad-monday-god-hates-marty-turco/feed/ 0 http://www.anaheim-ducks.info/2010/01/27/qwednesday-jan-27/ http://www.anaheim-ducks.info/2010/01/27/qwednesday-jan-27/#comments Wed, 27 Jan 2010 08:30:13 +0000 Patrick http://www.anaheim-ducks.info/?p=736

Rejoice, one and all, for it is again that magical time of the week — known to the rest of the world as Wednesday, or more colloquially, “hump day” — to rifle through the archives of NHL history for some good old-fashioned nostalgic treasures.  (You’ll have to click through to get the good stuff.)

The subject at hand today is Ducks goaltender Jean-Sebastien Giguere.  You may remember him from less acclaimed roles in Halifax, Hartford and Calgary (Mooseheads and Whalers and Flames, oh my!).  His curriculum vitae prior to joining the Ducks franchise is thin — so thin, in fact, that he had only a scant 30 NHL games to his name upon arrival in June 2000.  The collection of his hockey cards I have to show you chronicle that half-decade before he donned the eggplant and jade.

Not much is typically mentioned about Giguere’s brief stints in Hartford and Calgary, except as a point of contrast to emphasize the effect Francois Allaire’s teachings have had on his game.  Often credited with saving Giguere’s career, Allaire helped hone the young goalie’s skills, adding focus and purpose to his play.  The changes in his style are underscored in reading the various scouting reports on the cards pictured below.  Giguere’s glove hand and athleticism received the bulk of the accolades throughout his junior career, and now the very notion of athleticism being a core tenet of his game seems preposterous.  Instead, Allaire has instilled in him equal measures of confidence and discipline, both key ingredients that helped Giguere transcend his stereotype and become an iconoclast of the traditional Quebec-born goaltender: he became a puck blocker.  No flash, no dash, but plenty of results.

Often overlooked by the experts of the hockey world, Giguere’s style of play won him no fans around the league.  Blocking the puck does not so much earn a place on the highlight reel as it earns scorn from those either unaware of the required skill to do it or those who dismiss it vis-a-vis an arbitrary scale meant to determine how spectacular a save must be to garner recognition as such.  This is perhaps best evidenced by the burden of illegal pad accusations he bears, a phenomenon that seemingly has its roots in an offhand remark made by then-Dallas Stars forward (and notorious shit disturber) Claude Lemieux during the 2003 playoffs.  If the remark was to be understood as a whisper of doubt, it eventually heightened to a near-deafening roar of  contempt as fans and players alike were quick to draw comparisons to both the Michelin Man and the Stay Puft Marshmallow mascot from Ghostbusters.

What often escapes the scope of these inscrutable analyses is the set of rules the NHL has in place for regulating goaltending equipment.  If the standards were too lax and negligent of legally ambiguous tactics (I’m looking at you, Garth Snow) before, then they have certainly become more stringent in both application and verification since the lockout.  Giguere has gone on the record about being subjected to regular checks by league officials, but still he has been dogged by the accusations.  Incidentally, the frequency with which these judgments are handed down seems to have an inverse correlation to the measure of his success on the ice.

Luckily, and thanks in large part to Allaire, Giguere has developed and displayed the necessary mental fortitude to withstand criticism and pressure (incidents with Ryan Smyth notwithstanding).  His play on the ice has never been a reflection of the criticism received off of it.  It is perhaps for that reason that it is surprising, though perfectly understandable, that his level of play declined so sharply last year surrounding the death of his father.

Right now, Giguere abides as the last bastion of the era of Mighty Ducks hockey (he is the only player remaining from the 2003 Cinderella squad)– but for how much longer?  His days in Anaheim could be numbered, and so the prevailing wisdom mandates that we explore some of the qualities that endeared Giguere to Ducks fans before he departs.  Today we go looking for insight from the (now dilapidated) hockey card universe, and examine a handful of cards that comprise the exiguous record of Giguere’s pre-Anaheim hockey career.

Note: Forgive the askew orientation of the cards and the sheen on some of them.  Not having a scanner presents a unique set of challenges when digitizing items for archival purposes.  Because the nature of their use was restricted to the blog, I decided not to be a perfectionist as long as the content on each card was legible.

FURTHER READING

]]> http://www.anaheim-ducks.info/2010/01/27/qwednesday-jan-27/feed/ 0 http://www.anaheim-ducks.info/2010/01/20/qwednesday-the-20th-luck-and-larceny/ http://www.anaheim-ducks.info/2010/01/20/qwednesday-the-20th-luck-and-larceny/#comments Wed, 20 Jan 2010 08:30:10 +0000 Patrick http://www.anaheim-ducks.info/?p=686

Digging into the well of retro-reminiscence once more, this Qwednesday (still working on that name) please find enclosed a reminder of the way we were.  You know, a team that needed sensational goaltending on a nightly basis because it couldn’t score to save its life.  (It seems as though not much has changed it that department of late, although the goaltenders are not bailing the team out as frequently.)

If there exists a perfect counterpoint to Petr Sykora’s 5OT goal in the second round in the court of opinion regarding the defining moment of the Mighty Ducks’ 2003 playoff run, this moment would certainly be a contender for the title.  Somewhat disappointingly, there does not seem to be a clip accompanied by Chris Cuthbert’s unforgettable cry of “how did that stay out?!” — a glib but accurate summation of Jean-Sebastien Giguere’s entire body of work that spring.  The video drops in around the 2:30 mark, but Ducks fans will want to watch this one all the way through, even though the soundtrack isn’t English.

So now you decide: was the save complete and unmitigated luck?  Or do you believe luck is just the residue of skill?  No matter what the call, it’s clear that the video does not present a compelling case against over-sized shoulder pads.

(JIM MCISAAC/GETTY IMAGES)

Our comrade Greg Ezell from Something’s Bruin has composed a love letter of sorts to resident Ducks tough guy and 70s porn star doppelganger George Parros.  We are more than inclined to agree with Ezell’s assessment of “The Stache” (referring in this case to the actual hair on Parros’ face), but offer a kindly dissenting opinion on his view of “The Stache” as a player.  Giving props where they’re due, Ezell gets a bunch for his channeling of Family Guy with the use of the phrase “mustache aficionado”.  Well played, sir.

Whether or not you’re a Ducks fan it’s a good read, so click through and check it out if you haven’t yet.  Be sure to peruse the rest of the blog, too, which includes a preview of tonight’s Ducks/Bruins tilt. When you’re done reading, click on the top link of the NHL Blogroll (that’s us!) to come right back here.

SOURCE LINKS

]]> http://www.anaheim-ducks.info/2010/01/13/bruins-blog-hero-worship-sort-of/feed/ 0 http://www.anaheim-ducks.info/2010/01/13/qwednesday-ebay-gold/ http://www.anaheim-ducks.info/2010/01/13/qwednesday-ebay-gold/#comments Wed, 13 Jan 2010 22:00:01 +0000 Patrick http://www.anaheim-ducks.info/?p=680

Happy belated New Year, Ducks fans — we hope it’s been as prosperous for you as it has been for the Ducks to-date.  Beginning today, we will use the occasional Wednesday to revel in the many quirky ways the world wide web bestows its splendors on all things Anaheim Ducks.  The name Qwednesday owes its genesis to a complete lack of creativity, and to that end I am entirely open to suggestions for a better moniker.

Today’s find, while not entirely groundbreaking, does a perfunctory job serving that niche market of fans wanting new logos on old jerseys.  It also portends a stern warning to those who think that any combination of opiates, sewing and purple fabric can produce marketable results.  The complete lack of bidding on the product evidently reaffirms that notion.

Interestingly enough, the item’s condition is listed as “new”. I’m not sure if that indicates that the individual components used to create this horrific hybrid were all new or if the seller is coyly suggesting that this is a new style of Ducks jersey (which is itself a bastardized but still accurate version of the term).

Eggplant is the new orange.  Thanks eBay.

SOURCE LINKS

]]> http://www.anaheim-ducks.info/2010/01/13/qwednesday-ebay-gold/feed/ 0 http://www.anaheim-ducks.info/2009/12/15/christmas-comes-early-part-2/ http://www.anaheim-ducks.info/2009/12/15/christmas-comes-early-part-2/#comments Tue, 15 Dec 2009 23:35:26 +0000 Patrick http://www.anaheim-ducks.info/?p=657

Yesterday, I spoke about some great memories of the Ducks’ 2003 second round triumph over the Dallas Stars.  True, these moments aren’t great for all involved, but irrespective of their emotional impact they are the stuff of which the hockey annals are made.  It was after watching the clips that I began to wax nostalgic about the Ducks’ Disney days, and the realization of the holiday season dawned on me (the holidays are nothing if not a time to share stories).

Accordingly, I have decided to share my brief and extemporaneous recollection of that magical Stanley Cup spring, beginning today with the series — specifically game one — win over the Stars.

It had been an extraordinary playoff season, and in this case the definition of the word had been bifurcated into decidedly opposite extremes of the emotional spectrum.  Extraordinary that the Ducks (nee Mighty Ducks, as they still were at the time) had swept the Red Wings, defending Cup champions.  More extraordinary still that in doing so, Jean-Sebastien Giguere — my favorite Duck dating back to his major junior days in Halifax — had shut down a high-octane offense by stopping pucks at a record pace.

Extraordinarily upsetting, too, that the Colorado Avalanche had managed to forfeit a 3-1 series lead against the Minnesota Wild and find themselves eliminated early in (what would prove to be) Patrick Roy’s final season — Roy being my all-time favorite goaltender.  It is a nearly inexplicable phenomenon to those who aren’t fans of sport to hope that one of your two favorite teams is eliminated ahead of schedule, making the choice of allegiance one beyond control.  Thankfully, due to whatever mixture of complacency, arrogance and fatigue that had finished the Avalanche, the decision to throw my full support behind the Ducks had been made for me.  [Note: The Ducks and Avs did meet in the 2006 playoffs, and it was Anaheim that did me the favor by swiftly and mercilessly destroying Colorado.]

And so it was, the second round began and I was certain that the Ducks had been the fortuitous recipients of beginner’s luck (insofar as Giguere could carry them), and that Dallas would quickly dash any delirious dreams of third round play.  At the time, I was away from home on a school trip.  Through some stroke of good fortune, the hotel room had a television and my friends were willing to put aside their allegiances and watch the Ducks game with me.  Having tuned in well before midnight, we had no idea how many consecutive hours of hockey we were settling in to watch.

Fast forward to 3AM, a wakeup call looming in less than four hours (you didn’t think school trips were for sleeping in, did you?).  The room of four, only three of us hockey fans, were beginning to wonder aloud if the game would ever end; being in the Atlantic timezone certainly wasn’t helping our perception of the game’s astronomical duration.  It was then, after the fourth overtime period had ended, that common sense won over my friend and he called it quits.  Ironically, this friend was as much a hockey fan as I, but he was seemingly giving in to the sensibilities of sleep.  By this point, my sports-allergic friend had made a point of outlasting the game as a means of masochistic endurance.  To the best of my recollective ability, I quote him: “Right now I just want to stay up and see how long this thing goes.”  Point taken.

On the television screen, the remaining crowd in Dallas was doing its best to maintain what can only be called the sorriest wave I’ve ever seen at a sporting event.  It was, however, difficult to fault the audience for its lack of energy at that point, because the play on the ice had grown sloppy and fatigued as well.

I can’t remember the exact time — every time I tell the story, I seem to settle on 3:30AM as the acceptable marking point — but it finally happened.  It happened so quickly I almost missed it.  Petr Sykora coasted into the slot, took a pass and fired a quick shot past Marty Turco into the Dallas goal.  The event seemed to catch everybody (awake) by surprise, no one more than Turco.  His expression looked crestfallen, to say the least.  In the hotel room I raised my arms triumphantly, exhausted.

In total, I think I got about three hours of restless sleep that night.  Breakfast was an unholy mixture of donuts and coffee, foods I am not wont to eat the other 364 mornings of the year.  The rest of the series now plays out as a slideshow of scattered moments in my head — Giguere stopping Mike Modano with his skate blade, and Modano’s ensuing bewilderment; the cathartic celebration after the final seconds ticked off the clock in game six, the Ducks’ players looking as though they had been waiting the whole time to exhale — and it is wonderful, but nowhere near as affecting on my fan psyche as that first game.

Rarely do I find it fitting to use the word I am about to write.  Truthfully, I rarely find it remotely appropriate as someone who endeavors to make a career of writing to think of using this word.  But asked to sum up the entire experience of that playoff run, with the quintuple-overtime victory standing tall as the most vivid in the collection of those memories, I can think of only one word to use.

Epic.

What would a great team be without its rivals as a measuring stick of success? Our friend Cole over at the other 6 seconds (warning: it’s a Stars blog) has paid tribute to perhaps the single greatest moment in Ducks franchise history that doesn’t involve any shiny silver trophies — Petr Sykora’s 5OT winner in Dallas during the 2003 playoffs.  Coincidentally, it is Cole’s least favorite Stars-related moment, and he explains why:

To add insult to injury, the most melancholy I’ve ever felt as a Stars fan was during that post-series handshake. It was bad enough being eliminated by a low seeded division rival. It was also the final game that Derian Hatcher ever played in a Stars sweater.

Fittingly, Cole had listed the same moments when I asked him this summer to name his least favorite Ducks-Stars memory.  Unfortunately for the Ducks, Dallas got a measure of revenge in the 2008 playoffs by eliminating (and thus dethroning) them swiftly in the opening round.

Hit the break to see clips of Sykora’s monumental goal and the final few minutes of the series.  The videos are clad appropriately in eggplant and jade to celebrate the occasion.  When you’re done, I suggest taking a peek at Cole’s blog to find the answers to life’s great questions (seriously, he has a page for that).  While you’re there, don’t miss his insightful look at The 5 Biggest Myths in Hockey.  Damn, he has one hell of a blog.

Now it’s time for some Disney Ducks delight.  Enjoy!