Mighty Ducks End Trip on Positive Note, 6-4

The Mighty Ducks were a never-say-dire team again Sunday, when they finished an incredibly arduous, tumultuous six-game trip through icy snow and boiling anger by beating the Winnipeg Jets, 6-4.

The Ducks came from behind three times, scored three goals in the third period and fended off a final furious effort by the Jets’ trio of Teemu Selanne, Keith Tkachuk and Alexei Zhamnov.

“I think some people around the league don’t understand what character and grit we have on this team,” said center Shaun Van Allen, who scored the tying goal at 8:10 of the third and scored on an empty-netter from 160 feet with 14 seconds left.

Only two days earlier, winger Todd Krygier had launched an expletive-laced tirade at Coach Ron Wilson during practice after learning he wouldn’t play against Chicago with his parents in the stands to watch him.

By Sunday, the tiff was over, Krygier and Wilson agreed.

“I don’t think it was a big deal; it’s just words,” Wilson said. “He made a fool of himself. He knows that and he apologized to his teammates. He’s a very emotional guy and he said some things he didn’t mean.”

Krygier’s outburst seemed out of character for a player so well-respected that Wilson chose him to be one of three players who alternate wearing the “A” as assistant captains. Still, players have been traded for less than what Krygier did, but Wilson put him right back in the lineup.

“Everything was fine [the day after it happened],” Krygier said. “Obviously it was big that we won the game.

“It hasn’t been an easy trip. We all go through our ups and downs.”

The Ducks--who played in front of 10,661--in what was probably their final visit to Winnipeg Arena--won in no small part because of the efforts of the brothers Sacco.

They trailed, 2-0, after Tkachuk scored two goals in less than nine minutes. But David Sacco, playing his first game since undergoing arthroscopic knee surgery last month, carried the puck from his end all the way in, beating defenseman Deron Quint and then putting a backhander past goalie Tim Cheveldae at 9:52 of the first.

Sacco had a goal and assisted Paul Kariya on his 25th goal, and Joe Sacco scored the go-ahead goal at 10:35 of the third.

Joe Sacco also assisted Van Allen’s first goal, a nifty shot that Van Allen flipped into the net while practically straddling the goal line. It tied the score, 4-4, at 8:10 of the third.

Guy Hebert wasn’t flawless in goal, but he made some game-saving stops, especially after Cheveldae was pulled with 33 seconds left.

The Ducks were glad to be headed home after a trip that took them into the aftermath of the East’s record-setting blizzard.

The Ducks finished the trip 2-3-1, recovering with a victory after losing to Boston and Chicago by a combined score of 10-2.