Ducks use March to gear up for playoff push

The Anaheim Ducks won't fly under the radar for much longer.

The Orange County club has been of the hottest teams in recent weeks, rifling off four straight wins and a 9-2-1 record through March.

Now with 93 points through 75 games, the Ducks stand atop the Pacific, a division they've won in each of the past four seasons.

Anaheim has caught fire at the perfect time, with the playoffs less than three weeks out and the team looking to avenge last year's early postseason flop. Despite Anaheim's consistent regular-season success, it hasn't always translated to the playoffs.

Still, the Ducks aren't far removed from the 2015 squad that was one win away from the Stanley Cup Finals. Much of that core remains intact, including captain Ryan Getzlaf, and no player has outpaced the Ducks leader and his 20 points in March.

Also back is coach Randy Carlyle, who guided the franchise to its first Stanley Cup in 2007. Returning to Anaheim after his dismissal five years ago, the veteran bench boss has seen his message take shape. Carlyle demands an in-your-face style, something that hasn't been lost on his players.

"We've had some guys playing great hockey all year and we've had some people start off slow," defenseman Cam Fowler told ESPN's Pierre LeBrun. "Now we all seem to be firing on all cylinders here, all really buying into the type of hockey Randy wants us to play - which is hard, physical, and structured defensively."

The Ducks' next opportunity to showcase that style comes Tuesday against the Vancouver Canucks, where Anaheim will shoot for a season-high five game win streak.