A Skating Duck Aim of Oilers : Hockey: Hebert plays downrange in Edmonton shooting gallery, turning back 43 shots in 2-0 loss.

EDMONTON — It is rare for the losing goaltender in a shutout to be the game’s No. 1 star, and rarer still when the losing trainer deserves to be No. 2.

The struggling Mighty Ducks--who have scored only one goal in their last three games--lost for the sixth time in seven games Sunday afternoon when they were beaten by the Oilers’ Bill Ranford, 2-0, in front of 12,487 at Edmonton Coliseum.

Ranford made 29 saves for the ninth shutout of his career. The Ducks’ Guy Hebert stopped 43 of 44 shots before watching from the bench as the Oilers scored an odd empty-net goal with 48 seconds left when Scott Thornton blocked a shot by Duck winger Garry Valk and it caromed all the way to the other end of the ice.

It was a fitting end for the Ducks, mired in a slump.

They started the game without rookie Paul Kariya, who has a sore back and will undergo X-rays today.

Before the game was over, trainer Blynn DeNiro had gone onto the ice more times than captain Randy Ladouceur, who suffered a slight concussion in the first period after being driven into the boards and did not return.

Bob Corkum already had left the ice with a concussion after Edmonton’s Bryan Marchment threw an elbow at his head as they collided about four minutes into the game, but Corkum returned for the final two periods.

Robert Dirk and Anatoli Semenov also required DeNiro’s attention, but were able to return.

DeNiro barely made it through the afternoon himself, falling as he came over the boards to tend to Corkum and leaving the building with a bruise on his chin.

Ladouceur stayed out because he couldn’t smell and his sense of time was poor, but if he can’t remember this game, all the better.

The Ducks were outshot, 35-9, in the first two periods and extended their streak to 25 power plays without a goal. At four for 46, they have the worst power play in the NHL.

Corkum’s injury resulted in a five-minute power play, but the Ducks might as well have skated five on five. They managed only two shots during the long power play and allowed five.

Hebert’s 43 saves were the most of his career.

“It’s frustrating. You see him back there blocking shots left and right with his stick and it definitely makes you feel like you owe him a goal, for crying out loud,” said Peter Douris, who had two of the Ducks’ best opportunities.

One came in the first period when defenseman Tom Kurvers passed to him in front of the net with Ranford moving across. But Douris barely got his stick on it, and Ranford saved the shot.

At game’s end, Douris was in the slot in front of a nearly open net but couldn’t get his stick on the puck as it came by him.

Hebert’s only mistake came on Kelly Buchberger’s shot from left of the slot at 12:35 of the first period. Hebert kept his feet and the puck went between his pads.

“It was kind of a fluky thing,” Hebert said. “I didn’t pick it up very well. Most time goalies will go into a butterfly, but I wanted to stay on my feet unless he tried a trailer. Maybe I got caught thinking too much.”

Douris scored what would have been the game-tying goal in the second period, but it was disallowed by referee Mick McGeough, who ruled that Corkum had left the bench well before Hebert, trying to get off for an extra attacker on a delayed penalty, was within five feet of the bench.

“It wasn’t a factor. The puck was in the net before I had taken one or two strides,” said Corkum.

Coach Ron Wilson admitted players rarely are called for leaving the bench early though they often do. He objected because he thought the puck had crossed the line before McGeough blew his whistle, but “when you’re struggling, that’s the way it goes.”