After Tugnutt Secures the Victory, Wilson Gets the Puck

So many emotions rolled over Mighty Duck goalie Ron Tugnutt as the deafening roar of 15,570 in Anaheim Arena reached a crescendo at the final buzzer Wednesday, he had trouble keeping it all straight in his mind.

Mostly he felt the joy that could only come with being the Ducks’ first winning goaltender. There also was a feeling of relief, knowing the Edmonton Oilers would come no closer than the 4-3 final score.

And, hey, where’s that puck, anyway?

A prize for his trophy case? No, Tugnutt wanted the puck as a gift for Coach Ron Wilson, a keepsake to remember the Ducks’ first victory and Wilson’s first as an NHL head coach.

An Oiler shot the puck over the glass, but a fan heaved it back on the ice. Somehow, amid the post-game celebration, the puck wound up in Wilson’s hands.

Wilson got the puck, but Tugnutt, a former Oiler, didn’t walk away empty-handed. He stopped 28 shots, weathered a five-minute Edmonton power play in the third period and the Ducks’ faltering play in the game’s final moments.

“I wanted to be the guy to get that first win,” Tugnutt said. “I wanted to be the guy standing there at the end with his arms up in the air.”

Beating Edmonton was secondary, according to Tugnutt. He holds no hard feelings for the Oilers, who left him unprotected in the expansion draft. He simply wanted to win.

“It felt really good--I’m not going to lie,” said Tugnutt, who had a 9-12-2 record with the Oilers last season. “Hopefully, it’s one of many (victories). We’ve got a long way to go, but it’s good to get that first win out of the way.”

It looked like a slam dunk when the Ducks led, 3-0, after one period. Edmonton Coach Ted Green yanked goalie Bill Ranford and replaced him with Fred Brathwaite, who made his NHL debut. Bill Houlder’s goal at the 7:14 mark of the second period gave the Ducks a 4-0 lead, but it didn’t last long.

Edmonton came storming back, pulling to 4-3, taking advantage of a five-minute power play after Alexei Kasatonov picked up a high-sticking major and game misconduct at 7:17 of the third period. But the Oilers scored only once--on Zdeno Ciger’s goal--and the Ducks went on to victory.

“Things got a little tense with the five-minute major,” Tugnutt said. “I think we kind of let them back in the game. We got a little nervous. Now, with the first one out of the way, maybe we’ll handle that kind of situation a little better.”

The Oilers pulled Brathwaite for an extra skater with 1:14 left and Tugnutt made a key save on Dave Manson’s slap shot from the point after a faceoff in the final minute.

“I knew we were going to win when he made that save,” Wilson said.