Packing the Pond

Ducks fans celebrate huge Game 4 overtime victory

ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) -- Some Mighty Ducks fans brought lucky charms. Others had their superstitious routines down pat.

And if they weren't really confident of rituals before, the Ducks turned them into believers when Anaheim took a second straight overtime game from the New Jersey Devils on Monday night to tie the best-of-seven Stanley Cup finals at two games apiece.

Kelly Gordon, for example, had always worn the same purple fingernail polish since the Ducks made the playoffs except for twice during the Stanley Cup finals. The Ducks lost both those games to the Devils. She returned to purple and they won the next two.

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"I'm going home tonight to touch up the cracks," Gordon, 37, said minutes after the Ducks' 1-0 overtime victory. "I'll be ready when they come back."

The Ducks head to New Jersey for Game 5 but return to Anaheim for Game 6.

Andrew Westover, 30, of Anaheim restricted his superstitions to the third period of Monday's game.

"I told my wife if I had an ice cream during the third period they would win," he said.

Teresa Murguia, 20, of San Diego decided weeks ago she would attend the fourth games of each series after the Ducks beat the Detroit Red Wings in the first round.

"I figured I better stick with Game 4 or something bad might happen," she said. "And look, they won."

Meanwhile, Larry Hamilton of Anaheim has been wearing a Ducks tie around his head since the playoffs began.

"Are there buffalo in Wyoming?" he said when asked if he planned to continue the ritual when the team returns to Anaheim on Saturday,

Michael Apodaca and his wife have had a tailgate party for every home game since the Ducks made the playoffs.

"We had to have pizza because they never lose when we have pizza," said Michael Apodaca, 49, of Walnut.

Pam Gray, 49, of Fullerton said she knew why the Ducks lost their first two games against the Devils.

"I didn't have on my Ducks earrings and necklace," she said.

Her accessories Monday were part of a Duck ensemble that included a jersey, hat and pins.

Tammy Gonzalez, 43, of Riverside took it one step further -- wearing the same clothes she wore the day the Ducks won Game 3 of the Stanley Cup.

Gonzalez showed off a red Anaheim Angels championship T-shirt that she wore under her Ducks jersey.

"They won on Saturday, and I was wearing it. So I wore it again," she said.

She added that just seeing the Ducks in the Stanley Cup finals was the payoff for 10 years of watching the Disney-owned team.

"This is the ultimate reward," she said.

 

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