While Anaheim Ducks defenceman Sean O'Donnell prepares to face the Ottawa Senators in his hometown of Ottawa during Game 3 of the Stanley Cup final, his brother Mark O'Donnell is defending against the red team in his own Ottawa neighbourhood.

On Thursday evening, O'Donnell dressed defiantly in the Ducks' orange and black to watch kids play road hockey in front of his Kanata district home amid dozens decked out in Senators shirts and jerseys.

Ducks supporter Mark O'Donnell has come home to find a Senators blanket over his garage and rubber duckies hanging from nooses over his front door.
(Rob Thomas/CBC)

"Some of these neighbours of mine are practical jokers," O'Donnell said, recalling the sight that greeted him when he returned from work on the day of Game 1 of the Stanley Cup playoff finals between the Senators and the Ducks. "There was a Senators blanket taped to my garage door."

Neighbours like Jeff Quarrington didn't stop at one attempt to ruffle O'Donnell's feathers.

"We went and got … rubber duckies and … put them up on nooses," Quarrington recalled.

"They strung them up in front of our front door," O'Donnell said, adding that some were identified with the names of Anaheim players. "It's pretty funny. It's all in good fun."

O'Donnell has his own way of settling the score.

"Ducks 2 Senators 0" read a sign taped to his second-floor window.

'Two games doesn't make a series'

But he said the series is far from over.

O'Donnell recalled that when his brother was playing for the New Jersey Devils in 2001, they were ahead 3-2 going into Game 6 of the Stanley Cup final against the Colorado Avalanche at home in New Jersey.

They lost that game and Colorado went on to win the Cup.

"It was heartbreaking, but it just goes to show … that's why it's seven games," he said.

"Two games doesn't make a series — that's for sure."

Things could be different when the Ottawa Senators are back on their home ice after two games in Anaheim, he added.

"I would expect the crowd to be a big factor in Game 3, and they might get a little boost in energy … I think that it's going to take more of an effort from both sides than we've seen in Games 1 and 2 so far."

Game 3 of the Stanley Cup final takes place on Saturday at Scotiabank Place in Ottawa (CBC, 8 p.m. ET).