This Loss Won’t Crack Ducks

And so the Mighty Ducks lost.

So Dallas goalie Marty Turco got the big save, the eye-popping stop and Anaheim goalie Jean-Sebastien Giguere didn’t.

Nobody thought the Ducks would march through the NHL playoffs undefeated. Duck fans only hoped they might.

“We weren’t going to go 16-0,” Anaheim’s Steve Thomas said.

No kidding.

This 2-1 loss to the Dallas Stars Monday should be considered a badge of honor for the Ducks.

Now we will find out whether those first six playoff games, all the one-goal victories, the heartstopping overtime miracles, the way the Ducks stayed so even-tempered actually meant something.

By not getting discouraged over last-second goals that seemed to turn wins into losses or by overtime goals that were taken away but shouldn’t have been, or not getting peevish over the unsporting, whiny comments of opponents, these things indicate the Ducks have not been playoff imposters and are as capable of making the Stanley Cup finals as any other team left.

But what the Ducks haven’t shown yet is how they handle a loss. What they haven’t proved is the playoff ability to shove adversity into a back pocket and throw those pants into the hamper.

What Giguere hasn’t faced yet is the playoff realization that he is not unbeatable. How will the stoic, young netminder handle a loss and the idea that every puck shot his way is not the size of a basketball or traveling at the speed of a slow-pitch softball?

“He’ll be fine,” said Petr Sykora. “Jiggy played great. Turco did too. And he made a great save.”

The great save was the final one, on Sykora. Less than two minutes were left in the game. Sykora was planted in front of the net. His shot was whacked. The puck swerved and squiggled and spun toward that red goal line. Until Turco stopped it.

What the Mighty Ducks haven’t experienced is the dull ache of a close loss, the long night of replaying close calls, lost chances, good scoring chances just skittering off Turco’s stick instead of just past it.

They haven’t had to come to the cold practice ice the morning after -- especially after a one-goal loss that could easily have been a Stars-crushing loss.

“Petr totally had [Turco] beat,” Duck center Steve Rucchin said. “I thought we were going to overtime for sure. Turco made some great saves. That was the greatest.”

There have been no if-onlys in the playoffs for the Ducks. Until now. If only that early flurry of aggressiveness on offense had translated into the first goal. If only Sykora really had Turco beat.

If only they didn’t have to listen to radio shows or watch television highlights and hear themselves be the losers, see themselves do less right, have less luck than the opponent.

If only the Stars didn’t get a better shot off on the final Anaheim power play in the last five minutes than the Ducks did.

Now we see if the Ducks are a short-story fairy tale or a for-real and unexpectedly amazing spring sports joy ride. Now we see if the Ducks will take personally all the smug dismissiveness that has been sent their way.

For they should take personally the nose-in-the-air comments that have come from both Detroit and Dallas. They should be tired of hearing how the beaten opponents have really been playing better hockey, more aesthetically pleasing hockey, more acceptable hockey.

“It’s hard to lose a tight game like this,” Rucchin said. “But, geez, we’re playing the Dallas Stars. You can’t expect to win 16 straight games.”

Said defenseman Keith Carney: “You can’t expect to win 16 straight games.”

What Duck Coach Mike Babcock has done all season is impart a certain message -- his message -- and have it imprint immediately in the minds of his team.

So this was the message: The Ducks lost. No team wins 16 in a row in the playoffs.

“We are going to deal with this game for a few more minutes,” Babcock said, “then you have another 15 minutes to hang your head, or 15 minutes to cheer, then you get on with your life. We have to get ready for Wednesday. That is the biggest game of the season.”

More “experts,” more fans, more of the players who have been eliminated from the playoffs and more of the players who haven’t will expect the Ducks to crack now. “We won’t,” Thomas said. “Why would we?” Good answer now. A win Wednesday would be the best answer.

Diane Pucin can be reached at diane.pucin@latimes.com.