With Tie, Ducks Looking More Like Contenders

Dead even.

That’s where the Mighty Ducks and Chicago Blackhawks stood as they left the ice after 65 minutes Sunday afternoon, their defensive battle ending in a 2-2 tie in front of 21,633 at the United Center.

It’s also where the Ducks stand in the battle for the final Western Conference playoff spot. The point they earned by tying Chicago on Alex Hicks’ third-period goal pulled them into a tie for eighth with the Winnipeg Jets. Each team has 65 points and 10 games to play.

Duck Coach Ron Wilson pointed his players toward the out-of-town scoreboard late in the third period, and they saw the final: Colorado 5, Winnipeg 2. That meant a victory would put them into a playoff spot this late in the season for the first time in the franchise’s three-year existence. It also meant a point would pull them into a tie.

“I was thinking: One point is so important,” said Teemu Selanne, the former Jet who has spurred on the Ducks during their club-record seven-game unbeaten streak. “If we get a good chance, we might score, but I’d rather play a 2-2 game and get one point. Not so many teams get even one point in this building.”

If the season ended today, Winnipeg would earn the playoff spot on the first tiebreaker--number of victories, with 30 to the Ducks’ 29. But there are 10 games to settle it, including a final-game matchup between the Ducks and Jets, April 14 at the Pond.

“I try to think it doesn’t matter what team it is,” Selanne said. “But for sure, a little bit, I think it might be nice to beat them. I have nothing against them. Still, it would be sweet to beat Winnipeg.”

Against the Blackhawks, the Ducks weren’t quite as sharp as they were during their six-game winning streak, and Wilson faulted them for overpassing and trying fancy plays instead of driving to the net. Selanne and Paul Kariya were held in check by constant attention from defenseman Chris Chelios and the line of Jeff Shantz, Brent Sutter and Bob Probert. And a defensive lapse led to Chicago’s second goal when Valeri Karpov and Steve Rucchin didn’t backcheck, enabling James Black to pounce on a loose puck for a 2-1 lead at 18:21 of the first.

But the Ducks got the one thing that has been absolutely consistent throughout their 2 1/2 weeks without a loss--superb goaltending from Guy Hebert, who made 36 saves Sunday and has given up only nine goals during the seven-game unbeaten streak.

“You can’t forget, our goaltending has been impeccable for about a month,” Wilson said.

In the last seven games, Hebert has a .964 save percentage and hasn’t given up more than two goals to any opponent.

“Things are going well and we’re on a little roll,” said Hebert, who has rebounded with a hot hand after being benched a month ago. “The last seven games that have gone by, everyone’s gotten confident. We have a good feeling going into tight situations. This is a very difficult place to play, and we got a 2-2 tie.

“[Tying Winnipeg in the standings] is almost a Catch-22. We’ve been working so hard to catch them, it’s almost better we’re not a point ahead. We’ve got to make sure we keep working to get past them. But now we can say, ‘There are 10 games left. If we win more than they do, we’re going to the playoffs.’ ”

Hebert is one of the reasons for the Ducks’ penalty-killing success. They thwarted Chicago on five of six power plays--including a two-man advantage for 1:53 in the first.

Chicago led, 1-0, after Gary Suter scored on a power-play slap shot 5:39 into the game. Joe Sacco tied the score off a pass from Kariya on a two-on-one at 12:38 before Black put Chicago ahead.

No one scored until Hicks was credited with the tying goal at 7:24 of the third when he got the shaft of his stick on the puck in front of the net, and it went in off Denis Savard and off goalie Ed Belfour’s pad.

Chicago had won five in a row against the Ducks, but they were playing without Jeremy Roenick, who has a sprained right ankle. They also were playing a Duck team that’s better than it’s ever been. Chicago Coach Craig Hartsburg, Wilson’s teammate on the Minnesota North Stars during the mid-1980s, leaned in as he walked past Wilson’ post-game talk with reporters: “Good luck. You’re going to make make it,” he told him.

Startled, Wilson fumbled for an answer. “See you in the playoffs,” he said.