"It wasn't the perfect ending they were hoping for, but the Vancouver Canucks are not going to let Sunday night's overtime loss to the Anaheim Ducks spoil what was an excellent pre-season.

"It has been a very good pre-season," defenceman Mattias Ohlund said after the Canucks dropped a 4-3 decision to the Ducks at General Motors Place. "We have had a lot of younger guys who have played great and are really pushing for jobs up here and it has been fun to watch. Guys are healthy, excited and ready to go."

Sunday night's loss in their pre-season finale was Vancouver's first after six straight wins. And it was a guy who was a Canuck up until Saturday who handed them that defeat.

Defenceman Nathan McIver scored on a breakaway 22 seconds into overtime to win it for the Ducks. McIver was picked up by the Ducks after the Canucks put him on waivers with the hope of sending him to Manitoba.

"It has been a crazy couple of days with the disappointment of being sent down and then the excitement of being picked up and getting the opportunity to play here," McIver said after the game. "This couldn't finish in a better way."

McIver was sent in alone by Samuel Pahlsson after he stepped out of the penalty box. He beat Canuck goalie Roberto Luongo cleanly for the game-winner.

"Sammy made a great pass there and then I'm going against one of the best goalies in the league," McIver said. "I just faked a shot and it went in."

Some of his former Canuck teammates couldn't help but feel good for McIver.

"It is pre-season and you never want to lose, but it is great to see a hard-working guy like him do that," Ohlund said.

"I gotta talk to Lui about that one . . . deep in his net against Nathan McIver," chuckled Canuck coach Alain Vigneault.

Sunday night's game had the feel of a regular-season contest. Both teams iced strong lineups and there was plenty of intensity.

"Both sides were feisty," said Canuck centre Ryan Kesler. "Everybody knows we don't like each other very much and it's turning into a good rivalry."

The Canucks scored all three of their goals on the power play and Mason Raymond scored two of them. The speedy winger seems to developing some great chemistry with linemate Pavol Demitra, who set up both of Raymond's goals."