This the the ninth time the Ducks have gone to the post season.  It will be the sixth time they have to face the Detroit Red Wings.  

No wonder these two teams and their fans hate each other.  They are sick of seeing each other.  

The first time they met in 1997, the Ducks put up a huge fight, taking the Red Wings to multiple overtimes.  They still were swept by the eventual Stanley Cup winners, but it was a worthy battle nonetheless. 

The next time they met in 1999 it was a quick four games and out in the first round.    That was redeemed in 2003 when karma turned the tables and defending Stanley Cup champs were ousted in a four game sweep that felt very satisfying to frustrated Anaheim fans.   Anaheim took that momentum all the way to game seven of the Cup finals that year, with Jean-Sebastien Giguere earning the Conn Smythe trophy for his efforts that began making history against Detroit in the first round.

In 2006 Anaheim did not have to face Detroit in the playoffs.  Someone else got to finish them off before Anaheim lost in the Western Conference Finals to Edmonton.  

In 2007, harmony was restored to the universe and the Ducks and Red Wings met once again.   Detroit did not make it easy on them.   Meeting up in the Western Conference Finals, Teemu Selanne's overtime goal in Detroit in game five was the turning point in the series.   Ducks won the series and won their first Stanley Cup.

Suffering from Cup hangover, the Ducks made it to the postseason in 2008, but lost to Dallas in the first round.    By 2009 they had regrouped and made it past the first round (San Jose).  In the second round it was the Red Wings once again.  This time Detroit was victorious in game seven and moved on, only to lose in the Cup Finals.

The Ducks did not make the playoffs in 2010, despite a push at the end, and in 2011 they were quickly sent home by Nashville in the post season.  Another mediocre season and inability to make the post season in 2012 gave the Ducks the motivation they needed to get there again in the lockout shortened season.

So once again, Detroit it is. 

Not one single media source is predicting the Ducks to win.  But there are a lot of "going to game seven" predictions, which shows that most of the media think it will be a close one.  I cannot disagree on that point. 

“We understand what people think and say," said the always forthright Bobby Ryan.  "Really, nobody gave us the credit to be where we are here. Why would they go ahead and give it to us now? We understand that. We’ll just continue to surprise hopefully."

It's the playoffs.  Anything can happen.   Let the games begin and at the end, the predictions will either be right or they will be wrong.  It will be fun to watch how it unfolds and the fun starts tonight.

The Ducks put on a good show for their fans in at the Honda Center in the final game of the regular season.  However it was not good enough for a win, as they lost to the Coyotes, 5-3. 

Anaheim outshot Phoenix 46 - 30, but Jason LaBarbera made sure that most of the pucks stayed out the net, making several amazing saves.

Viktor Fasth did not get nearly as much work, and looked a lot more pedestrian in net.  Not a good sign going into the playoffs, but then again, Jonas Hiller is more than happy to start the first series against the Detroit Red Wings.

“I wanted to win," said coach Bruce Boudreau. "I wanted to get a good structured effort, and I think we had breakdowns in a lot of areas. The one thing we did get was effort. The opportunities to score were as many as we’ve had all year. We just didn’t put them in.”

The Ducks had plenty of chances to score early on, but after a barrage of pucks sent LaBarbera's direction proved futile, Phoenix was the first the land on the scoreboard.   The first of Radim Vrbata's three goals came at 8:14 of the opening period and seemed to surprise Fasth.

Teemu Selanne tied up the game at 10:21, proving that LaBarbera was human after all.   Selanne and his linemates, Patrick Maroon and Nick Bonino, were dangerous all night long, but Selanne's 675th goal was all they had to show for it on the scoreboard.

The Coyotes regained the lead when Kyle Chipchura's shot trickled through Fasth's legs at 17:36.  Not a good goal to give up.

The game evened itself back up at the start of the second period.  Still on a power play that started at the end of the first, Francois Beauchemin wasted no time making it 2-2 just :14 seconds into the middle frame. 

The Coyotes held their own the remainder of the game.  Vrbata put Phoenix ahead for the final time at  6:46, knocking in a big fat juicy rebound that Fasth left lying around.    His shorthanded goal at 7:43 of the third pretty much sealed the deal for the desert dogs.  An absence of Phoenix fans meant that only two hats fell to the ice to honor the hat trick.

Bobby Ryan, who had sat out the previous two games with the flu, brought Anaheim back within one goal at 9:33.  That was as close as they came. 

The empty netter by Antoine Vermette with 1.2 seconds remaining sent most of the building out the doors and to the parking lot.

"It was a fun night," said Selanne. "We lost, but I think we were still battling all the way through until the end. Overall, I think everybody's happy. Nobody got hurt and we move on to the real games."

Those "real games" are the playoffs.  Ducks are moving on against Detroit next week.  The Coyotes are just going home and packing up. 

Let the real games begin!

In other notes:  The "black aces" were called up from the AHL on Saturday.  Called up were defensemen Mat Clark, Nate Guenin, Hampus Lindholm and Jordan Hendry.  Forwards Max Friberg, Peter Holland and Harry Zolnierczyk were also recalled.  Goaltender John Gibson rounds out the bunch.  They will practice with the rest of the team during the duration of the playoffs and will add depth if necessary.

Despite sitting out some of their top players to give them some much needed rest before the playoffs, the Ducks still kept rolling along and dominated the Vancouver Canucks 3-1.  Anaheim got contribution from their depth players, a good sign heading into the post season.

Teemu Selanne?  Out.  Saku Koivu?  Out.  Bobby Ryan?  Still stick from that icky stomach virus.  Captain Ryan Getzlaf?  Out.    Luca Sbisa still is nursing a lower body injury.   The old guys merely need rest after a compressed season of games.    Even the not so young have extra aches and pains. 

So in their place were some depth players and Patrick Maroon and Devante Smith-Pelly, who were called up from Norfolk to help out. 

"I expect the other guys to be just as good as the guys sitting out," said coach Bruce Boudreau.  "I tell them that, and whether they believe or not, that's my expectation.  Whoever puts that sweater on, this is an opportunity for them."

It would be easy to discount the Ducks, playing in Vancouver's home arena on their fan appreciation day.    The Ducks did not discount themselves and met up to their coach's expectations and ended up dominating the Canucks in their final road victory of the regular season. 

Were it not for Roberto "my contract is too big for anyone to want to make a trade for me" Luongo, the score would have been much more than 3-1.   Luongo was kept exceptionally busy as Anaheim outshot the Canucks 25-9 after the first two periods. 

The Ducks finally solved Luongo with a power play goal at 6:44 of the second period from Matt Beleskey.  It was an easy redirect of Cam Fowler's shot.  Then at 8:21 Brad Staubitz, who has spent more than half the season as a healthy scratch, got his first goal of the year that ended up being the game winner.

"It was just nice to get one," said Staubitz, who only has 10 career goals in 230 games.  "Good to get in a few games and being able to contribute is huge."

Luongo was pretty surprised that Staubitz' shot made it in the net.  He was not happy about it, to say the least, but accepted the blame for it.

"I didn't read the release and it kind of handcuffed me a little bit but that's not an excuse," said Luongo. "I have to make that save 100 times out of 100."

Selanne, not known to enjoy sitting still, actually watched on from the equipment area in the third period.  You could tell he was itching to be on the ice, but for now, he had to be content being the oldest stick boy ever.

Jonas Hiller finally saw some action in the third period, after having caught up reading the paper in the first two periods.  The Canucks finally woke up and outshot the Ducks 20-5, as Anaheim sat back a little.  It almost cost them. 

The Canucks scored on a 5 on 3 at 16:42.  Jason Garrison put the Canucks on the board and made the Ducks a little nervous for the remainder of the game. 

They pulled Luongo to make it 6 on 4 in the final minute plus and came very close to tying the game.  The penalty killers were exhausted and had nothing left in them, but Andrew Cogliano managed to lift the puck and finally send it soaring down the middle of the ice.  It went in with less than :28 seconds remaining and was the insurance marker Anaheim needed.

The Ducks ended up with a road record of 14-5-5 (.688 win percentage), their best ever and their best since their Stanley Cup championship year.  Even though the Ducks have home ice for at least the next two rounds, the ability to win on the road will come in handy during the post season.

Anaheim now has one final home game on Saturday against the Phoenix Coyotes.  They will not know who their first round opponent will be until Saturday evening, as the final spots are still up for grabs.  

Also up for grabs is who gets to be in goal during the post season?  Both Hiller and Viktor Fasth have virtually split the season with games, although Fasth holds the slight edge in his stats.

"We have two good goalies," said Boudreau.  "I don't think (I) can screw it up by putting either one of them in net for the playoffs."

Not a bad situation to have.

It took them a little longer than expected, but the Ducks finally clinched the Pacific Division title on Monday.  They also assured themselves of the number two spot in the Western Conference, which means home ice at least in the first two rounds of the playoffs (assuming they make it past round one). 

Breathe a little sigh of relief that the team is back on track.  Finally.

After four losses in a row, the Ducks took a mini time-out before back to back games in Edmonton and whatever they did, it worked. 

With a 3-0 shutout, the Ducks played two very good games in Edmonton and have seemingly righted the ship that was going askew.

"I think it was certainly important to win the division," said Francois Beauchemin, " but it was more important to get back to playing the way we know we can.  It was a good two games for us, and that's what's most important."

Nothing much changed between Sunday and Monday except the goaltenders.  Viktor Fasth took over in net for Anaheim and Nikolai Khabibulin got the nod for Edmonton.

Fasth earned his fourth shut out of the year with a stellar effort against the Oilers, stopping 24 shots.  Fasth's teammates blocked another 25 shots, in a a strong defensive effort.

Ryan Getzlaf had a power play goal at 6:13 of the first period and Radek Dvorak extended the lead at 11:48.   It was Dvorak's fourth of the year in just eight games played, all of his goals coming against his former teams.

Sami Vatanen got his second of the year at 3:55 of the third period, giving a little more breathing room for the Ducks. 

The Ducks now finish up the season in Vancouver on Thursday and a final game at home on Saturday against the Phoenix Coyotes.

Their first round opponent is yet to be determined, but they will likely start at home next Tuesday night. 

"I didn't really know what to expect when I first came in," said Fasth.  "Everything happened so fast.  But it's been a fun season so far.  I think we're going to have even more fun in the playoffs."

Teemu Selanne, a veteran of many playoffs, had the right perspective.

"Good so far, but a lot of hard work ahead for sure.  We have to be ready.  The toughest part is coming up."

At least the Ducks look like they are ready.

In other notes:  Bobby Ryan was out with the flu, which is why Dvorak was reinserted into the line up.

Anaheim finally figured out how to end a four game losing skid by defeating Edmonton 3-1 on Sunday.  It was part one of a two part series with the Oilers that will conclude on Monday.   

The Ducks still had to come back from behind, as the Oilers scored first.  Taylor Hall had the only goal for Edmonton just one minute into the game.  Not a great way to start, but Anaheim was able to bounce back. 

Cam Fowler, who has struggled with injuries in and out of the line up all season, finally got his first goal of the year.  It came with less than two seconds remaining in the first period while the Ducks were on the power play.    It was the boost they needed.

"You don't want it to happen this late in the season, but I'm glad that it happened," said Fowler.  "It was a big goal for the team.  Now it's behind me and I can move forward."

Kyle Palmieri scored the go ahead goal and eventual game winner at 19:03 of the second period.  Nick Bonino, who was back in the line up since March 8 with a lower body injury, assisted on both Palmieri's and Fowler's goals.   The Ducks could use more of that energy and enthusiasm, not to mention scoring.

Corey Perry made it look easy at 8:53 of the third period.  His 15th of the year gave the Ducks a two goal cushion. 

Despite pulling Devan Dubnyk, Edmonton could not tie up the game and Anaheim, while quite capable of hitting the post, could not get an empty net goal to add to their tally.

The loss meant that Edmonton was mathematically eliminated from the playoffs.  Again.   They have not made it to the playoffs since losing in game 7 of the Stanley Cup Finals in 2006. 

Meanwhile, the Ducks are still trying to clinch the Pacific Division, having secured a playoff berth a while ago.  If the Ducks can defeat Edmonton again on Monday, they will get their second Division title.

"It was a step closer to where we want to be," said Ryan Getzlaf, who assisted on Perry's goal. "There are still mistakes that we need to eliminate going into the playoffs, but this was a much-needed win tonight and one that I felt we deserved. It's all about playing the right way going into the playoffs. This was a step in the right direction."

Jonas Hiller had his second start in a row and made 27 saves.  Viktor Fasth is expected to handle part two on Monday.

Keep stepping in that right direction boys.

The season started off so well for Anaheim.  With only four more games left before the playoffs begin, the Ducks seem to be headed in the wrong direction. 

A 3-1 loss to Calgary was their fourth in a row.  They needed five points to secure the Pacific Division title and all they could muster in the past week was a single point against Columbus on Wednesday.  The 3-2 overtime loss, which saw Sami Vatanen get his first NHL goal, was their "best" result.

Four more points in four games?  Seems like it should be pretty easy.   Back to back games in Edmonton on Sunday and Monday, followed up by a swing into Vancouver on Thursday before coming home for the final game of the regular season on Saturday against Phoenix.  Surely they can manage to figure out how to score and win?

Because if they cannot do that, they are going to have a difficult time when the playoffs begin on April 30.   Regardless of who their opponent is.

"We have to get in the mindset that our playoffs have started," said Sheldon Souray. "Get our games sharpened up and dialed in.   The way we're playing right now, we're not going to be playing long."

The Ducks should have defeated Calgary, but they never even led the game.   Goals from Roman Horak and Brian McGrattan left the Ducks in a two goal deficit.  Earlier in the season, they could have easily overcome that hurdle.  

"They don't have a lot of confidence right now," said Ducks coach Bruce Boudreau.  "You're not going to win a lot of games scoring one goal."

The Ducks were finally able to score a goal with Corey Perry putting one past Miikka Kiprusoff at 16:19 of the third period.

There was not enough time to rally further and Roman Cervenka's empty net goal with :50.8 seconds left in the game sealed the deal for the Flames.

"I couldn't have cared less if we were playing a midget team or the Russian National Team," Boudreau said. "We needed the win.  That should have been motivation enough."

Kiprusoff made 32 saves, and gave the Calgary fans something to cheer about in the final home game.  Kiprusoff is expected tor retire at the end of the season, so it could very well have been the last time Calgary got to see "Kipper" at home after 10 seasons with the team. 

Meanwhile the Ducks keep talking about turning things around and cleaning things up.  Talk is cheap.  Action speaks louder than words.  Time to put up or shut up on Sunday.

In other notes:  Jonas Hiller was in net for the Ducks while Viktor Fasth was out with a lower body injury.  Igor Bobkov was brought up from Norfolk to back up Hiller.   Teemu Selanne was out for the first time this season with aches and pains and a lower body injury.  At his age, Boudreau lets him choose to play or not play.  Cam Fowler was back in the line up after missing two games with an upper body injury. 

It may have been the Ducks and Kings final meeting of the regular season, but chances are good that the teams could meet again this year in the playoffs.   If they do it can only intensify (if that is possible) the rivalry between the two teams.

The Ducks may have defeated their up the freeway neighbors on earlier in the week, but on Saturday, it was the Kings turn to take the victory and two points in a 2-1 defeat of Anaheim.  That left the four game season series tied at two games each, both sides holding their home ice advantage.  Another interesting twist if the two meet in the playoffs.

"They're a good hockey team," said Ryan Getzlaf. "There is a reason they've gotten back to where they are in the standings."

And on Saturday night they were just that little bit better than the Ducks.

Drew Doughty got the Kings on the board at 10:10 of the first period.  The Kings were swarming the net and the puck hit several Ducks players on the way in behind Viktor Fasth.

After being outshot 6-1 in the first period, the Ducks finally got some life with a short handed goal from Getzlaf at 3:07.  It was Getzlaf's fourth shortie of the year, and more remarkably, the first short handed goal that Los Angeles had allowed all season.

Jonathan Quick screwed up, plain and simple.  He came out to almost the blue line to get the puck, but Getzlaf stole it from him and put it in the empty net unchallenged. 

The Ducks nearly had the lead less than two minutes later.   Bobby Ryan might have had the go ahead goal were it not for a "distinct kicking motion" that put the puck in the net. 

A four minute high sticking major by Ben Lovejoy sucked some of the energy out of Anaheim, even though they did not allow any shots on goal during the extended man advantage.\

Incapable of staying out the box eventually cost the Ducks the game.  Mike Richards scored on the power play at 19:02 and it was 2-1 going into the third. 

"We played pretty well," was Getzlaf's assessment.  "We held them to [three] shots in the second, and one went in the net. When you can hold a team like that, you're doing something right. It's a bounce here and there, and they scored on big one."

Nothing else changed for the remainder of the game and the Kings held on for the win.  The lead between the Ducks and Kings has now shrunk to seven points, as the Pacific Division is still technically up for grabs.

"Our strength at the beginning of the year is that everyone was scoring, and now nobody is scoring," said coach Bruce Boudreau.  "If I had an explanation, I could cure it. We had some great chances, but we just didn't put them in. To win hockey games, you've got to score goals."

Rather than extend their two game losing streak, the Ducks would like to correct that on Wednesday with a victory over the Columbus Blue Jackets.  They have four days to rest, regroup and recover, their longest break between games in nearly two months.  No excuses.

They only needed one point to clinch a playoff berth.  Considering that the Ducks missed the postseason altogether last year, you would think they would be motivated to get that little x by their name and move on.  

Trying to clinch that playoff berth against the Colorado Avalanche, the last place team in the NHL?  Not nearly as easy as it looked on paper. 

Helps when you have a secret weapon in Jean-Sebastien Giguere.  The former Anaheim netminder did not steal a game for the Avs in the traditional sense.  His 21 saves were relatively pedestrian.  Instead he motivated the crap out of his teammates.

Giguere, reasonably upset at a poor performance by his teammates against the Calgary Flames a few nights prior, was brutally honest with his opinions and thoughts after that game. 

"Some guys are more worried about their Vegas trip at the end of the season than playing the games, than playing every minute of the games. Quite frankly, I don’t care about your Vegas trip right now.”

That was just the highlight quote and most repeated. 

“We have to find a way to get out of this losing mentality, you know? It starts with me and the guy beside me and everyone has to do their part.  It’s embarrassing. I’m embarrassed to be here right now. It’s not even funny.  I mean, this is a team (Calgary) that we can beat if we set our minds to it, and every day is the same story. I don’t know what to say. I’m beyond words right now.”

Giguere did not really seem beyond words and guess what?  Colorado set their minds on beating the next team they played. 

Good for Colorado.  Bad for Anaheim.  

''I'm pleased,'' Giguere said after defeating Anaheim 4-1. ''Obviously I was worried a little bit how they were going to take it. You hope they're going to take it professionally and find a way to respond, and truthfully, I'm looking for a response in the last nine games of the season, not one game. That's what we're looking for, and this was a good start for us.''

In a strange reversal of fortune, Anaheim ended up looking the way Colorado has been playing of late and Colorado looked more like a playoff contender.

Then again, as coach Bruce Boudreau pointed out, "When we stink, we stink.  We stunk. That team was ready to play and we thought we knew they were ready to play. We had no push back for them today.”

Boy were they ready.   Colorado scored at 1:04 into the game with a goal from John Mitchell.  Adding a short handed goal from Gabriel Landeskog at 4:07 of the second period threw salt into the wound.  Add a goal from Matt Duchene at 7:54 and the final tally from Jamie McGinn at 17:30 and that was it for Anaheim. 

Teemu Selanne was the only one who could score for the Ducks, with his umpteenth career goal at 11:16 of the middle period.  It was as easy a tip in as he could have, thanks to a great shot from Kyle Palmieri. 

The rest of the game was nothing to write home about and Viktor Fasth replaced Jonas Hiller in net for the third period of the game. 

The Ducks now get two glorious days off (something they haven't had in over a month) which will be spent practicing, especially on the power play (which had a whopping three shots on goal in three attempts and allowed in a short handed goal.) 

"You can learn stuff from everything,” said Boudreau.  "I want them to see their mistakes so we don’t make them anymore. I want them to be accountable. I want them to understand what they did wrong and where we made our mistakes, and not to do them again, hopefully, for any time soon.”

They have plenty of time to atone and repent from their sins before they meet up with the Los Angeles Kings on Saturday for the final time this season.

Maybe then they can finally clinch that playoff spot?

In other notes:  Cam Fowler left the game in the first period with an upper body injury and did not return.  He did not practice with the team on Thursday and is listed as day to day. 

Before the lockout many Ducks fans had a date circled on their calendar for when the Oilers were going to be coming to town.  That date got pushed back, but fans nonetheless were ready and waiting for Edmonton rookie, Justin Schultz.

Schultz was drafted by the Ducks in 2008 and he played for the University of Wisconsin.   He played so well that the Ducks traded away another top prospect in Jake Gardiner to re-acquire Francois Beauchemin.   Then Schultz left the Ducks in a lurch and took advantage of a loophole in the collective bargaining agreement that gave him free agency. 

Sign with the Ducks?  Nope.  Chose Edmonton.  And in doing so, he also chose to endure the wrath and fury of Ducks fans who are a bit elephantine in their inability to forget things (think Paul Kariya). 

Schultz finally got to visit the Honda Center in a professional capacity on Monday and currently is on a team who is on the outside looking in when it comes to a playoff spot.  The Ducks?  Solidified their #2 position in the Western Conference with a 2-1 defeat of the Oilers.

So how's that free agency thing working out for you these days, Justin?

Were it not for goaltender Devan Dubnyk, who made 36 saves, the game would not have been nearly as close as the results would lead one to believe.  

Radek Dvorak seemed to be the only one who could solve Dubnyk, and he did so twice.  The first goal came at 17:21 of the first period on a big fat juicy rebound that Dubnyk could not control.    The second came at 7:48 of the third period to be the eventual game winner.

“It was a great play by our whole line,” said Dvorak of linemates Daniel Winnik and Saku Koivu.  “I just happened to be in a good spot. We were putting pucks on the net, and he was leaving nice big rebounds. Like I said, I was just in the right spot in the right time.”

Nick (no relation to Justin) Schultz put in a softie behind Jonas Hiller at 1:12 of the third period, giving the previously lifeless Oilers a little pep and movtivation.  

Fortunately for Hiller, he did not let in any more shots, including a late attempt by Justin Schultz when Dubnyk was pulled for the extra attacker.    Dvorak getting that second goal sure helped, too.

The Ducks were able to hold on for the win, leaving them thisclose from clinching a playoff spot. 

"The most important thing is we got two points tonight, playing against a team like Edmonton," commented Dvorak. "We knew they would be coming hard. They have a lot of talent on that team, desperate for points. We were expecting a lot of pressure and I think we handled it really well."

In other notes:  Ryan Getzlaf missed his third game with a leg injury, but is expected to play on Wednesday night against Colorado.  Sheldon Souray also sat out the game on Monday night with soreness.

When the Ducks and Kings get together, it never disappoints.  Good, bad, so-so, both teams find the necessary energy and enthusiasm (not to mention a certain level of hate) to make the games worth watching.

The 4-3 shootout win by the Ducks on Sunday was no exception.

"We knew it was going to be an emotional game out there," said Corey Perry. "They’ve been playing well. Everybody knows they're hitting their stride. When you can come away with a big win like tonight, it’s huge."

Even though the Kings had played the day before, they did not look like a tired team.  In fact, they outshot the Ducks 38 - 22.  But the only numbers that mattered were how many pucks went in the net. 

Kyle Palmieri gave Anaheim and their sold out arena of fans a boost by scoring first at 2:54.    Jonathan Bernier, who has been impeccable in his back up role for the Kings this season, made a good poke check that unfortunately went right off Palmieri and in the net.

The referees, unlike other games recently involving the Ducks, actually used their whistles and tried to run a tight ship where penalties were concerned. 

Drew Doughty evened things up for Los Angeles with a power play goal at 5:59 of the second period.   

Anaheim took back the lead on a gorgeous goal from Perry at 18:13.  Perry got behind the Kings defense and took off towards Bernier.  He made the shot look easy.

Los Angeles was only too happy to even it up again at 19:30 with a goal from Jeff Carter.  Viktor Fasth's timing was just a hair too late and Carter got the puck in behind him.

With Carter off for slashing in the third period, Matt Beleskey got a power play goal at 4:54 to continue the ping ponging score.

The Ducks managed to hold off the attacking Kings and it looked like there might be a possibility the game could end in regulation, but Los Angeles had other ideas about that.

"They're big, they can skate, they're skilled, they're strong. What else can you say?" said coach Bruce Boudreau. "They're Stanley Cup champions. And when they get down, they know how to push harder. I mean, every time we scored a goal, they came back harder. I mean they have no quit in them, which is what happens when you become a Stanley Cup champion … it's a big test for our group, because I knew [the Kings] wanted to come in here and win."

Dustin Brown affirmed that desire when he got the game tying goal at 16:15.  Brown had missed on a great short handed opportunity in the first period and so this goal vindicated him.

The extra five minutes of overtime did nothing to resolve the score, so a shootout was needed.  The Ducks were 100% perfect in the shootout, with Bobby Ryan, Saku Koivu and Perry scoring.  Only Carter scored for the Kings, so when Perry took his chance, that was all the Ducks needed for the win.

"Corey Perry scores goals, right?" Kings coach Darryl Sutter said in his usual wry manner. "If you check, he wins scoring titles. If you give him breakaways … and he actually has two tonight, didn't he? [He] scored on both."

Perry needed to step up his game in light of the continued absence of Ryan Getzlaf, who was still out with a tweaked leg. 

"We needed that just for the team, just for the psyche," said Sheldon Souray after the game.  "(Getzlaf's) a world-class player and he means so much to us. It just means that when other guys are having the opportunity to play and get in the lineup, we still have to play the same team game, and we did that tonight and got the result."

The Ducks are looking for similar results on Monday night when they face the second of back to back games against Edmonton.