Vishnevski Is Spark

It has come to this for the Mighty Ducks: Vitaly Vishnevski, offensive force.

That is the perfect visual aide in an inverted season, where the Ducks are printing playoff tickets and the San Jose Sharks are booking vacations.

Vishnevski, a defenseman who had shown little inclination to get involved in the offense before this season, propelled the Ducks to a 3-2 overtime victory over the Sharks Thursday in front of an announced 12,931 at the Arrowhead Pond. He tied the score five minutes into the third period, then set up Steve Thomas’ game-winner with a slick move in overtime.

Vishnevski made a side-step move from the blue line, then whipped a shot on net. Goalie Mikka Kiprusoff made the save, but the puck lay on a silver platter in the crease. Thomas, acquired in a trade-deadline deal, rushed in and chipped the puck in 2 minutes 4 seconds into overtime.

Thomas tied an NHL record for overtime goals with 12.

It gave the Ducks their fifth victory in six games and moved them into sole possession of sixth place in the Western Conference.

Thomas, 39, has three goals in his first two games with the Ducks, old hat for an old-timer who has 404 goals in his career.

But this has been an offensive awakening for Vishnevski, who ended a 204-game goal-less streak against Edmonton last Friday.

“It is called opportunity,” Coach Mike Babcock said. “We have been working to get him moving laterally better. We wanted him to join the rush.”

There was nothing wrong with the way Vishnevski moved Thursday. He joined the rush and knocked in a Thomas pass to tie the score, 2-2, 4:58 into the third period.

In fact, the only time Vishnevski stumbled at all was after the game, when asked about his play in overtime that led to the game-winner.

“Come on guys, don’t ask the tough questions,” Vishnevski said. “I just saw an opening and shot the puck.”

Thomas did the rest. He swooped in and picked up his second game-winning goal in as many games with the Ducks.

“That’s just a guy being 20 years in the league,” Babcock said. “Most guys would skate by that puck. Steve stopped and put it in.”

Thomas has three goals in four shots since the trade.

“I think I’ll try to carry this streak until the end of the season,” said Thomas, who had only four goals in 69 games with the Chicago Blackhawks before the trade. “I had been in a lull, then I got traded. I’m playing with talented guys and really getting a lot of energy from that.”

He arrived in time to help the Ducks achieve some superiority over the Sharks, who had won five consecutive games in the Pond.

“We played San Jose a couple times earlier this season and they beat us to every puck,” Babcock said. “It was like we had it in our mind, ‘We can’t play with these guys.’

“There’s a mental block you have to get past. We had the same thing with the Kings. We got over that one.”

The Ducks’ makeover is noticeable to the Sharks, one in particular.

“When management shows that they really want to win, it’s like a snowball going downhill,” Teemu Selanne said. “I hear it is a family feeling there again. It used to be that way when I first got to Anaheim. It wasn’t the last couple years I was there.

“I wouldn’t want to face the Ducks in the first round of the playoffs.”

The Sharks have gone the other way.

Their season can be summed up by the fact that they have had six players score their first NHL goals this season. Rob Davison joined the list Thursday with an innocent-looking shot from the blue line that slipped past goalie Martin Gerber for a 2-1 Shark lead 4:54 into the second period.