Comfortably in the driver’s seat

Everyone was talking about game four. What kind of Mighty Ducks team

would show up? Would the Ducks unlikely run during the playoffs start

to unravel after their first loss and the “better Dallas Stars” team

take charge?

Surely, there must have been many questions in the minds of all

Ducks fans, because this is uncharted water for the franchise.

Although back in 1997, we had advanced to the second round against

Detroit, and the games were very close, we were never in the position

to win the series.

That is the difference right now -- this team is in the driver’s

seat. Momentum is the factor that makes and breaks games and teams.

The Ducks certainly would need to keep this friend on their side if

they were looking to advance any further in these playoffs.

As Coach Babcock has stressed repeatedly through the post-season,

the Ducks would also need to concentrate on the task at hand. You

never really want to put too much significance on one game and you

like to approach each game one at a time. Focus on the game at hand,

do our jobs and the outcome will be positive.

Being that I am now on the sidelines in a seat up in the press

box, I can think out of the box. Game four would either put the Ducks

in the driver seat up 3 to 1, or they would have to face the

possibility of being even in the best of seven series, tied at two

games apiece.

This brings me back to what team would show up.

Well, it didn’t take long for any of us who were watching this

game unfold to see that it was going to be a very physical,

defensive-minded game.

The first period was a classic demonstration of defensive zone

coverage. Not many shots and even fewer scoring chances.

The second period followed in that same footprint; again, no room

to maneuver and very little offense. When coaches talk about being

solid defensively, they are talking about time and space. A player

has to take the time and space away from his opponent, and in doing

so, that offensive player has no time to make a play and no room to

do it in.

Adding to the sporadic offense was the ineffectiveness of both

teams’ power plays. Although there were a few good scoring chances,

Jean-Sebastien Giguere of the Ducks and Marty Turco of the Stars knew

that this was a game in which they must be sharp, and as in the other

games before, they were.

As the third period got underway, there was the undertone that it

may take yet another overtime to decide this game. However, after a

few penalties to start the period, the game began to take on a

different look.

Turnovers started, and Anaheim and Dallas were finally able to

capitalize on these chances with out-numbered attacks and some

high-quality shots. Paul Kariya picked up the puck as Sergei Zubov

fell at the Anaheim blue line and cruised down the wing to blast a

shot that Stars goalie Turco stopped with his blocker. Then Sammy

Pahlsson snuck in behind the Stars defense, made a great tip on a

shot and had two more chances on the rebound, but was stopped by

Turco. Then, a two-pad stack by Turco from point blank range stopped

Anaheim winger Mike Leclerc.

At the other end of the ice, Giguere and his legend began to grow

even more. A Dallas player came in on Giguere’s right, made him

commit to going down and then passed a nice feed to Mike Modano in

front of the net. Modano got off a weak shot at the wide open net,

but Giguere somehow got back in time to make a skate save.

When a goalie makes a save like this it seems so lucky to most

people. Sometimes it is lucky, but the real reason for the save is

because the goalie never gave up on the play. There is always a

little more time to react than you think, and Giguere with his

confidence and drive never gave up and in the process made a game

winning save. Would anyone be able to score on one of these goalies?

When Dallas wing Jason Arnott took a cross-checking penalty with

three minutes to go in the game, the Ducks knew that this was their

golden opportunity. The power play for the Ducks has been their

weakest area so far, and its production is crucial to long-term

success in the playoffs.

As the power play got underway, Ducks defenseman Ruslan Salei was

able to keep the puck in at the blue line intercepting by a weak

clearing attempt by Dallas. He passed the puck over to Sandis

Ozolinsh as he cruised into the zone on the left side, who then slid

a great cross-ice pass to Mike LeClerc. With one quick flick of the

wrist, Leclerc sent the puck flying to the top of the net over a

sprawling Turco. The crowd erupted and they knew that the game was

theirs. What more could you want from a hockey game than a finish

like this one?

This was, in my opinion, a must-win for the Ducks and they

produced. Now, as they head to Dallas for game five in the series

with a 3-1 lead, they are clearly in the driver’s seat.