Anaheim Ducks Hockey Team

Sharks center Joe Thornton found a heart, the Ducks lost a chance to pull off an upset and the teams' playoff series became a lot more interesting -- and at least one game longer. Thornton, conspicuous in the first four games only for his indifference, showed a new and fiery side Saturday. With the top-seeded Sharks one goal from elimination he threw the puck in front of the net for Patrick Marleau to prod past Jonas Hiller at 6:02 of overtime, which gave the Sharks a 3-2 victory and cut the Ducks' series lead to three games to two.

Coaches often talk about the importance of the game within the game. For the Ducks on Sunday, the most significant aspect of their day was the meeting within the meeting.

To say that Southern California has Cup fever might be an overstatement. Call it the Stanley sniffles. Mild aches and pains with a chance of becoming something stronger.

The crowd at the Bell Centre today will roar for one of its own, the hometown kid who made it big in the NHL and brought the Stanley Cup back to Montreal -- though only for a visit -- in the summer of 2007.

Adopting a budding trend in the NHL and taking it a step further, the Ducks on Monday froze all ticket prices for next season at current levels and froze food, beverage and parking prices at the Honda Center.

The mood in the Ducks' dressing room was downbeat Saturday after a rare loss, but that couldn't keep a smile off the face of Kent Huskins. Huskins was finally living the dream of many youngsters who grow up playing hockey.