Relief, Elation After Victory

When it was done, when they had turned back the Dallas Stars one final time, the Mighty Ducks poured over the dasher boards to celebrate with goaltender Mikhail Shtalenkov.

Instead of running for the exits, the sellout crowd of 17,174 at the Pond stood and roared its approval.

The 3-2 victory over the Stars moved the Mighty Ducks into the Stanley Cup playoffs for the first time in their four-year history.

Last season was nothing more than a bad memory by the time the buzzer sounded to end Friday’s game. This season, Ducks would not fall a point short, as they did in 1995-96. They would not be left out.

This time, they roared into the playoffs with a strong all-around game, ending the Stars’ 11-game unbeaten streak.

“I’ve been waiting a long time for this,” winger Joe Sacco said. “This is a great accomplishment for everyone here.”

Sacco, defenseman Bobby Dollas and goaltender Guy Hebert are the only three players left on the roster from opening night in October, 1993. Sacco was the only one of the three to play in Friday’s game, however. Dollas has the chicken pox and Hebert was rested in favor of backup Mikhail Shtalenkov.

“There was a whole lot of hooting and hollering going on in here,” defenseman David Karpa said of the postgame celebration in the Duck dressing room. “There was a real special feeling for the three guys who have been here for four years.”

Shtalenkov, who started the first season in the minor leagues, but joined the team at midseason, was superb in goal Friday. He stopped 25 of 27 shots as the Ducks defeated Dallas for the first time in four games this season.

He said he couldn’t remember who hugged him first at game’s end.

“It was a great feeling,” said Shtalenkov, 3-0-1 in spelling Hebert the past week. “I feel like it was a long wait to make the playoffs.”

Coach Ron Wilson spent Thursday evening at home “like a fan,” watching games on TV and trying to figure out the various scenarios for the Ducks to clinch a playoff berth.

In the end, they merely needed to defeat Dallas to clinch a playoff berth.

“I’ve been thinking about this for a day or so,” Wilson said. “I wanted us to get the two points. I didn’t want to hang on and tie and see what would happen [in other games].

“I feel relief, elation . . . I don’t know how to explain it. I’m getting emotional.”

Right wing Teemu Selanne had a hand in all three Ducks’ goals, scoring one and assisting on the others.

“Everybody is pumped right now,” said Selanne, whose goal was his 49th this season. “We can’t be too satisfied. Our goal is to win those final two games, reach fourth place. I would rather play Edmonton, Phoenix or Chicago than those top three teams. It will be easier to start with one of the bottom four.”

Winning the final two regular-season games--against the Kings at the Pond on Wednesday and at San Jose next Friday--would put the Ducks in an ideal position to secure fourth place and home-ice advantage for the playoffs.

“This was the first step,” said veteran Jari Kurri, who won five Stanley Cups with the Edmonton Oilers. “It means a lot to this organization.”