Red Wings’ Vernon Had the Longest Day

Detroit goalie Mike Vernon was the ironman: He played all 101 minutes 31 seconds of the Red Wings’ 5 1/2-hour triple-overtime victory over the Ducks on Sunday.

The Ducks, of course, used two goalies because Guy Hebert was hurt in the third period.

“And they both played a game,” Vernon said. “I just tried to conserve a little energy and be ready as soon as they crossed the red line. . . . Usually I skate corner to corner. I stopped doing that. I tried to focus on what was in front of me.”

Detroit defenseman Nicklas Lidstrom played about 53 minutes, and Duck defensemen Dmitri Mironov and J.J. Daigneault played close to 50--even though Daigneault’s legs were cramping and Mironov was nauseated going into the final overtime.

The Ducks’ Paul Kariya and the Red Wings’ Steve Yzerman led the forwards, both playing close to 40 minutes--a tremendous amount for a forward.

“Paul’s in great shape--in better shape than anybody in this league as far as I’m concerned,” Duck Coach Ron Wilson said. “He was still flying at the end of the game.”

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The Ducks say Hebert’s status is day-to-day, but they recalled goalie Mike O’Neill from the Long Beach Ice Dogs as the emergency backup.

Hebert’s injury is a slight groin strain, but that’s not an insignificant injury for a goalie who has to stretch and dive to stop shots.

“It’s not an easy one, particularly with the style he has,” Duck goaltending consultant Francois Allaire said. “He pushes hard to follow the play, be in good position. It’s the kind of injury I don’t like for any goaltender--knee and groin.”

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It can’t happen again. . . . Can it?

The first two games of Ducks-Red Wings series have both gone to overtime.

In 1951, all five games of the Stanley Cup finals between Toronto and Montreal went to overtime before Montreal won the series, 4-1.