It's not quite Tebowing, but it works just fine.

The talk in the postgame was about a call that wasn't made, but it shouldn't overshadow the fact that the Ducks won the type of game they may not have won a couple of months ago. And they put themselves in a position that was once unthinkable five weeks ago. 

On a night when goals were at a premium -- with both Jonas Hiller and Carolina's Cam Ward doing what they do -- the Ducks could have been discouraged by a fluky Eric Staal goal that gave the Canes a 2-1 lead in the third. Instead, they came right back with a Saku Koivu rebound goal a minute and a half later, and a long overdue Perry goal in OT gave Anaheim a long overdue overtime victory.

A couple minutes into the extra session, Perry knocked down Jussi Jokinen behind the Carolina net, hopped on the loose puck and sent it across the ice to Sheldon Brookbank. He gave it right back to Perry, who pierced the net with a drilled one-timer that set the Honda Center crowd into pandemonium.

When Perry was asked about it later, he simply said. "They didn’t blow the whistle, so you keep playing. I found (Brookbank) coming late. He made a great play back to me."

It was the first goal in seven games for Perry and the first overtime victory in five tries for the Ducks this season.

"Right now we have the confidence that we can win those kind of games," said Hiller, who was solid with 31 saves. "To be twice a goal down and we come back, score and win in overtime. That's the difference right now. Two months ago we would have just lost the game.

"Now we just keep going, push even a little harder. You have to believe in being able to win those games. And right now everyone's believing. We found a way and that's what counts."

The win moved the Ducks to within eight points of MInnesota for the eighth spot in the West, thanks to an 11-2-2 run that's better than all but two teams in the NHL.

"It's a telltale sign of a team that won't quit," Bruce Boudreau said of getting that equalizing Koivu goal in the third. "And it's a telltale sign of a team that wants to win. This team has gone from five weeks ago when we were 20 points out of a playoff spot now to eight points.

"It's a team that's never stopped believing in themselves."

That belief will be tested on a critical eight-game, 15-day road trip the Ducks left for this morning. First stop is Detroit and Joe Louis Arena, where the Red Wings have won 18 in a row (more on that tomorrow).

"Until that last bell rings, whether they're eliminated or whether they're in," Boudreau said, "they're going to keep going."
In the wake of Ryan Getzlaf winning the Hardest Shot competition at last Saturday's Skills Showdown at 99.3 mph, and then reaching 102 at Tuesday's First Flight Field Trip, Bruce Boudreau was approached about a longtime topic -- trying to get Getzlaf to shoot the puck more.

"We've been telling him to shoot," Boudreau said. "Coaches long before me have been telling him to shoot. And we wish he'd shoot the puck more. But he is what he is. He's a pass-first guy. He's got a great touch when it comes to passing. He's going to do what he does."

Getzlaf has eight goals this season on 107 shots.

“He knows,” Boudreau continued. “You know what, it’s tough to argue when you’ve been a passer your whole life. And I know the feeling. You’re first option is to pass the puck and you’re looking for somebody to pass the puck to. You’re option to shoot is your last option.

“Whereas a shooter’s option is … Brett Hull would get it and he wouldn’t be looking to pass. He’s looking to shoot the puck. And then at the last moment, if somebody was open, he’d be passing. Ovechkin is the same way. He wants to shoot the puck and then if somebody’s open, he’ll pass it. But his first thing is to shoot it. Ryan’s first option is to pass. And it’s not a bad thing because he’s so good at it.”