It’s a Little Late, but Ducks Are Finally on a Hot Streak

The Mighty Ducks won their fourth consecutive game, taking a 1-0 overtime decision Sunday from the pesky Nashville Predators at the Arrowhead Pond.

The winning streak is the Ducks’ longest since December 1999.

No joke. No misprint.

No one could make up the last eight days the Ducks have had even if they spent hours trying. Sunday’s victory was perhaps the most predictable event of the Ducks’ version of March Madness.

Defenseman Mike Crowley rocketed down left wing ahead of a pack of Predators, accepted a backhand pass from center Matt Cullen and sent a low shot off the inside of goaltender Mike Dunham’s right leg and into the back of the net.

After 63 minutes 40 seconds of scoreless hockey, an announced crowd of 13,888 finally had something to cheer. Those who hadn’t nodded off roared their approval.

“Better late than never,” said Coach Guy Charron, who referred to the Ducks’ win streak, but just as easily could have been speaking of Crowley’s goal. “We need it to establish something good at home to reward our fans. As a team, we’re starting to feel good about ourselves.”

Team management has taken heat for dealing Teemu Selanne to the San Jose Sharks for left wing Jeff Friesen and goalie Steve Shields and for putting Guy Hebert on waivers Monday.

The Pond was positively tomb-like for long stretches of the third game since the moves were made, but there’s little doubt the fans have taken to Jean-Sebastien Giguere, whose standout play in net hastened Hebert’s departure.

Giguere’s shutout Sunday was his third in 13 games, tying Martin Brodeur of New Jersey, Roman Cechmanek of Philadelphia, Tommy Salo of Edmonton and Kevin Weekes of Tampa Bay for the most since the All-Star break.

Nashville threw 31 shots at Giguere, but many were from the perimeter and there were only a handful of second or third chances.

“They wanted to shoot and drive for rebounds,” Giguere said of the Predators, who are 1-5 in Anaheim. “Our defensemen took care of the rebounds.”

At long last, Crowley took care of the scoring. After the Ducks won a faceoff to Giguere’s right, defenseman Oleg Tverdovsky gobbled up the loose puck. Tverdovsky then passed to a streaking Cullen in the neutral zone.

When two Predators closed in on him, Cullen spotted Crowley on left wing and sent the puck to him. Crowley sent it through Dunham’s legs for his first goal since Nov. 14, 1998.

“He didn’t give me much,” Crowley said of Dunham, who shut out the Ducks, 3-0, Jan. 31 at the Pond. “He got a piece of it, for sure.”

Crowley’s goal was the Ducks’ lone shot on net in the five-minute overtime. Nashville had three shots, but didn’t come close to putting anything past Giguere, who also shut out the Kings, 4-0, March 4 and blanked the Sharks, 1-0, Feb. 21.

“It’s kind of sweet,” said Giguere, 6-5-2 with a 2.12 goals-against average and a .924 save percentage in his last 13 starts. “I know it sounds funny, but we approached this game like it was a playoff game. We want to finish over .500 after the All-Star break. We’re at the .500 mark now [at 6-6-2-1].”