Pucks of a Feather
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Anaheim Ducks Tales: The Mighty Ducks First Quarterfinal Victory

By Ciara Durant

29 Apr 1997: Left wing Paul Kariya of the Anaheim Mighty Ducks and defensemen Gerald Diduck of the Winnipeg Coyotes check one another during a playoff game at Arrowhead Pond in Anaheim, California. The Ducks won the game 3-0. Mandatory Credit: Jed Jacob
29 Apr 1997: Left wing Paul Kariya of the Anaheim Mighty Ducks and defensemen Gerald Diduck of the Winnipeg Coyotes check one another during a playoff game at Arrowhead Pond in Anaheim, California. The Ducks won the game 3-0. Mandatory Credit: Jed Jacob /
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Twenty-one years ago, almost to the day, The Mighty Ducks of Anaheim skated onto the ice at Arrowhead Pond to play their first playoff game in franchise history.

The Mighty Ducks first three seasons didn’t see them reach the playoffs. However, things took a much better turn during the ’96-’97 season. Under the leadership of Captain Paul Kariya, their 36-33-13 season was finally enough to send them to the playoffs. They finished the season second in the Pacific with 85 points. As a result, this had them matched up with the third place Central Division team, the Phoenix Coyotes.

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Fans became exuberant when the Ducks took home a pair of 4-2 wins over the Coyotes in Games one and two. However, the excitement diminished when the Ducks fell to the Coyotes in Games three through five. With game six being hosted at the American West Arena, home advantage shifted to Phoenix. The Ducks chances of moving forward in the playoffs began to look dismal.

All Tied Up 

April 27th, 1997, the Ducks took the ice to face the Coyotes in Game 6. Both teams got off to a slow start, the first period ended with a score of 0-0.

Near the start of the second period, Coyotes defenseman Gerald Diduck was sent to the penalty box for interference, giving the Ducks a power play opportunity. It was the Ducks chance to score and take the lead. With three seconds left in on the power play, Paul Kariya put the puck into the net. Later in the period, Brian Bellows scored the Ducks second goal of the night.

A Game six victory seemed possible for the optimistic Anaheim fans after 40 minutes. However, things took an unpleasant turn in the third period. The Ducks were having trouble finding the back of the net. Phoenix took full advantage, slipping two goals past Anaheim Goalie Guy Herbert. Regulation ended with a tied 2-2 game.

The Mighty Ducks OT Victory

Eventually, one of the teams was going to have to score. With the Coyotes looking good in period three, it would have been a reasonable assumption Game 6 would be the end for the Ducks. It wasn’t. At 7:29 of overtime, Teemu Selanne passed the puck up ice to an eager Paul Kariya. With a beautiful slap shot, Kariya beat Coyote’s goalie Nikolai Khabibulin. The Ducks won in overtime, 3-2.

Back To The Pond 

Their game six victory gave the Ducks a final opportunity to advance in the playoffs. The series was tied 3-3, and the Ducks were headed back to the Pond for game seven. In the final game, the Mighty Ducks ended with an impressive 3-0 shutout victory and won series 4-3.

Next: Where are they now? The Cosmonaut, Ilya Bryzgalov

The Ducks went on to play the Detroit Red Wings a short-lived Western Conference Semi-Final Series. Detroit went on to win in five games, eliminating the Mighty Ducks. Despite their elimination, the Ducks quarterfinal performance was a phenomenal way to end their first playoff series in franchise history.

Editors Note* – Pucks of a Feather is proud to welcome our newest addition, Ciara Durant. We look forward to her contributions as a member of our team.

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