This Time Ducks Lose to St. Louis, 5-3

The first meaningless game of the season--the one after a team is eliminated from a playoff race--still has one small bit of intrigue. Will the players fold or keep playing?

The Mighty Ducks managed to do some of both Monday night at Anaheim, taking a one-goal lead into the third period against the St. Louis Blues before losing, 5-3.

They trailed by only 4-3 until Glenn Anderson’s empty-net goal with 19 seconds left, but Duck Coach Ron Wilson wasn’t quick to forgive his team for allowing St. Louis to score four third-period goals.

“Some people, their effort was disgusting,” he said. “We’ve got people who are playing for new contracts, and it doesn’t help when they fold up in the third. I’m not talking about young guys, I’m talking about people who are expected to lead by example.

“You’ve got to play every game like you care. They don’t stop the paychecks when you’re out of the playoffs.”

The Ducks’ loss to the Kings on Sunday eliminated them from the playoffs with two games left. But they played the Blues to a tie up until Brendan Shanahan put St. Louis ahead, 4-3, when he scored his second goal--both by deflecting shots--at 9:22 of the third period. Shanahan also had an assist.

Wilson decided to use Monday’s game to get a couple of young players into the lineup, including rookie right wing Valeri Karpov, who gave the Ducks a 1-0 lead at 8:31 of the first by redirecting a pass that Denny Lambert put right on his stick.

But Shanahan tied the score five minutes into the second period.

Paul Kariya gave the Ducks a 2-1 lead with a wraparound goal at 17:27 of the second, but St. Louis scored two goals early in the third to go ahead, 3-2. Todd Elik scored the go-ahead goal with Mikhail Shtalenkov down in the crease and Brett Hull tangled in his skates.

The Ducks weren’t finished yet, though, and Todd Krygier tied the score, 3-3, when he beat Curtis Joseph on a breakaway at 4:20 of the third.