Pulling success from a string of failures is something that separates teams, as it does the Ducks (16-6-5) from the Philadelphia Flyers (8-13-4).
Locked in a power-play stretch of futility and pained by a golden chance to ice a victory Wednesday, only to see the Flyers score a tying goal with 2.6 seconds left in regulation, the Ducks still won, 5-4, by shootout.
Here's what we learned during that victory:
Ya gotta believe
“We stayed positive,” Ducks forward Patrick Maroon said after ending Anaheim’s 0-for-19 power-play slump with a go-ahead goal in the third period. “Sometimes those things happen, where they get the momentum and [then] they tie it up there at the end.
“We battled in the overtime. We had a lot of chances in overtime. We stuck with it. We could have deflated, but I thought we had a lot of positive vibes and we kept going."
Power-less play?
Not to spoil those vibes, but how can this much power-play talent rank in the lower third of the NHL in scoring?
“It’s been tough on the power [but] I thought we moved around [Wednesday],” said right wing Corey Perry, who scored the decisive shootout goal. “We had a meeting about it and really talked about what we have to do to succeed. We moved the puck, had chances.”
Ducks Coach Bruce Boudreau added, “On the last three, we finally started getting pucks to the net instead of playing with it on the perimeter and waiting for some pretty shots.”
Adding veteran depth
Reuniting with former Ducks goalie Ilya Bryzgalov on a tryout contract that will likely lead to him soon becoming Anaheim’s backup goalie was wise.
Frederik Andersen is showing some wear from the 13 consecutive games he’s played in net.
Andersen can still make saves he has to -- like stopping Claude Giroux on the final shootout try -- but he’s also allowing goals like the late Wayne Simmonds follow and has confronted 34 or more shots in five consecutive games.
“Like a pro golfer, if you have a bad shot, you can't dwell on it,” Boudreau said. “You've got to go to the next shot, and Freddie does a good job of that.”
But he could use a break, and with backups John Gibson and Jason LaBarbera injured, Bryzgalov should be the guy soon.
Defenseman getting offensive
Defenseman Sami Vatanen already has a career-high goals total (seven) and has matched his career high in points (21).
Whose breakout year is more surprising, Vatanen’s or forward Matt Beleskey’s (12 goals)? The Ducks will take both.
Vatanen’s late second-period goal tied the score 3-3, another example of the 23-year-old displaying his sense of theater.
“Obviously he … knows when to go and I think he … took it upon himself, saying, ‘The heck with this, I'm going to go,’ ” Boudreau said. “He didn't score on the original play, and it came back to him. And you always think he's going to get checked, but he finds a way to wiggle his way through everybody. I hope he doesn't stop doing that."