Islanders Grab Tie at Pond

The Mighty Ducks proved this season they can win by playing the beautiful game--passing, skating and scoring with uncommon flair.

Friday, they showed they could compete in a game played in the gutter.

The Ducks matched punches, vicious checks, high sticks in the face and, ultimately, goals with the oafish New York Islanders in a 2-2 tie before 14,419 at the Arrowhead Pond.

Ted Drury’s first goal in 28 games gave the Ducks a 2-1 lead only 2:29 into the third period. But New York’s Mariusz Czerkawski countered with his eighth goal of the season at the 10:32 mark.

The Ducks needed to kill off a boarding penalty to defenseman Pavel Trnka with 20 seconds left in regulation to force overtime and, eventually, extend their unbeaten streak to six games (4-0-2).

Forced to ditch their usual method of operation only a minute into Friday’s game, the Ducks showed they can play a physical (dirty?) game against a team that couldn’t match their speed and skill.

The Ducks couldn’t come close to equaling their 6-1 blowout Wednesday against the Nashville Predators. After all, it’s tough to skate with Islanders draped on one’s back for 60 minutes.

Credit New York--playing one night after defeating the Kings, 5-4, in overtime--for turning the game into boxing rather than speedskating, The Islanders had no chance to keep pace with the Ducks if they tried to skate with them as Nashville did Wednesday.

The tone for this slugfest was set early.

Duck defenseman Jason Marshall got tangled up with New York’s Claude Lapointe only a minute into the game. Marshall crashed heavily into the boards and suffered an injured left hamstring.

Marshall did not return and will be examined further today.

The Ducks spent the rest of the period giving paybacks to the Islanders.

Jim McKenzie slashed Islander center Sergei Nemchinov on the knee after taking a stick in the face along the boards at 13:40.

Steve Rucchin delivered a tough check on Rich Pilon, then goaded the Islander defenseman into taking a roughing penalty at 15:17.

Next, former Islander Travis Green belted New York defenseman Kenny Jonsson with a check that appeared to be shoulder to shoulder behind the New York net at 15:26.

But Jonsson was later found to have a concussion, his second this season and the sixth of his career. Jonsson sat out eight games after suffering a concussion only last month.

The Islanders were as angry about Green’s hit on Jonsson as the Ducks were about Lapointe’s clumsy play against Marshall.

Violence flared again not long after Teemu Selanne gave the Ducks a 1-0 lead with a power-play goal at 15:48.

Jeff Nielsen left his feet to crack New York defenseman David Harlock against the glass, which ignited fights all around the ice at 18:27.

Nielsen fought Lapointe and Kevin Miller at the same time. Jamie Pushor fought former Duck Joe Sacco, who was dealt to the Islanders in the deal that brought Green to Anaheim last Feb. 6.

Pushor and Sacco were both given game misconducts.

Ted Drury wrestled with New York’s Bryan Berard.

By the end of the period, the teams combined for 62 penalty minutes.

Tempers calmed a bit in the second, but Paul Kariya took a roughing penalty after Pilon hit him against the boards well after a whistle at 16:18.

Kariya narrowly missed Pilon’s head with a straight left, setting off another scrum. Pilon skated away, dodging Kariya and his teammates, and avoided a penalty.

The Ducks were forced to make do with only four defensemen for the final two periods.