O’Donnell’s Goal Puts Ducks on Even Footing

A series-defining moment presented itself and Sean O’Donnell seized it with the blade of his stick.

Yes, Sean O’Donnell. The definition of “stay-at-home defenseman” with 23 regular-season goals in an 11-year career built mostly on winning physical battles.

But with the Mighty Ducks searching for hope after blowing a two-goal lead, O’Donnell lifted them out of a hole against the Calgary Flames Thursday night at the Arrowhead Pond. His goal at 1 minute 36 seconds of overtime gave the Ducks a 3-2 Game 4 victory and evened the Western Conference first-round playoff series at two games apiece.

Game 5 is Saturday at Calgary’s Pengrowth Saddledome, where the Ducks will have to win at least once again. But they made sure they won’t be turning in their uniforms Monday since they’ll be playing Game 6 at home.

O’Donnell scored after getting a pass from Chris Kunitz and ripping a slap shot from the blue line between the pads of screened Flame goaltender Miikka Kiprusoff.

“That was an interesting feeling, realizing it got through his legs there and that the game was over and that you were the one who shot it,” said O’Donnell, 34, whose goal was his fourth in 48 postseason games. “It was a nice feeling, and it felt a little bit strange, but I’ll take it.”

O’Donnell isn’t counted on to score goals. He’s paid to prevent others from scoring, and that was why General Manager Brian Burke acquired him from the Phoenix Coyotes at the March 9 trade deadline.

But the Ducks accepted his offense after being deflated by two quick goals three minutes apart by Calgary’s Jarome Iginla in the third period.

“You need guys to step up and play their best hockey, and he’s played extremely well for us ever since we acquired him,” center Andy McDonald said of O’Donnell. “He showed it again tonight with a big play and a great shot. Nothing seems to get by Kiprusoff easily, and he made a great shot.”

The Ducks were desperate to not head back to Calgary facing elimination.

From the start, they put their bodies in front of shots and stayed in front of the net to clear anything that Jean-Sebastien Giguere couldn’t get to.

The Ducks killed every penalty after their abysmal Game 3 showing with a man down two nights before. Ryan Getzlaf and Teemu Selanne scored their first goals of the series.

Giguere made 25 saves and his playoff overtime shutout streak, which started in 2003grew to 170 minutes three seconds despite the goals to Iginla.

“We played more desperate than we did the other night and I think we have to ratchet it up another notch,” Duck Coach Randy Carlyle said.

Getzlaf, the Ducks’ first pick in the 2003 draft, is viewed as a potential franchise center with his combination of size and skill.

After a 1 1/2 -month spell in the minors midway through the season, he finished his rookie year with 14 goals and 25 assists in 57 games.

Picking up the puck in the left circle in his end, the 20-year-old streaked up ice and split Flame defensemen Dion Phaneuf and Roman Hamrlik for a breakaway. Getzlaf deked Kiprusoff to his right and flipped a shot off the right post into the net.

“He’s played extremely well and that’s what we need,” McDonald said of Getzlaf. “We need our young guys to continue to play well. They’ve improved all year long and they’re playing with a lot of confidence.”

Selanne finally broke loose at the 7:13 mark of the second with a power-play goal by banging in a rebound. Getzlaf started the play with a nifty cross-ice pass to Scott Niedermayer.

Until then, Selanne and McDonald had no goals and two assists between them in the first three games.

“We talked about it,” McDonald said. “You can’t get frustrated and you have to continue to shoot the puck.”