An amazing start to the playoffs

Guy Hebert

* EDITOR’S NOTE: As a special feature, Guy Hebert, a Newport Beach

resident and former goalie for the Mighty Ducks, will be writing

regular diaries about the team and its experiences throughout the

playoffs.

Wow! What more can one say after Thursday night’s triple overtime

win for the Mighty Ducks against the Detroit Red Wings. Now that is

playoff hockey. The first three periods were certainly entertaining

enough, but the three overtime periods were the most exciting. As a

goalie myself, I know the feeling of being in total control of my

body. Moving in perfect sync with continuous fluid movements. Being

able to see the puck as large as a pie and being able to read the

play before it happens. Well, that’s the way Jean-Sebastien Giguere

must have felt.

Confident, comfortable and in control.

As always in the playoffs, there is the perception that a team can

ride a hot goalie. If this first game is any indication of what we

are to see out of Giguere, then buckle up, because we are in for one

heck of a ride.

The regulation periods were well played by both teams, and the

special teams were quite even. The Ducks played an intelligent game

by keeping a good gap in the neutral zone. This prevented the Wings

from being able to create outnumbered attacks by clogging up the

middle, forcing the Wings to dump the puck in and have to go in and

try to reestablish puck control. Anaheim continued strong defensive

play and got solid support from their centers coming back into the

zone and supporting the defensemen down low.

On the offense, the Ducks also created some good scoring chances

on goalie Curtis Joseph and were able to use their speed to attack

wide on the Wings’ defense and drive to the net. Adam Oates was able

to convert on a short play right in front of Joseph and tie the score

at 1-1, which stood for what seemed an eternity.

Before Paul Kariya was able to put one past Joseph and cap off one

of the best games in Anaheim history, there certainly were moments to

be concerned about. Beginning with the overtime periods, the Ducks

were continuously outplayed and outshot. If not for Giguere’s heroics

and his use of some well-stored-up lucky bounces, Detroit certainly

would have taken a Game 1 and lead in the series. But again, and this

is the great thing about hockey, anything can happen when the

playoffs come around.

Having played in and been a part of an Anaheim team that took the

Wings to overtimes in past playoffs, I know this was the game the

team needed.

The confidence that the players gained from this win will enable

them to believe that they are capable of winning this series. We

won’t get ahead of ourselves, but when you start on the road in the

playoffs, you look to get a split and then head home with some

momentum.

Winning Game 1 certainly gives the Ducks the opportunity to come

back possibly up two games and head into the Arrowhead Pond, where

its playoff-starved fans are ready to give their team that extra

boost from the Great White Out.

That makes the games at the Pond on Monday and Wednesday of next

week very important.

But for now, look for an even better regulation game from the

Wings today in game two, because a playoff savvy team won’t want to

get down two in their own arena. I have a feeling that Giguere and

his teammates will have something to say about that.