The Anaheim Mighty Ducks are having the time -- make that the overtime -- of their lives.
The upstart Western Conference champions are back in New Jersey, back with confidence, and back in the thick of the Stanley Cup finals. After two uninspired losses on the road to open the series, the Ducks won two thrillers in overtime on home ice to even the series with the Devils 2-2.
The latest, a 1-0 triumph Monday night, guaranteed that the best-of-seven set will return to California for Game 6 on Saturday.
"The confidence level our hockey team has right now just gives us that intestinal fortitude to go out there and make it happen in overtime," said Steve Thomas, who scored 39 seconds into the extra session of Game 4.
Game 5 will be played today to determine which team will have a chance to lift the Cup at the Pond. If necessary, a deciding seventh game will be back in New Jersey next Monday.
Only once in team history had Anaheim won even one playoff series.
When the Ducks first arrived in New Jersey a week ago, they came in as the team on an incredible roll with a goalie who looked invincible. They also reached the East Coast as a team that had never been this far in the playoffs and one that was bereft of game action for 10 days.
Whether it was rust, jitters, inexperience, or inferior talent, the Ducks didn't come close to measuring up to the Devils, who are in the finals for the third time in four years. Two 3-0 losses in a row sent the Ducks home questioning their resolve and wondering where the passion that led them to three series victories suddenly went.
But the Pond provided a safe haven, and -- more importantly -- extra time on the game clock for the Ducks to work their magic.
"It's a lot different going back to Jersey 2-2 instead of 3-1," Thomas said. "We knew after those two games in Jersey we were a lot better team than we showed. We decided it was time to turn up our game. It was a little bit embarrassing to play the way we played in the first two games."
All the Ducks needed was to get the games to overtime, because that's where they've come to life in the postseason. Jean-Sebastien Giguere did the best of his best work once the period numbers were 4, 5 and 6 instead of 1, 2, or 3.
Of the 27 goals Giguere has allowed in this postseason, none have come in overtime. He and the Ducks are 7-0 when play reaches sudden death, and the goalie set a shutout streak of 168 minutes, 27 seconds in the process.
Anaheim has won 14 games in these playoffs. The winning goals in 10 of those victories were scored in overtime or the final five minutes of the third period. That includes Ruslan Salei's goal that won Game 3 against New Jersey 6:59 into the extra session.
The Ducks have matched Montreal's record of 12 one-goal playoff wins in 1993. Anaheim is 12-1 in one-goal games.
And now one goal is what they seek as they return to Continental Airlines Arena.
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