FIRST PERIOD

Highlight reel: For the fourth consecutive game, the Mighty Ducks and Devils played a scoreless first period, but that doesn’t mean there was a shortage of exciting plays. One of the best came from the Ducks’ penalty-killing unit, which jumped all over a loose puck and came close to scoring a short-handed goal with less than three minutes remaining in the period. With Rob Niedermayer and Samuel Pahlsson leading a two-on-one break, the Ducks tried to sneak a deflection past Devil goaltender Martin Brodeur, but the puck bounced away from the net.

Key moment: The Ducks’ Keith Carney came close to scoring with a power-play shot midway into the period. From the left sideboards, Carney launched a soft, wobbly shot that deflected off the stick of New Jersey defenseman Tommy Albelin. Brodeur seemed to be fooled but closed his legs just enough to prevent the puck from going in.

*--* MIGHTY DUCKS 0, DEVILS 0 Shots Penalty min Faceoffs won Power Play DEVILS 10 2 9 0-2 DUCKS 7 4 14 0-1

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Not in the summary: After a shaky start to the finals, Duck goaltender Jean-Sebastien Giguere looked confident facing the Devils’ first power play. Giguere stayed on top of the crease and challenged New Jersey’s shooters. When it was time to make a save, Giguere calmly made a glove save on Scott Gomez’s wrist shot from the right circle.

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SECOND PERIOD

*--* MIGHTY DUCKS 0, DEVILS 0 Shots Penalty min Faceoffs won Power Play DEVILS 8 0 7 0-1 DUCKS 8 2 12 0-0

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Highlight reel: New Jersey forward John Madden gave the Ducks a major scare in the final seconds of the period when he skated down a lead pass from teammate Jay Pandolfo in the neutral zone and got off a breakaway shot that was saved by Giguere with 4.2 seconds remaining.

Key moment: Stanislav Chistov and Adam Oates each hit a post on separate scoring chances in the period for the Ducks. After getting muscled by New Jersey’s fourth-liners in the Duck zone, linemates Chistov, Steve Thomas and Pahlsson countered quickly against the Devil defense and nearly scored when Chistov fired a shot off the right post. Minutes later, Oates gathered in a pass from Niclas Havelid, skated around defenseman Brian Rafalski in the slot and slid a backhand shot under Brodeur only to have the puck bounce off the left post.

Not in the summary: How the Ducks have become the more physical team after being roughed up in Games 1 and 2. If it wasn’t defenseman Ruslan Salei shaking up the Devil forwards with bone-crunching checks, it was winger Mike Leclerc powering through a pile of bodies to get the puck back for the Ducks.

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THIRD PERIOD

*--* MIGHTY DUCKS 0, DEVILS 0 Shots Penalty min Faceoffs won Power Play DEVILS 7 0 10 0-0 DUCKS 9 0 19 0-0

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Highlight reel: Over the final few minutes of regulation, both teams had a variety of scoring chances, including a great transition opportunity by the Ducks with 1:54 remaining. From inside the Duck zone, Paul Kariya got the play started with a long lead pass to Petr Sykora, who outfought the Devils’ Scott Stevens for the puck. From the right wing, Sykora fired the puck into the crease but before Oates could get it, Brodeur was able to knock it away with his stick.

Key moment: Less than five minutes into the period, Salei dumped the puck into the right side of the Devil zone and it took a weird bounce toward Brodeur in front of the net. Brodeur clumsily tried to catch it with his glove but instead knocked it down toward the net. Salei would have ended up scoring the game’s first goal if not for a quick-thinking stick save by Brodeur at 4:27.

Not in the summary: Everyone on the ice seemed to lose track of the puck when it ricocheted high onto the safety netting behind the Ducks’ goal after a New Jersey rush early in the period. What made the play so odd was that Carney ended up kicking the puck from outside the left post after it bounced back onto the ice before officials whistled to stop play.

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OVERTIME

*--* MIGHTY DUCKS 1, DEVILS 0 Shots Penalty min Faceoffs won Power Play DEVILS 1 0 1 0-0 DUCKS 2 0 0 0-0

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Highlight reel: The overtime period did not last long because Thomas, who has gained a reputation for scoring important goals for the Ducks this season, stepped up to end the game. After a save by Brodeur, Thomas jumped all over a rebound in the right circle and fired home a shot 39 seconds into the period.

Key moment: The Devils got off to a quick start in overtime when Sergei Brylin won the opening faceoff against Pahlsson. New Jersey followed with a strong rush and ended with a quality scoring chance when Jamie Langenbrunner fired a shot that was stopped by Giguere 16 seconds into overtime. The Ducks then made the Devils pay when they responded with a rush and Thomas scored.

Not in the summary: The excitement on the face of Thomas after he scored the game-winning goal and before his teammates reached him to celebrate. Thomas, making his first appearance in the Stanley Cup finals, skated on one leg with his arms extended and grabbed Sandis Ozolinsh first. He was joined by Carney, Chistov, Sykora and Pahlsson before the entire team celebrated in the middle of the ice.