Looking Back at 4 of the Best Ducks Playoff Series in Franchise History

With the NHL Play-In Rounds starting in less than 2 weeks, hockey fans are getting excited to watch their favorite teams playing again.

Usually, Ducks fans would also be gearing up for playoffs but sadly the Ducks did not qualify for the playoffs this year.

Instead of looking forward to the playoffs, let’s take a look back at some of the best playoff series in Ducks history.

Ten years later, the 2006-07 Ducks remain franchise's beloved ... — *Photo: Mark Rightmire*

2007 // Ducks vs Senators – Stanley Cup Finals

This series is a sure classic. Both teams were filled with star players. The Ducks had Niedermayer, Pronger, Giguere, Selanne, and more. While the Senators had Alfredsson, Heatly, Spezza, Phillips, Emery, and more.

Most of the games were very close including a 1-0 win for the Ducks. Both goalies played amazing throughout the series. They made it difficult for the opposition to score.

The Ducks ended up taking the series 4-1 and winning their 1st ever Stanley Cup in franchise history. One memorable moment from this series was being able to see Teemu Selanne raise the cup for the 1st time in his career. This series is definitely one Ducks fans will never forget.

Column: With his jersey set to be retired, former Ducks star Paul ... — *Photo: Dave Sandford*

2003 // Ducks vs Devils – Stanley Cup Finals

The Ducks may have lost this series but it’s still a great series. This was the 1st time that the Ducks had made the Stanley Cup Finals. They were taking on a very good New Jersey Devils team.

Even after starting the series down 2-0, the Ducks held their own. Paul Kariya and Jean-Sebastien Giguere really helped give Anaheim a fighting chance against the Devils. Giguere played so well that he won the MVP award. Usually, the MVP player comes from the winning team but Giguere was an exception.

This series also had one of the most famous Ducks goals ever scored.

It was Paul Kariya pulling off the impossible in Game 6. After being knocked out by Scott Stevens of the New Jersey Devils, he came back and sniped a shot right past the glove of Martin Brodeur to give the Ducks a 3-0 lead in the 2nd Period. This series was definitely one to remember for Ducks fans even though the outcome was disappointing.

Blackhawks vs. Ducks, NHL playoffs 2015: Time, TV schedule and ... — *Photo: Gary A. Vasquez*

2015 // Ducks vs Blackhawks – Western Conference Finals

Another series where the outcome was not in the Ducks favor but it still held a lot of memorable moments. Both Chicago and Anaheim had dominated through their previous series.

This set up a great playoff series between two very good teams. These teams were pretty evenly matched which made for interesting games. Matt Beleskey ended up scoring a memorable goal in OT of Game 5. He helped the Ducks take a lead in the series.

Unfortunately, the Ducks were not able to close out the series and they would eventually lose in Game 7. The Blackhawks went on to win the Stanley Cup so the Ducks didn’t lose to a bad team. Anaheim fought hard throughout the 2015 playoffs but many fans were disappointed that their run ended earlier than they thought.

Controversy propels Ducks to series tie with Oilers — *Photo: Jeff McIntosh*

2017 // Oilers vs Ducks – 2nd Round

This series was very intense. The two teams traded games until the end. Both the Oilers and the Ducks had an elite offensive ability which made for lots of scoring during games. One game stands out the most from this series. Game 5 at the Honda Center. That’s the game where the impossible happened. The Ducks pulled off one of the greatest comebacks in NHL Playoff history.

They scored 3 goals in the last 3 minutes. On top of their last-minute burst of goals they ended up winning the game with Corey Perry’s game-winning goal in double overtime. That game is now referred to as the “Comeback on Katella”. Anaheim finished off the series in Game 7 with Andrew Cogliano and Nick Ritchie picking up a goal each.

They also ended their streak of losing consecutive Game 7’s at home. The Ducks would eventually lose in the Western Conference Finals but overall they had a great playoff run in 2017.

Anaheim has had some very memorable series throughout their franchise’s history. Each Ducks team that enters into the playoffs all have their special moment.