Ducks’ title defense begins

Never has a harmless word been so threatening.

Repeat.

The Ducks want to repeat as Stanley Cup champions. They believe they can repeat. But hear them say that word? Only if you prod them.

“To be honest with you, we don’t even think about that stuff,” defenseman Sean O’Donnell said. “What it would mean? It takes so much focus on Game 1 that you can’t really think about how hard it is to repeat or why no one has been able to do it.

“There’s good teams out there, especially in the West. We’re just trying to win that first game of round one right now.”

Unlike last season, when they talked about winning a Cup from the first day of training camp, the Ducks are taking a much quieter approach as they begin their shot at history tonight against Dallas in Game 1 of the Western Conference finals.

Perhaps it’s knowing what it takes: 16 victories over four rounds in a span of two months against the best teams in the league.

No team has won the Cup back to back since the Detroit Red Wings in 1997 and 1998.

Recent champions haven’t come close to repeating. Detroit, the 2002 champion, was ousted in the first round in 2003 by upstart Anaheim. New Jersey, the 2003 winner, was also bounced in the opening round the next season, as was Tampa Bay in 2006 after winning in 2004 before the lockout.

Carolina, the winner in 2006, hasn’t been back to the postseason.

The Ducks first have to deal with Dallas, which won five of the eight regular-season meetings between the teams.

Steve Yzerman, who played on the ’98 Red Wings team that swept Washington in the finals, said winning the Cup back to back can be done.

“I don’t think it’s any different the second time around,” he said. “It’s a huge advantage to having been there and having the confidence and the ability to win the Cup.”

Now a vice president with the Red Wings, the future Hall of Fame center and three-time champion sees no reason why the Ducks can’t launch a successful defense.

“I don’t think it’s unreasonable to expect a champion to repeat,” Yzerman said. “I think the Ducks have the depth and the size you need. And the age of the team is a factor. I don’t think they’ve gotten too old.

“Scott Niedermayer has been through everything. Chris Pronger has now been through everything. When it gets to a lot of the tight situations, you now know not to overreact. You know how to prepare for that one crucial game and you know how your team is going to feel in that one certain situation.”

The Ducks have the personnel and, as O’Donnell said, are built for the playoffs. They compiled a 47-27-8 record and 102 points, tied for fourth in the NHL with Pittsburgh, despite a season-opening trip to London, injuries to key personnel throughout and the pressure of being the target all season.

No team may have a better defense with Niedermayer, Pronger and Mathieu Schneider on the back line. In goal is Jean-Sebastien Giguere, who is building a postseason resume that stacks up among the best in the game. And no team has played more playoff games (37) over the last two seasons.

“The playoffs are why I came back,” said Teemu Selanne, who returned in February after toying with retirement. “That’s why Scotty came back. The last couple of years with what we have gone through here, that’s the bottom line. It’s the ultimate time for a hockey player.

“We all know how good we can be. Everything is in our hands.”

But the Ducks are not a consensus favorite in the Western Conference; second-seeded San Jose is picked by many to win the West. Top-seeded Detroit could once again be in the Ducks’ path too.

The Ducks’ lack of a potent second scoring line all season long is a red flag, as well as their spotty power play that ranked 16th in the league. They also seem to lack the laser-like focus they showed a year ago.

Columbus Coach Ken Hitchcock said it will be tough to repeat. Hitchcock knows firsthand how tough it is. He took Dallas back to the Stanley Cup finals after their triumph in 1999, only to lose to New Jersey in six games.

“You know, the first series to me for an established team is by far the hardest because I think there’s a part of you that knows how difficult it is and how high the hill is to climb,” Hitchcock said. “I think the electricity from the other side is that nothing would feel better, and they feel if they knock off the defending champions, that they’ve got a great road to getting to the Cup.

“I feel like it’s going to be really a challenge for Anaheim to get their level up to where they need to because they are the target. . . . They’re going to get Dallas’ best game every night.”

Niedermayer helped the Devils deny Hitchcock and the Stars in 2000. A year later, the Devils’ bid at history ended in a 3-1 Game 7 loss to Colorado in the finals.

“It’s a pretty vivid memory,” Niedermayer said. “Getting on the bus after the game. It’s no fun at all. Anyone that’s been in that situation would say the same thing.”

The Ducks are in their window of opportunity and they know it.

“You have to take advantage of it when you feel you’re with a team that has the opportunity because that doesn’t always come around as well,” Niedermayer said. “As a group, we’re excited about the challenge. That’s an attitude that I feel from a lot of the guys.

“We’re excited about trying to go out there and do that exact thing again.”

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eric.stephens@latimes.com