O’Donnell Reveals His Other Side

Sean O’Donnell gets paid to do the dirty work in front of the net and knows that’s his lot in hockey life.

But there are times when the rough-and-tumble defenseman can rush up the ice like a high-scoring forward and bury the puck, as he did Tuesday with his first goal as a Mighty Duck in a 4-3 loss to Colorado.

It was his second goal this season and 23rd of his 11-year career.

“Anytime that stuff happens, it’s kind of gravy,” O’Donnell said. “Everybody likes to score goals whether you do it 40 times a year or twice a year.”

After starting the season with Phoenix, the 34-year-old veteran is playing a substantial role for the Ducks in the middle of a playoff race.

“It’s worked out really well,” O’Donnell said. “It wasn’t working out in Phoenix. I don’t think anyone that follows hockey doubts the direction the organization is in.”

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Defenseman Vitaly Vishnevski needed five stitches to close a cut underneath his nose after trying to block a shot from Colorado captain Joe Sakic at the 13:32 mark of the second period.

“It hit my visor first,” said Vishnevski, who returned on the next shift. “I know he likes to shoot from that position. Last game we played against Colorado, he scored from [that] point.”

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TONIGHT

at Dallas, 5:30 PST, FSNW2

Site -- American Airlines Center.

Radio --1510, 1700.

Records -- Ducks 37-22-12; Stars 48-20-3.

Record vs. Stars -- 1-1-3.

Update -- Samuel Pahlsson’s late goal in the third period last week gave the Ducks their first win against the Stars this season. Dallas is an NHL-best 11-0 in the shootout. Goaltender Marty Turco leads the league with a franchise-record 38 victories.