In Clutch, Kariya Is at His Best

The popular refrain at the Pond lately has been “Na-na-na-na-na-na-na, na-na-na-na-na-na ... Gettin’ Jiggy With It,” in honor of Mighty Duck goaltender Jean-Sebastien Giguere. Wednesday night gave fans an opportunity to drop a few na’s, slow down the tempo and offer the Detroit Red Wings that farewell serenade: “Na-na-na-na, na-na-na-na, hey hey hey, goooood-bye.”

The Ducks had a chance to sweep the defending Stanley Cup champions. They knew it would be their most difficult game to date. And now that they’ve swept the Red Wings with a 3-2 victory in overtime of Game 4, it’s to sing the praises of Paul Kariya.

The Mighty Ducks had been to the playoffs before, and they’ve even made it past the first round. Here was their moment to get past the franchise’s personal road block, the team that bounced them out of their first two postseason appearances.

As stellar as Giguere has been in net, the Ducks couldn’t advance without someone scoring. If you had to pick someone, it would be Kariya.

He scored their first goal, halting Detroit’s early momentum and turning the game in the Mighty Ducks’ favor.

Kariya talks about his line and the team, spreads the credit around to the guys like Stumpy and Cheesy. But it’s the one guy on the squad without a hockey nickname who is the best hockey player.

Kariya was the one with the captain’s “C” on his chest, the one making $10 million this season, so it starts with him.

“That’s a lot of pressure, definitely, for a guy,” said center Steve Rucchin, who scored the game-winning goal. “But that’s why he gets paid the big bucks, right?

“He’s one of those guys that relishes the role, because time and time again he stepped up and scored big goals for this organization. I’m expecting more of him in these playoffs.”

Kariya scored two goals in the Ducks’ first-ever playoff game against the Phoenix Coyotes in 1997. He scored the game-winner in overtime of Game 6 in that series.

He scored the Ducks’ goal in a 2-1 loss in the opener of the conference semifinals against Detroit that year.

He had eight goals in 14 playoff games before this season.

And last year in Salt Lake City, he scored a goal in Canada’s victory over the United States in the gold medal game of the Olympics.

Then he scored in overtime to win Game 1 of this series.

But Kariya was coming off an uncharacteristically sloppy Game 3. He mishandled the puck and sent a few errant passes to no one.

“I think, in general, our line was just one puck length away or bobbling a little bit, in the difference between scoring and not scoring,” Kariya said.

“We did have some chances and we didn’t capitalize, especially through the neutral zone. I think we weren’t that crisp with our passes.”

In Game 4, Kariya was back to his blend of speed and skill.

The morning of the biggest game of the season, Kariya sat in the dressing room sounding as cool and analytical as Spock reading off data to Captain Kirk.

“You prepare the same way,” Kariya said of his routine on big-game days. “Once you hit the ice, obviously, these type of games are more intense than Game 40 of the regular season. But your preparation has to be the same.”

The Red Wings showed early on that Giguere wasn’t so impenetrable after all.

A Duck turnover deep in their zone left Red Wings’ Brett Hull and Henrik Zetterberg with the puck, unguarded. Hull slipped a quick pass to Zetterberg, who shot high and beat Giguere on his glove side.

The Red Wings had the expected sense of urgency from the outset. They were faster to the puck and hit harder. Now they had the lead as well.

It was time for a superstar play, and Kariya was up to the task. With Adam Oates carrying the puck up the left side and into the Detroit zone, Kariya beat two Red Wings on the right and skated free.

Oates slid the puck across to him and Kariya one-timed a shot past Curtis Joseph.

He tied it only a minute and 45 seconds after Detroit scored and brought the sellout crowd at the Pond back into the game.

Kariya got back to his finesse game and wasn’t on the ice when things got physical in the second period.

Through two periods he had the most shots of anyone -- four -- and that’s the way it is supposed to be.

He did the little things, too. Unlike Zetterberg, who ducked as the puck caromed around the glass, Kariya actually jumped in an attempt to keep the puck in the zone with his body.

Kariya also helped set the tone for the start of the third period, when all of the action was in the Red Wing zone. The Ducks took five of the first six shots, culminating in a goal by Jason Krog with 15:25 remaining that put the Ducks ahead, 2-1.

“I played all right,” Kariya said. “The team played well. Our line started to generate some offense. I think we got into the flow of the game tonight.”

He talks so modestly, and he makes it seem so easy.

“I guess it’s not that hard when you have that kind of skill, huh?” Rucchin said. “He’s got the skill, but he’s got the desire. There’s a reason why he got to where he is on the pedestal individually. He just shows up and competes.

“Tonight was another example of getting us going. That’s why he’s one of the best players in the world.”

And that’s why the Ducks are advancing to the second round.

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J.A. Adande can be reached at j.a.adande@latimes.com