Mighty Ducks Lose It All in High Stakes Contest

The Mighty Ducks lost a two-goal lead, their composure and soon enough their game Tuesday against the San Jose Sharks, 4-2. The Ducks also might have lost their top defenseman, Dmitri Mironov, to a suspension.

Mironov received a 10-minute misconduct, a game misconduct and a gross misconduct--how’s that for a hat trick?--following an argument with referee Mark Faucette after the Sharks scored the game-tying goal at 6:53 of the second period.

“He was very vulgar in his language,” Faucette said. “He took his stick in protest and slammed it against the boards and it almost hit an official. It will be reviewed by the league, but it’s not necessarily going to result in a suspension.”

Said Mironov: “He gave me no warning. Just a 10-minute misconduct right away. I got [angry] and started swearing. I just hit the glass with my stick. I was just [angry] in the heat of the moment.”

TV replays at the end of the game did not include Mironov’s confrontation with Faucette after San Jose’s Mike Ricci swatted in a rebound in front of the Duck net.

This much is clear: All gross misconducts are subject to a review by the commissioner. Brian Burke, NHL director of hockey operations, probably will be the one to look at the videotape of the game.

This isn’t the Ducks’ first overzealous brush with an official. Last season, defenseman J.J. Daigneault was suspended 10 games for slashing referee Don Koharski in a Feb. 23 game against the Vancouver Canucks.

“I feel guilty because the team was losing afterwards, but what are you going to do?” Mironov said.

Coach Pierre Page found Mironov’s conduct unacceptable, and said he told him so after the game.

“It was a big important game,” Page said. “We needed him on the ice and we didn’t have him. You’re never going to win an argument with a referee. You’ve got to have more composure than that. Mironov could have been right or wrong, but to try to win an argument with a referee . . . “

Perhaps now General Manager Jack Ferreira will be forced to bolster the Ducks’ depth by making a trade. He has done little in recent weeks to upgrade the Duck roster for the stretch run.

True, he pawned off disgruntled defenseman Bobby Dollas on the Edmonton Oilers. But, as team president Tony Tavares said recently, the Ducks still covet a playmaking center to join standout wingers Paul Kariya and Teemu Selanne.

Tavares also would like to see Ferreira trade for an enforcer to better protect Kariya and Selanne from the rough stuff. But the most pressing need now appears to be a veteran defenseman to fill in for Mironov, an All-Star selection and the Ducks’ second-leading scorer with 30 points.

Part of the holdup to completing a deal is believed to be a difference in philosophies between Tavares and Ferreira. Tavares apparently is willing to part with first-round draft picks in order to make a trade, but Ferreira would rather not.

The Ducks needed all the help they could get during their fourth consecutive two-goal loss to the Sharks this season.

Selanne and Kariya scored to give the Ducks a 2-0 lead after one period. It was Selanne’s sixth goal this season against San Jose and his 28th in 26 career games against the Sharks. Kariya’s goal was his sixth in four games.

Former Duck defenseman Bill Houlder got the San Jose rally started, scoring on a shot through traffic from the left point at 4:52 of the second period. Ricci then scored a power-play goal after Faucette whistled Duck center Mark Janssens for interfering with Owen Nolan.

Mironov said he called for Faucette to ask for help from the video goal judge Mike Shanley. Replays showed Ricci was outside the crease and did not have his stick above his shoulder.

“I didn’t do anything wrong,” Mironov said. “I feel OK. Just emotional. I did not swear at him at first, then no warning. Just give me a 10-minute misconduct.”

Stephane Matteau then scored the go-ahead goal at 18:34 of the second period and Marco Sturm added a fourth goal for the Sharks midway through the third period.