MIGHTY DUCK NOTEBOOK : Lambert Wins Job; Stars Beaten

Denny Lambert doesn’t have to fight for a job with the Mighty Ducks anymore.

He’s got one.

Once known only for his fists, Lambert has proved his versatility, and his three assists in the Ducks’ 8-2 exhibition victory over Dallas on Wednesday night were the latest testament to that fact. Lambert, 25, was promoted from San Diego of the International Hockey League last April and quickly stuck, scoring a goal and three assists in 13 games. After 277 games in the minors, he finally shook his reputation.

“You get pigeon-holed,” Duck Coach Ron Wilson said. “Now he believes he’s a bona fide NHL player, and he is. But if you don’t believe that, things won’t happen.”

With resident fighter Todd Ewen out because of a sore groin and the Dallas Stars ready to tangle, Lambert knew his role and threw in a little rough stuff too, but he’s making a name for himself with his hard-nosed play and persistence around the net.

“I think I played well at the end of the season,” Lambert said. “Coming to camp, I wanted to hang on to the job I had at the end of the year.”

Lambert has been paired with Valeri Karpov on a line centered by Mike Sillinger or Steve Rucchin during the exhibition season.

“Karpov’s been unbelievable,” Lambert said. “He’s burying chances and hopefully he’ll do it all year. My role hasn’t changed. I’m maybe a little more relaxed with the puck instead of just getting it and dumping it in.”

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The eight goals the Ducks scored in front of a paid crowd of 16,618 at The Pond of Anaheim were the most in franchise history, exhibition or regular-season game.

Paul Kariya had two goals and assisted on rookie center Chad Kilger’s goal. Kariya, 20, leads the Ducks with seven goals and five assists in the exhibition season. Kilger, 18, is second with four goals and five assists. Peter Douris also scored twice for the Ducks.

Dallas’ goals were scored by Mike Kennedy and Corey Millen.

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Defenseman David Karpa played his first exhibition game Wednesday after sitting out the first six because of continuing soreness in his surgically repaired right wrist.

Karpa’s wrist--a bone of contention between the Kings and Ducks last season--is still sore 4 1/2 months after surgery, and doctors have told him some soreness could persist for a couple of months.

“I was getting a little anxious to play,” Karpa said.

If he has been cautious, there’s a reason--this is his second surgery on the wrist, which healed improperly before. Karpa broke a small bone on top of his wrist near the thumb while playing for Quebec during the 1993-94 season, then broke it again in a training camp fight last year. The Kings traded for him last season, then had the trade voided after determining he needed another surgery. The Ducks gambled that he could play out last season before having the surgery, and he did, appearing in 26 games.

Bobby Dollas, perhaps the Ducks’ top defenseman, returned to the lineup after sitting out the previous five exhibitions with a sprained left shoulder. Dollas was injured on a hit by Mike Modano in the first game against Dallas on Sept. 17.

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Larry Kelly, the agent for first-round draft pick Kilger, has sent General Manager Jack Ferreira a contract counteroffer after Ferreira called Kelly’s office Monday to jump-start negotiations.

The two haven’t spoken directly in two weeks, but the pace is picking up as the Oct. 6 signing deadline approaches--though Ferreira says it could go down to the final days.

When asked if a deal will get done, Kelly said, “It would be silly for both sides not to.”

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Practices at the Disney Ice facility in downtown Anaheim will be open to the public Friday and Saturday. Friday’s session will be from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday’s morning skate before an exhibition against the Kings at the Forum will be from 10 a.m. to about 11:30 a.m. There is no admission charge but seating is limited. The building is at 300 W. Lincoln Blvd.