Hebert’s Performance Gives Ducks a ‘Good Tie’

He might have had a shutout if the Mighty Ducks took care of the puck better in their own end.

But a tie? At this point, goaltender Guy Hebert will gladly take small victories where he can get them--even if they happen to be ties.

Besides, a bounce or two goes the other way and Hebert and the Ducks could have been losers again.

Ducks 2, New York Islanders 2 on Wednesday seemed fitting.

Each team has only four victories, fewest in the NHL.

Each team is in last place.

Each team made trades this week in an attempt to correct that fact.

“In the situation we’re in, it’s a good tie,” Duck Coach Ron Wilson said. “It could have gone either way. We gave them their goals. Guy made some good saves.”

Hebert wasn’t especially spectacular Wednesday, but he helped the Ducks gain their 12th point by stopping 29 of 31 shots.

“I should have made one or two more saves and we might have won the game,” Hebert said.

Of course, it might have helped if the Ducks hadn’t left Hebert to his own defenses several times.

First, rookie defenseman Ruslan Salei’s giveaway set up Claude Lapointe’s game-tying goal in the first period.

Then, with the Ducks holding a 2-1 lead in the second period, the defense allowed Bryan Smolinski to skate into point-blank range from the right circle. Hebert stopped the first shot, but Smolinski sneaked behind the defense to poke in the rebound.

“I thought it was lodged somewhere between my catching glove and my body,” Hebert said.

It was a push the rest of the way with Hebert keeping the Islanders scoreless and the Ducks unable to get the go-ahead goal against Tommy Salo.

One strange bounce off the boards in overtime almost turned the ending into a nightmare for Hebert, however.

A dump-in pass by an Islander clanked off the boards, then began rolling toward the crease just as Hebert went behind the net to play the puck. The puck continued its slow roll through the crease and out of harm’s way before Hebert or an Islander could get to it.

“I was just yelling, ‘Nooooooo,’ ” Wilson said. “On the bench, there’s not much you can do.”

Hebert seemed unfazed by it all.

“We’re on the right track,” he said. “We were a little more conservative. We wanted to work ourselves into a low scoring game. That was a little bit more like Duck hockey.”

And Hebert looked a little bit more like the Hebert who finished the season as one of the league’s top goalies. Wilson said Wednesday’s performance and Friday’s--a 4-3 loss to Dallas--were as good as Hebert has played.

“I thought tonight’s game was excellent,” Wilson said.

Wilson gave all the credit for Hebert’s turnaround to goalie coach Francois Allaire.

“In the short time I’ve know Francois, I’ve learned a lot about goaltending,” Wilson said. “It’s a real science with Francois. I think he’s the best in the league. That’s why guys like Patrick Roy and Felix Potvin and others really trust him.”

Said Hebert: “He’s been great for my mental frame of mind. He’s helped me get back to working hard.”