Fitzpatrick Deals With Spot Duty

Sixteen days between starts in the Florida Panthers’ net seemed like forever for Mark Fitzpatrick.

But what can you do when you’re backing up one of the league’s top goaltenders on the league’s hottest team?

Fitzpatrick was forced to sit and watch as the Panthers stormed to a league-best 14-5-1 record before Sunday’s game against the Mighty Ducks at The Pond.

On the whole, it’s a far better fate than sitting on the bench for a lousy team.

Finally, he caught a break Sunday with the Panthers playing the Ducks one day after facing the Kings at the Forum.

John Vanbiesbrouck was given Sunday off and the coaching staff knocked the rust off Fitzpatrick, sending him out to stop the suddenly hot Ducks.

What happened next was a backup’s worst nightmare.

Duck winger Steve Rucchin swats a puck off the boards toward the net and past Fitzpatrick, and 3:22 into the game the Ducks are up 1-0.

After 6:36, it’s 2-0, when Joe Sacco scores after picking up a poorly placed clearing pass from Panther defenseman Geoff Smith.

Midway through the first period, Peter Douris puts another one past the shellshocked Fitzpatrick and it’s 3-1 Ducks.

“I think I let in at least one shaky goal, maybe two,” Fitzpatrick would say later.

Eyes turned quickly toward the Florida bench. Is Fitzpatrick about to get pulled? Is Vanbiesbrouck warming up in the bullpen?

It wouldn’t have been the first time the Ducks chased a starting goalie this season. It happened to Glenn Healy of the New York Rangers and Martin Brodeur of the New Jersey Devils.

Fitzpatrick knew he had let down his tired teammates, who were playing their third game in four days.

“I didn’t know if I was trying too hard at the start or what,” said Fitzpatrick, whose last start was a 3-2 loss to Washington Nov. 3. “I was nervous, obviously.”

But by game’s end, he benefited from an unlikely Panther turnaround and the Ducks’ collapse and skated away a winner.

Fitzpatrick left little doubt where credit for the victory belonged, however. He said his contribution was next to nil.

“I was fortunate my teammates were able to pull it out for me,” he said after Florida rallied for a 4-3 victory in the battle between the two 1993-94 expansion teams.

“Fitzy battled back and made some big saves,” Florida Coach Doug MacLean said.

The Duck offense went haywire starting the second period and was invisible by the third. Meanwhile, the Panthers chipped away, finally taking the lead, 4-3, on Brian Skrudland’s second goal of the game with 9:46 left.

It took a rookie to get the Panthers going. During the second intermission, rookie defenseman Ed Jovanovski stood up and addressed the team.

“Come on, boys,” he said, according to Skrudland. “These are the two points that are going to lead us into the playoffs.”

Duly motivated, the Panthers turned the Ducks into mush. With Skrudland leading the offensive surge, Fitzpatrick denied the Ducks on the few scoring chances they managed.

After facing 27 shots through two periods, he faced only four in the pivotal third period.

“I honestly didn’t think we’d have the strength to play the way we did in the third,” Fitzpatrick said. “Being down two goals to the Ducks, who are one of the hottest teams around . . . certainly it was a big effort. And a big win.”