Mighty Ducks

Sean Pronger had two goals and an assist as the Mighty Ducks made the most of their scoring chances in a 4-2 exhibition victory over the Coyotes at Phoenix. The Ducks scored on four of 13 shots. Matt Cullen and Shawn Antoski also scored goals for the Ducks. Goalie Mikhail Shtalenkov made 35 saves.

EUGENE, Ore. - The clanks and booms of heavy machinery interrupt an otherwise quiet, gray morning. This is what winning football sounds like at Oregon. A few hundred yards from where the Ducks practice, construction crews are erecting yet another athletic building, a team complex that - bound in black metal and glass - will rival anything the NFL has to offer. It is easy to view this program's recent success in terms of brick and mortar, to credit Nike co-founder and university alumnus Phil Knight for funding an array of facilities and a stadium renovation.

The Ottawa Senators might be the darkhorse team in this year's playoffs, but the Mighty Ducks' series against the Phoenix Coyotes has the potential to be the best of all the opening-round matchups, according to members of a panel of hockey commentators. "If I could pick one series [to watch], give me Paul Kariya, Teemu Selanne, Jeremy Roenick, Keith Tkachuk and the speed in that series," said Bill Clement, an ESPN analyst.

I have no patience with people who are always making fun of stuff. I consider myself above that ? a thoughtful critic and a discerning contrarian. I like Led Zeppelin better than the Stones. I find Emily Mortimer far more fetching than the highly regarded Jessica Alba. I like south better than north. I like mildew better than mold. I am the antithesis of hip. Did you know, for instance, that Nike pays me $1 million a year not to wear their clothes? So, naturally, I am drawn to hockey, America's best not-ready-for-prime-time sport.

The Mighty Ducks signed center Jonas Ronnqvist to a two-year contract Friday. Ronnqvist, the Ducks' fourth-round pick in last month's entry draft, is expected to follow the path of defenseman Niclas Havelid, who jumped directly from the Swedish Elite League onto the Ducks' roster. "These guys can step right in and play," General Manager Pierre Gauthier said. "If he's been a successful European player and a national team player, he's probably better than half the players in the NHL."

It was two guys, the center and the point guard, demanding the basketball for themselves and for each other. All the commotion around Kevin Love and Darren Collison -- all the noisy fouls and clanking shots, all the bumps and thuds, the thunderous pleas from an arena full of desperate fans -- was white noise around UCLA's 6-foot-10 center, who made fall-away jump shots, and its 6-foot guard, who made driving layups when it mattered most.

Before the 2006-07 season, Anaheim shortened its nickname from Mighty Ducks to Ducks. On Wednesday night, their name again got longer: Stanley Cup champions. After a strong regular season, the Ducks were overpowering in the playoffs, winning 16 of 21 games.

Starting today, check out latimes.com/sports for Christine Daniels' "Day in L.A.," a daily column on the sports events, personalities and themes that matter most to Southern Californians. Responsive, thoughtful, experienced commentary from one of the area's most talented and versatile journalists, updated throughout the day as events happen. Daniels has covered major sports in the Southland for more than 20 years. Here's a sample of what lies ahead: Funny sport, hockey.

If the Lakers were the top team in the NBA and had set a league record for road victories, all of Southern California would be talking about it. Lakers flags would be flapping outside car windows. The south wall of the Hotel Figueroa across from Staples Center would have those giant portraits -- maybe Bynum, Abdul-Jabbar, Chamberlain. No first names needed. Sports talk radio would be ablaze with Lakers callers.

No longer Mighty, the Ducks will concern themselves with merely being mighty -- in the standings and at the cash register. The break from the identity that defined them under the ownership of the Walt Disney Co. was made complete in grand manner Thursday as the team changed its name from the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim to the Anaheim Ducks and unveiled radically different uniforms. They hope the well-worn movie references will be in the past along with the old look.

After a year of upheaval, the Mighty Ducks would figure to have things a lot more settled this off-season after their surprising run to the Western Conference finals. Instead, change will be the theme heading into summer. Next month, they will simply be known as the Anaheim Ducks and will unveil a new uniform and logo in new colors -- believed to be black and orange -- to complete their break from the Disney era.

The momentum proved to be fleeting. The Western Conference finals merely ended as they began. Now the Mighty Ducks are no more for this season and, in a sense, forever. The flu-ravaged Edmonton Oilers went back to their formula of timely goals and the strong play of Dwayne Roloson in the net to advance to their first Stanley Cup final in 16 years with a 2-1 victory over the Ducks in Game 5 at the Arrowhead Pond.

For every argument against their chances to become the third NHL team to win a best-of-seven playoff series after losing the first three games, the Mighty Ducks see a reason to believe they can join the 1942 Toronto Maple Leafs and 1975 New York Islanders in overcoming that daunting deficit.