The Fans in Anaheim Show Their Spirit

Near the end, you almost expected the fans in the white shirts to point at the fans in the red shirts and shout, “We’ve got spirit, yes we do. We’ve got spirit, how about you?”

Such was the raucous, college-like atmosphere Sunday at the Arrowhead Pond for the Ducks’ 3-1 victory over the Detroit Red Wings and their legion of red-clad fans.

Coach Craig Hartsburg certainly enjoyed himself, although he wouldn’t mind seeing more Duck jerseys and fewer Red Wing ones in the crowd when Detroit comes back to town.

“It was great to stand behind the bench in a game like that,” Hartsburg said. “It was a great hockey game. Both teams battled and really played like they hated each other. Our fans gave us a big boost. It was a big two points for us.”

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Hartsburg was thrilled Sunday to win a game of such magnitude without getting a goal from his top line of Paul Kariya, Travis Green and Teemu Selanne.

Kariya and Selanne each had assists but the second-line players, Marty McInnis, Steve Rucchin and Tomas Sandstrom, each scored a goal.

“Our growth as a team means we don’t have to rely on one line,” Hartsburg said. “Every night, we should have other people contributing.”

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Clip and save: The winners of the Pacific, Central and Northwest divisions earn the first three seeds in the Western Conference for the Stanley Cup playoffs.

(It’s the same in the Eastern Conference for the winners of the Northeast, Atlantic and Southeast divisions).

That’s why Detroit is third overall and Phoenix fourth, even though the Red Wings trail the Coyotes by two points in the standings.

It’s also why the Ducks’ one-point deficit against the Red Wings means nothing, but their three-point deficit against the Coyotes means everything.

Got it?

It can be confusing, but just remember that the Ducks’ playoff fight is with Phoenix and sixth-place St. Louis and you’ll be all right.

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The Ducks’ seven-game winning streak is the third-longest in the NHL this season. Colorado had a 12-game winning streak from Jan. 10 to Feb. 7. Pittsburgh had a 10-game streak from Jan. 28 to Feb. 15. Phoenix won eight straight Nov. 11-28.