Page Almost Causes a Stir

The Mighty Ducks’ unpredictable season continued Thursday at the CoreStates Center, where a 3-3 tie against the Philadelphia Flyers wasn’t the most surprising news by night’s end.

How about Duck Coach Pierre Page dropping this bombshell during his postgame news conference: “I debated pulling the goalie [near the end of the game]. We need so many damn points now. But [assistant Don Hay] talked me out of it.”

It was either a sign Page has finally lost it, a signal he has succumbed to the pressures swirling around him since his hiring last August, or perhaps it was a . . .

Nope. It’s impossible to imagine another explanation for what Page had in mind as the overmatched Ducks scrambled to preserve a tie in the final minutes of regulation and overtime.

“We need a lot of [victories], but a tie was good, though,” Page said after the Ducks moved within 10 points of the eighth and final Western Conference playoff spot with 14 games left. “I’m not a conservative guy. I want the players to know I want to go for it.”

Tying Philadelphia, second in the Atlantic Division, was probably an upset in itself. Going for the victory was too much to ask, particularly at the expense of a hard-earned tie one night after losing, 3-0, to the New Jersey Devils.

Imagine what an empty-net goal and a late loss to the Flyers might have done to deflate the Ducks’ spirits in the second game of their seven-game trip.

But Page continues to stress the positive, particularly as the Ducks’ playoff hopes have all but vanished in the last two weeks. He has not been oblivious to the criticism heaped on the organization recently, however.

“Part of this business is dealing with the heat,” he said. “You have to make decisions not just because you’re trying to save your job. You’ve got to try to do what’s right for the organization.”

Asked if that’s enough, if he’s worried about his future with the Ducks, Page said, “I never worry about my job. I just hope we keep doing what’s right until the end of the year.

“We’re accountable. Everybody’s accountable. You shouldn’t worry about stuff you have no control over. I just hope what I said wasn’t pointing fingers at anybody.”

Page was referring to statements he made after the Ducks’ 3-1 loss March 11 to the Toronto Maple Leafs, when he acknowledged management’s failure to build on last season’s success.

“Basically, I know I was part of those decisions,” Page said Thursday. “The plan we had didn’t work. We made a trade to help us [acquiring Travis Green from the New York Islanders on Feb. 6] and the guy got hurt [Green had a groin injury].

“The average coach lasts 1.9 seasons. Usually it takes three seasons to turn things around. So, basically, you’ve got to work quick. I hope we do what’s right here. There’s no quick fix.”

If Plan A was a failure, then what about Plan B? And is there a Plan C?

Page said there are two plans unfolding.

Plan B is the current youth movement, which began last month after it became apparent veterans such as defenseman Dmitri Mironov and wingers Tomas Sandstrom and Scott Young could not produce.

Certainly, Plan B helped the Ducks gain a point against Philadelphia as rookie Frank Banham scored the game-tying goal in the final minute of the second period. Young and Teemu Selanne also scored.

Plan C depends on whether General Manager Jack Ferreira can complete a worthwhile deal before Tuesday’s trading deadline. But another day passed and Ferreira was no closer to a trade.

“Jack’s taken a hit for everybody,” Page said. “We’ve all got to share the responsibility. I don’t think one guy should take all the heat. We’ve talked and talked about what we should do. Jack is a talented guy. He’s used to turning things around.”