Giguere Dominates Lightning in Win

TAMPA, Fla. â€”  Jean-Sebastien Giguere was a road warrior again Monday, the persona he carried through the Stanley Cup playoffs.

This was the guy who stood defiant in Detroit last spring. The one who endured long overtimes in Dallas. The goaltender who completely dominated in Minnesota.

Now, three months into the regular season, Giguere has another road victory, one that he earned.

Giguere’s 31-save performance pushed the Ducks to a 2-0 victory over the Tampa Bay Lightning in front of an announced 17,662 at the St. Pete Times Forum.

Petr Sykora had a goal and an assist. Niclas Havelid ended a 24-game streak without a goal. Stanislav Chistov had two assists and Samuel Pahlsson one.

But it was Giguere who was at the core of the Ducks’ first road victory since beating Washington on Oct. 29, a streak of 13 games (0-8-2-3).

“[Tampa Bay] was getting chances, but that was a flashback,� team captain Steve Rucchin said. “He was always in the right spot. He put up the wall tonight.�

Thus the Ducks were able to travel light.

Havelid flew home, as his wife is about to give birth to twins. Sykora went off with the team, knowing that the team dinner he bought Sunday was money well spent. And the Ducks winged their way to Carolina for a Wednesday game, but put off going to Carolina in their minds.

The Hurricanes went from Stanley Cup finalists to missing the playoffs in one season, but the Ducks feel more secure about avoiding that fate, even if such thoughts are laced with caution.

“We have to build on this,� said Sykora, who scored his 12th goal, tying him with Sergei Fedorov for the team lead. “We can’t go to Carolina and think it’s going to happen for us. We have to go out and win a hockey game again. We have to get on a roll. It was a good start tonight.�

Giguere made that so. He had an 0-8-1 record on the road this season, a streak he seemed on his way to breaking Saturday in Florida. The Ducks, though, blew a 2-0 lead that game despite Giguere’s 37-save effort.

“Jiggy, I don’t want to say is the pulse of team, but he is a lot of the passion and energy,� Coach Mike Babcock said. “He’s a demanding guy when he is playing at the top of this game. Everyone sees how hard he battles.�

Giguere made sure the Ducks closed things out. He made six quality saves in the third period, two on shots redirected at the crease.

“Winning is a habit,� Giguere said. “So is losing. We have re-learn how to win.... The more we’re going to win, the better we’re going to get at it.�

The Ducks would like goal scoring to become a habit. They have scored two or fewer in seven consecutive games. Two was enough this time.

Sykora corralled a rebound from his own shot, scooted around the net and sent a pass into the high slot. Havelid rocketed a shot into the net for 1-0 lead 14:23 into the second period.

Sykora increased that lead three minutes later. Pahlsson battled for the puck and Chistov slid a pass from the boards into the slot. Sykora spun and fired a no-look shot that had eyes, ending up in the net.

“He bought the team dinner last night, then stepped up today,� Babcock said. “Some times the guys making all the cash have got to step up, not just on the ice.�

And Giguere anted up Monday.