Fans can help the Ducks win this one

* EDITOR’S NOTE: As a special feature, Guy Hebert, a Newport Beach

resident and former goalie for the Mighty Ducks, will write regular

diaries about the team and its experiences throughout the Stanley Cup

Finals.

The Mighty Ducks are in unfamiliar territory and will have a

battle just to get themselves back into this series. The Ducks have

had the luxury of gaining early leads in the previous series and were

able to capitalize on their momentum.

This series is now the polar opposite and it is gut-check time for

the players. This is what you dream of, though, being down in the

finals and battling to find a way to get back into the series. The

players will take a hard look at themselves to see what things need

to be changed, make the adjustments and prove to everyone, mostly

themselves, that they can and will respond.

Being able to respond to the challenge with this type of pressure

and with the most coveted trophy in all of sports on the line will

showcase the players with the biggest heart. This time of year, every

player is motivated, but the team that wins is the team that shows

the most heart.

Making sacrifices to make sure that the team is successful is the

X-factor, and so far it has been the New Jersey Devils who have

exhibited this quality.

But Ducks fans, do not despair. Your Mighty Ducks are in a hole,

but not out of the race. These guys have shown what they are made of

time and time again, not only in the playoffs, but during the regular

season, as well. What the team does need is home-ice advantage.

Good teams are supposed to win games at home, and this is why in

hockey, the series are best of seven. The team will look to come back

into its own house and use the energy from its faithful fans to gain

the edge for Game Three. You, the fans, have been instrumental in the

team’s success at home during the 2003 playoff run, and the guys will

need to pull that extra energy from you once again.

I can’t tell you how many times when I played that when the game

was close or we were starting to lose momentum, the crowd got behind

us and we players all fed off the positive energy that you provided.

Be there, be loud and be proud of your team, and they will give you

the effort on the ice. I have plenty of confidence in both the

players and you, the fans, to get this series turned around.

As I sat at the Arrowhead Pond watching the game with the

faithful, I took notes on what I saw. What struck me was that the

Devils did what they wanted to do. They had the right matchups on the

ice, and again, the line of Jamie Langenbrunner, John Madden and Jay

Pandolfo did a terrific job of neutralizing Paul Kariya and limited

him to no shots on goal for the second straight game.

Scott Stevens, the Devils’ captain and leader, was also on the ice

for most of Kariya’s shifts and made his physical presence felt on

Kariya with several big hits. Both teams had good energy early on,

and the game took on a nice high speed tempo. Some chances for both

teams, but no scoring was produced in the first.

The second period began, and just like that, the Devils struck on

the power play. Patrik Elias put home a rebound to the left of

Jean-Sebastien Giguere, and the Devils were off to the races. They

began swarming like bees after honey and dominated that period,

adding another goal by Scott Gomez, and had complete control of the

game. The third period was much of the same.

In my notes, I wrote:

“Madden, Langenbrunner, Pandolfo, too strong for Anaheim to

defend, these guys constantly putting pressure on the puck and

creating turnovers. Getting lots of scoring chances off these, and

now Elias and Gomez starting to become offensive factors. Jeff

Friesen, strong on puck and attacking net with a purpose, scoring

another goal. Heavy traffic in front of Giguere, and not getting same

support as previous games, and frustration building. Needs to keep

composure on the ice to send his teammates a positive message, but as

a leader, needs to convey his message loud and clear in the locker

room. Help take control of the team with his confidence.”

These are just a few of my notes, but I could not help see that

New Jersey was clearly the better team and again dictated what was

available to the Ducks’ offense. Anaheim was forced to the outside

lanes and never mounted enough pressure to put Martin Brodeur’s

shutout streak in doubt.

The former Ducks players have certainly had a major impact up to

this point, with Friesen scoring three goals and Oleg Tverdovsky

chipping in with two assists. The other former Duck, big Jim

McKenzie, provided a good hard-hitting game much to the chagrin of

the Ducks’ defensemen.

Heart, passion and tenacity are the intangibles that will get the

Ducks back in this series. They have displayed them on many occasion

and will certainly be evident in Game Three. The Ducks’ backs are up

against a wall, but the Devils know that a team in this position is

the most dangerous. It should be a great game to watch, and remember,

the series is never over until someone wins that fourth game.

Look for the Ducks to bounce back and make it a long series.