Ducks Show Their Might in 3-1 Victory Over Kings

It’s called lunch bucket hockey. Sure, it’s far from an electrifying style of play, but the Mighty Ducks are getting pretty good at it.

Certainly, the Ducks were far more accomplished than the slumping Kings in grinding out a 3-1 victory Monday night at the Arrowhead Pond.

The Ducks’ style of play didn’t look particularly inviting to the 16,067 fans, but all those tough checks along the boards and in front of the net paid off for the second consecutive game.

There were skillful plays here and there, but substance instead of flash enabled the Ducks to subdue the Kings and win their third in the last four games.

The Ducks won most of the little battles, which led to the Kings’ fourth consecutive loss.

“This is hell right now,” Coach Larry Robinson said after the Kings dropped to 1-7-1 in their last nine games. “I don’t blame them if they’re discouraged. If the guys get through this, and I think they can, we’re going to be a better hockey team.”

The Kings also lost because Duck centers Travis Green and Johan Davidsson proved it’s possible that a forward other than Paul Kariya, Teemu Selanne or Steve Rucchin could score an important goal.

Green and Davidsson had their first goals of the season, providing unexpected but welcome scoring for the Ducks in the first two periods. Kariya added an empty-net goal in the game’s final minute.

“We can’t ask those guys to score two or three goals every night,” said Davidsson, a rookie who scored his first NHL goal. “That’s why it feels so good to win when other guys have helped out in the scoring.”

The Ducks certainly needed an offensive jolt, what with Selanne sidelined for the third consecutive game because of a bruised foot and a strained thigh--both in his right leg.

Guy Hebert’s goaltending and the defense in front of him also were superb. Hebert stopped 38 of 39 shots, narrowly missing his second consecutive shutout. Hebert blanked Calgary, 1-0, Saturday.

“Beating the Kings is a great thing,” Hebert said after his shutout streak ended at 120 minutes 23 seconds on King center Olli Jokinen’s power-play goal at 16:14 of the third period.

“It’s very exciting for us. For a goaltender it’s all about confidence. When you start to feel good, you don’t want to come out.”

Rest assured, there doesn’t seem to be much chance of backup Dominic Roussel taking away Hebert’s job as the Ducks’ No. 1 goalie any time soon.

“He’s played unbelievable,” Green said of Hebert.

Green’s goal, with the Ducks shorthanded in the first period, ended a 15-game slump without one.

“I thought I saw a monkey fly off my back somewhere,” Green said, managing a smile at game’s end.

He hit nothing but net at 18:29 of the first period, lifting a backhander over a sprawling Manny Legace for his first goal since April 19.

Green’s drought might have earned him a spot in the press box on another team. But on the goal-starved Ducks, his skills in the faceoff circle and the mere promise of goals and assists kept him in the lineup.

“We know he’s worked his butt off,” Duck Coach Craig Hartsburg said at the morning skate. “We feel bad he hasn’t been rewarded for the way he’s worked. He’s doing a good job. You’ve got to look at more than just numbers. In this league, you can’t focus just on scoring goals. If he does, he won’t help the team much.”

Davidsson was in a similar predicament.

But Hartsburg’s faith in Davidsson was rewarded only 2:58 into the second period.

Legace strayed too far from his net in pursuing a loose puck, leaving easy pickings for Davidsson to score a power-play goal from the right faceoff circle.

Davidsson’s quick, high shot beat Legace before he could get settled in front of his net and the Ducks had a 2-0 lead.

At the other end, Hebert frustrated the Kings at almost every turn.

Some of it was Hebert’s doing, but sometimes the Kings had only themselves to blame.

The Kings’ power-play failed to click until Jokinen’s goal at 16:14 of the final period ended their 0 for 26 skid with the man advantage.