Detroit Dominates Proceedings at Pond

The We-Want-Paul-Kariya crowd at the Pond apparently took Wednesday off, making way for a sizable Detroit Red Wing bandwagon that cheered the Stanley Cup champions’ every move.

Or perhaps it was that angry Mighty Duck fans found a new way to show their disgust about the team’s inability to sign Kariya to a new contract: they donned Red Wing jerseys.

Buoyed by the crowd’s energy, Detroit swept to a 4-1 victory that had the look of the Red Wings’ playoff victory over the Ducks last May.

But the end came not in dramatic fashion in overtime, as in last spring’s playoff series between the teams, but swiftly and without mercy.

Detroit’s three-goal outburst early in the second period broke a 1-1 tie and instead of, “We want Paul,” chants there were cheers of, “Let’s go, Red Wings.”

After a sluggish start, the Red Wings heeded the call.

They buzzed the net and fired off quality scoring chances almost at will. Unlike the playoffs, in which Detroit needed three overtime victories to complete a four-game sweep, Duck goaltender Guy Hebert was left to battle the advancing Red Wings without much defensive support.

“Give Detroit credit, they saw an opening and they took it,” Duck Coach Pierre Page said. “Detroit exploited everything they could exploit.”

Doug Brown gave Detroit the lead for good, 2-1, at 1:44 of the second period. Martin Lapointe scored at the 7:11 mark for a 3-1 lead. Mike Knuble then scored his second of the game for a 4-1 lead at 8:56.

Game over.

By the end of the second period, the Red Wings had a 36-13 advantage in shots on goal. It grew to 42-21 at the final buzzer.

There seemed little chance the goal-starved Ducks could rally, particularly since they had scored three goals or more in a single game only twice in eight games before Wednesday.

Credit for the lopsided victory went to the Red Wings, to be sure.

But the Phoenix Coyotes also appeared to have had a hand in the outcome. The toll from the Ducks’ emotional 4-3 victory Tuesday over the Coyotes in Phoenix was evident from the start Wednesday.

The Ducks, despite an early lead after Teemu Selanne’s first-period goal, were clearly flat. Detroit made the Ducks pay for their lack of spark, carrying the play to them throughout the game--but especially in the pivotal second period.

“[Tuesday] night’s win was as good as we’ve felt this season,” Page said. “Tonight’s game . . . I don’t even know how to express it. Detroit came here fresh and they were really flying. They just flew around us.”

The Ducks couldn’t get by with a lifeless showing against the New York Islanders, losing, 5-2, Sunday. There was simply no way they could sneak past Detroit by falling short of their best.

“The players told us after the Islanders’ game when we had a little meeting, ‘If you don’t get down on us, you’ll see we’re ahead of last year’s team,’ ” Page said. “They backed up their words against Phoenix. It was a real gut check and we came through. I’m trying to be positive, but I’m learning being positive doesn’t get you what you want. Doing positive things does.”

The Ducks sorely missed Kariya, an unsigned free agent. But they also could have used top center Steve Rucchin, sidelined for the seventh consecutive game by a groin strain and defenseman Bobby Dollas, out the last two games because of a broken toe.

Detroit was bolstered by the return of Brendan Shanahan, who missed the last four games because of a sprained neck. Shanahan joined in the slew of scoring chances, but could not record a goal or an assist in his first game since Oct. 12.

However, the Red Wings still have not re-signed restricted free agent Sergei Fedorov and he said Sunday he’s considering playing in Europe this season if a new deal isn’t completed by Jan. 1.

Page has often pointed to the Red Wings as an example of a team overcoming the absence of an unsigned superstar to start quickly.

But there is a dramatic difference between the Red Wings without Fedorov and the Ducks without Kariya. Detroit has the depth to maintain its status as an elite team, but the Ducks do not measure up without Kariya.