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Anaheim 4, Dallas 3

Posted: Friday April 25, 2003 04:17 AM

Anaheim Mighty Ducks Related Info: Team Page City Page: • Anaheim

Dallas Stars Related Info: Team Page City Page: • Dallas-Fort Worth Message Boards: • Stars • NHL

DALLAS (Ticker) -- The Mighty Ducks of Anaheim would not be denied.

Petr Sykora scored 48 seconds into the fifth overtime to end the fourth-longest game in playoff history and give the Ducks a 4-3 victory over the Dallas Stars in the opener of their Western Conference semifinal series.

After Anaheim had the apparent game-winner disallowed late in the third overtime, Sykora left no doubt as the marathon approached the six-hour mark.

Mike Leclerc battled for the puck behind the net with Dallas defenseman Derian Hatcher, enabling teammate Adam Oates to take possession. One of the premier playmakers in NHL history, Oates backhanded a pass to the top of the slot, where Sykora let go a wrister that hit Stars winger Jere Lehtinen and deflected past goaltender Marty Turco.

Sykora's first playoff goal since the 2001 Stanley Cup Finals came on the game's 117th shot, the only one of the fifth overtime.

"It feels great right now," Sykora said. "Hopefully, this may get me out of the slump I'm in and back on track. I realize I haven't been scoring the last six or seven games. This is just a goal for me, but hopefully, it will lead to bigger and better things."

"It was a bang-bang play," said Turco, who made 50 saves. "That's the way it goes. We need to concentrate on emotionally getting back and preparing for Game Two."

Jean-Sebastien Giguere made 60 saves in another stellar Game One performance. In the opener of the conference quarterfinals at Detroit, he stopped 63 shots as Anaheim pulled out a 2-1 triple-overtime win en route to a stunning four-game sweep of the defending Stanley Cup champions.

"Jiggy has been unbelievable every night and it's nice that we could hang in there and get him a win," Ducks defenseman Keith Carney said.

The teams have less than two days to recoup before Dallas hosts Game Two on Saturday afternoon.

"Tomorrow is going to be a light day," said Stars center Pierre Turgeon, who made his postseason debut following ankle surgery. "It takes a lot of energy. After a game like this, you feel tired. You just need to drink a lot of water and get back on track."

Anaheim appeared to win it with 5:19 to go in the third overtime when Steve Rucchin got a rebound of Carney's shot in front of the net and banked a shot off Turco's left shoulder and into the net. But the goal was disallowed by the video replay official, who ruled Ducks winger Steve Thomas dislodged the net while tied up with defenseman Stephane Robidas.

"I saw it go in. I didn't see the net come off," Thomas said. "I thought we had won the game. It's a tough one to swallow at that point."

"When they disallowed our goal, the momentum changed in their favor and we had to regroup and stick together," Sykora added. "We were able to do that and pull out the win."

With just over a minute to go in the third extra period, Dallas' Stu Barnes beat Giguere from the left faceoff circle but put a shot off the crossbar.

Stars defenseman Philippe Boucher scored seven minutes into the fourth overtime, but his shot came a second after play was whistled down for an offsides infraction.

"I thought we had ample chances in the third period and first couple of overtimes. You just have to find a way to bury those chances," Dallas coach Dave Tippett said.

Anaheim was less than three minutes away from winning in regulation, but Brenden Morrow tipped Robidas' right point shot and the puck fluttered over Giguere with 2:47 remaining.

It capped a comeback for Dallas, which erased a 3-1 deficit.

"We kind of stubbed our toe when we were up, 3-1," Thomas admitted. "It was demoralizing when they tied it, but we stuck with it."

The Ducks grabbed the lead 13:08 into the opening period on Jason Krog's third playoff goal, but Dallas tied it 4 1/2 minutes later on Hatcher's first goal in 34 postseason 34 games.

Anaheim appeared to take control in the second period as Rob Niedermayer ended a three-year playoff drought with a shorthanded goal at 4:04 and Rucchin made it 3-1 at 8:58.

But Jason Arnott got the Stars within a goal with 3:28 to go in the period.

"That was playoff hockey at it's finest. You have to get your head up," Tippett said. "You have to regain as much energy as possible over the next day and a half and get ready to go."