Strong Start Doesn’t Ensure Happy Ending

If the playoffs began today, the Mighty Ducks would be one of the Western Conference’s top eight teams. A nice thought, but the Ducks still have 62 regular-season games to play, starting tonight when they play host to Dallas at the Arrowhead Pond.

First-year Coach Mike Babcock is pleased with Anaheim’s 8-6-3-3 start, but he knows that playoff berths are not earned before Thanksgiving.

“There isn’t one guy [on the team] who wouldn’t have been pumped if you told him at the beginning of the season that we’d be where we are right now,” Babcock said.

“After 20 games last season, Calgary and Edmonton both had 30 points and Detroit had 35. They were the top three teams [in the conference]. But at the end, neither Calgary or Edmonton were in the playoffs. There’s a message in that.”

The Ducks, who have recorded a point in each of their last eight games, are 6-1-0-3 after a 2-5-3-0 start. The recent success even attracted television cameras for Thursday’s practice at Disney Ice, which has not happened often in the last three seasons.

“I come to the rink knowing that we’re going to work hard,” Babcock said. “That wasn’t the case early in the season. Then, I was just hoping.

“We’d like to have expectations here.... I’d like to get to the point when you don’t have to ask if the cameraman has directions [to the Ducks’ practice facility].”

The Ducks will be tested by the Stars, who have the best record in the NHL at 12-4-4-1. It will be the first game of a five-game home stand for Anaheim, which will play nine of its next 12 games at the Pond.

TONIGHT

vs. Dallas, 7:30, Fox Sports Net 2

Site -- Arrowhead Pond.

Radio -- KPLS (830).

Records -- Ducks 8-6-3-3, Stars 12-4-4-1.

Record vs. Stars -- 0-1-0.

Update -- Dallas center Mike Modano is off to a strong start for Coach Dave Tippett, a former King assistant. Modano has eight goals, 16 assists and a plus 10 defensive rating. The Stars have also been getting good offensive production from Sergei Zubov, who has three power-play goals and 19 points. Center Steve Rucchin leads the Ducks with 15 assists.