The Ducks had to vanquish the Ottawa Senators in five games in the Stanley Cup Final to capture California’s first Cup back in 2007. But to get there, Anaheim (almost fittingly) had to knock off longtime playoff rival Detroit in a heated Western Conference Final.
Game 5 of that series featured two of the biggest goals in Ducks history, as Scott Niedermayer tied the game with under a minute left in regulation, and Teemu Selanne won it 11:56 into overtime at the old Joe Louis Arena in Detroit.
We take a look back at that unforgettable series through the eyes of some of its most significant characters.
After knocking off the Minnesota Wild in five games in the opening round and Vancouver in five games in the second round, the Ducks were set to face Detroit, a frequent playoff opponent. The Red Wings swept the Ducks out of the playoffs in 1997 and 1999, but Anaheim got the upper hand with a sweep in the ’03 opening round on the way to its first Final appearance.
Teemu Selanne, Ducks winger: Detroit has always been tough for us, and we knew if we could get by them, we would have a good chance to win the Cup. It was a tough series and it went back and forth. They had a very good team, and they always raise their level in the playoffs. But we knew we had a great team too, and we knew going in we had a good chance.
The Ducks and Red Wings split the first four games of the series, with Anaheim winning Game 4 at Honda Center, 5-3. The series shifted back to Joe Louis Arena for Game 5, a difficult building to play in for opponents and a place where the Ducks have traditionally struggled.
Ryan Getzlaf, Ducks center: We didn't want to go down 3-2 going back home because then we knew we had to come back for a Game 7 if we wanted to win this thing. We went into that game with the mentality that we needed to win.
Selanne: It’s not an easy building to play in, because of the history and the culture and the fans there. We haven’t had a lot of success there, but it’s a great building to play in. There is a lot of pride, so that’s why winning there is pretty special.