Ducks Fall Just Short of History

The Mighty Ducks were mighty improved in their second game Sunday, two days after a disastrous debut amid the celebration of the franchise’s first game.

This time, the Ducks challenged the New York Islanders, tying the score with 32.7 seconds left in regulation before losing in overtime, 4-3, when Pierre Turgeon scored off Vladimir Malakhov’s behind-the-back pass at 2:43 of the extra period.

The Ducks were less than three minutes from recording their first point in the standings when Turgeon scored the game-winner, his second goal of the night. But Duck Coach Ron Wilson was thinking about two points.

“We wanted the win, we weren’t playing to tie,” Wilson said.

The Ducks only made it to overtime because of Bob Corkum, their checking center, who scored the tying goal in the final seconds of the third period. Goaltender Ron Tugnutt was pulled in favor of an extra attacker with 1:27 left.

Terry Yake took the puck behind the net, then passed out front to Corkum, who tried once, was stopped, then dived into a scramble in front of the net and somehow knocked in the rebound.

“You do what you can to get it in there. It was a great effort by everybody,” Corkum said.

“That’s what you want to set up, a scramble around the net,” Wilson said. “You want to be able to find the loose puck and he did.”

The Ducks lost to Detroit, 7-2, in front of a sellout crowd Friday, then saw the Kings beat the Red Wings, 10-3, the next night. This time, there was a smaller crowd (15,386) at Anaheim Arena and the Ducks had recovered from anxiety and distraction.

“We picked up our game, and it showed on the scoreboard and the shot clock and everything else “ said Yake, who scored one goal and assisted on the game-tying goal. “We made a big step. We settled for a loss and that’s still not acceptable, but it’s a step forward.

Said Wilson: “We were relaxed. that’s the best way to put it. We were able to skate, we finished our checks--especially in the first period. We played the way we did in the preseason. We established strong forechecking and we did an excellent job in the defensive zone.”

Nevertheless, they’re still looking for that first victory--or tie. Florida, the Ducks’ expansion companion, took care of that matter with a 2-0 victory Saturday over Tampa Bay, which joined the NHL last season.

The Ducks didn’t mind seeing the Islanders too much--they had beaten them, 3-2, in the exhibition season. But that was without Turgeon, who scored 132 points last season.

This time, the Islanders escaped.

“The big monkey of Anaheim is off our backs,” Islander right wing Patrick Flatley said. “(A loss or tie) would have been tough to swallow. We definitely didn’t want to be in Anaheim’s record book. But they have a good team. Anyone who thinks they’re going to come in here and get two easy points is in for a surprise.”

Islander Coach Al Arbour also had praise for the Ducks.

“We’re a speed club, but we were just playing stop and start,” Arbour said. “They had a lot to do with that tonight. They’re a hard-working hockey club. They play very hard shift in and shift out. They may lack things but they won’t lack for effort.”

The score was tied, 2-2, entering the third period, and the Ducks seemed to be holding off the Islanders. They had just killed a minor penalty after defenseman Randy Ladouceur was sent off for roughing, but the Islanders kept the pressure on at equal strength. Duck goalie Ron Tugnutt stopped two shots by Flatley in quick succession, but Wayne McBean’s slap shot from the right circle beat Tugnutt over the right shoulder for a 3-2 lead at 9:43.

The Ducks had a little historic moment earlier in the game. They took a lead for the first time in their brief existence when Yake put them ahead, 2-1, at 7:20 of the second. He carried the puck into the slot and put it between two defenders and past goalie Ron Hextall for an unassisted goal.

The lead didn’t even last a minute. The Islanders broke free for a three-on-one with defenseman Alexei Kasatonov as the lone Duck back. Kasatonov held them off until Malakhov passed across the front of the crease to Ray Ferraro, who drove the net and scored before sliding past the net.

Though they outshot the Islanders, 12-3, in the first period--a far cry from giving up 20 against the Red Wings--the Ducks fell behind, 1-0, when Turgeon and Malakhov teamed up on a give-and-go play that didn’t even require Turgeon to go. He passed to Malakhov out front from the side of the net, got the puck right back and put it past Tugnutt.

* MIKE PENNER: The Mighty Ducks wait until the last few minutes to show they belong in the NHL. C20