From March 26, 2006

Five games, seven nights, four time zones.

It sounds like something out of the Ultimate Hockey Fan Road Trip, but for the Anaheim Ducks, it was anything but a vacation.

At the peak of the NHL Western Conference playoff gridlock, the Ducks finally got a chance to play some of their much-talked about games in hand. But did they all have to come at once?

Sunday in Columbus, the next night in Dallas. Wednesday at home against Colorado, followed by Nashville in town two nights later. Finally, a weekend sojourn to Phoenix, just for good measure.

To summarize, during the week that would likely define their season, the Ducks played five games spread over the league's four time zones. Either someone at the NHL office failed to consult a map, or someone there had a bad experience at Disneyland as a kid.

As if the schedule was not enough, the Ducks added a certain degree of difficulty to each game. The Ducks fell behind 3-1 in the second period at Columbus. Midway through the third in Dallas, Anaheim trailed 1-0. Before the game was 15 minutes old against the Avalanche, Colorado was up 3-0. Nashville came into the Pond and took a 1-0 first period lead. After an understandably sluggish start in Phoenix, the Ducks were down 1-0 midway through the opening stanza.

The end result? A 5-0-0 record for the week and sole possession of fifth place in the Western Conference.

Not bad for a team that started the week outside of the playoffs.

It sounds like something out of a movie, but would anyone really name a movie "The Mighty Ducks?"

Oh, wait a minute......

For those who have not noticed, the "Anaheim Steamroller" is operating at full force. Since late November, the Ducks have the second-best record in the West, trailing only Detroit. After a slow start away from the Pond, the Ducks have dominated on the road, posting one of the league's best road records.

When Anaheim hired general manager Brian Burke prior to the season, past history suggested he would bring a culture of winning to the traditionally mediocre franchise.

Nobody thought it would happen this fast.

Coming into the season, the Ducks had a lot of question marks, and a sluggish opening month and a half had many observers thinking the playoffs were a year or two away. When Brian Burke traded high-priced center Sergei Fedorov to Columbus for defenseman Francois Beauchemin and journeyman Tyler Wright, many people thought it was merely a salary dump.

Those who were watching closer, however, knew otherwise. Columbus visited the Pond in early October, and Beauchemin was arguably the best player on the ice for the Blue Jackets. In the second period alone, he made two excellent defensive plays, one preventing a sure Anaheim goal.

Burke and the Ducks' pro scouting staff must have taken notice. Shortly after arriving in Anaheim, Beauchemin was paired with defending Norris Trophy winner Scott Niedermayer on the blueline. The two have been inseparable since, forming what might be the NHL's best defensive tandem.

The moves did not stop, or start, with that deal, however. Since the Ducks last took the ice before the lockout, the team has parted ways with Steve Rucchin, Keith Carney, Sandis Ozolinsh, Petr Sykora, Niclas Havelid, and Kurt Sauer.

Replacing those faces, some of which were long-time Ducks, are names like Beauchemin, Todd Marchant, Todd Fedoruk, Corey Perry, Ryan Getzlaf, Jeff Friesen, Jonathan Hedstrom, Joe Dipenta, Sean O'Donnell, and Travis Moen.

Oh, right. There is a name or two missing from that list.

Everyone knew Scott Niedermayer would make a huge impact on the Ducks. For the past decade, he has been one of the premier defensemen in the NHL, and landing him was a significant sign the Ducks were on the right path. In joining his brother Rob, Scott also stepped into a situation that immediately felt like home.

The signing of Teemu Selanne, however, was not expected to make as big of an impact. Hobbled by nagging injuries, Selanne posted a career-low 16 goals and 32 points in 78 games with Colorado in 2003-04.

The lockout-induced one-year hiatus from hockey did wonders for Selanne, as that gave him time for the necessary surgeries and recovery time to get his Hall of Fame career back on track. The results have been staggering.

Selanne was a long-time fan favorite during his first tour of duty in Anaheim, and nothing has been different this time. Through 68 games this season, Selanne has been the key to Anaheim's offensive success, pacing the team with 33 goals and posting a team-high 74 points.

Selanne's linemate, Andy McDonald, has had a career season. Playing with the Finnish Flash, McDonald has 28 goals and 68 points through 70 games, numbers that more than double his previous career highs. Nobody has benefited from Selanne's presence more than the hard-working McDonald, and it shows in his on-ice confidence.

As if things were not optimistic enough in Duckland, more changes are on the way. The Ducks will drop "Mighty" from the team's name, and will simply be known as the Anaheim Ducks. No longer the only pro sports team to start with the nickname instead of the city name (Mighty Ducks of Anaheim), the Ducks will also announce new colors and a new logo prior to the 2006-07 season.

If the Ducks continue their current pace, the other change could be routine sellouts at the Pond. Anaheim is as entertaining as any NHL team, and it is hard to bet against their chances in the post-season.

A new GM, a new name, new jerseys, new players. The only thing that would make the picture more complete is new championship banners in the Pond.

The way the Ducks are playing, do not bet against that happening.