Game Four, Lesson One: Learn From This, Ducks

It’s not an embarrassment for the Mighty Ducks to be eliminated from the playoffs by the two-time defending Stanley Cup champion Red Wings. Detroit is deeper, more talented, more experienced and has better balance. The only question was how quickly the Red Wings would win, not if they would win.

Nor is the shame in being swept, as the Ducks probably will be tonight at Arrowhead Pond. The shame is that the Ducks doomed themselves to defeat a month ago, when they did nothing at the trading deadline to counter the moves of their Western Conference rivals or to improve a team that peaked too soon.

The Ducks were riding an 8-3-2 crest at the March 23 deadline. That was the day Detroit made four deals to get Wendel Clark, Chris Chelios, Ulf Samuelsson and Bill Ranford; Dallas acquired Derek Plante, and San Jose acquired Vincent Damphousse. Three days earlier, Phoenix had snared Robert Reichel. Colorado, which had enjoyed a boost from its Feb. 28 trade for Theo Fleury, added a character player in Dale Hunter.

The Ducks got Peter Zezel, then lost him when the deal was nullified after he refused to report because he wanted to spend time with his gravely ill niece.

With no psychological or strategical boost, the Ducks went into a 4-6-2 tailspin and fell from fifth to sixth, pitting them against Detroit. Had they held fifth and faced fourth-seeded Phoenix, they would not only have been sure of skating after tonight, they would be making plans for the second round.

If the Ducks did nothing because club executives were complacent, overestimated their talent or were too cheap to add to the payroll, being swept is the logical consequence.

The Ducks’ problem is the same as it has always been: They have little after Teemu Selanne and Paul Kariya. They accomplished the near-impossible by finding two natural scorers, but they can’t pull off the easy part--finding support players. Marty McInnis and Travis Green have helped, but not enough.

This series has exposed how rudderless the Ducks are on defense and proved they need a poised defenseman who can move the puck quickly to the forwards.

Jason Marshall has progressed, but he’s limited. Ruslan Salei is rugged but is prone to misjudgment and was beaten badly several times in Game 2. Fredrik Olausson’s defensive lapses are outweighed by his power-play contributions, but it’s a wash in some games. Jamie Pushor hasn’t developed at all. Kevin Haller is adequate but shouldn’t play as much as he does.

The traditional way to build a team is through the draft, but that becomes a longer and riskier route as the NHL grows. In a 28-team league, as the NHL will be next season, a second-round pick may be the 56th-best player and odds are he won’t be a franchise cornerstone. The draft is good for depth, but it can’t be the only way to go.

It’s not wise to give up the future, but why shouldn’t the Ducks think short-term and take some gambles in trades and free agency this summer before Kariya suffers another concussion and his career is cut short? Selanne, who will be 29 in July, is in his prime. Will he still be in three or four years, when the farm system may produce some gems from the draft picks General Manager Pierre Gauthier guards with an iron grip?

Without some philosophical changes, the Ducks will never be much better than they are now. Clearly, that’s not good enough.

IT’S ONLY A GAME

The Colorado Avalanche and San Jose Sharks showed admirable sensitivity in rescheduling their playoff series after the tragedy at Columbine High in Littleton, a suburb of Denver.

Avalanche Coach Bob Hartley, whose son plays in a youth hockey program in Littleton, said he didn’t fear playing the first two games on the road, even though his team essentially gave up home-ice advantage. Games 1 and 2 were in San Jose, but Games 3 and 4 and, if necessary, Game 5, will be in Denver. A sixth game, if necessary, will be in San Jose and a seventh in Denver.

“Looking at what this community has had to go through for the last [few] days, I think worrying about home ice would be very selfish,” Hartley said. “We made the decision to reschedule for the community. Now we have to find a way to support our community by winning hockey games. . . . We want to dedicate our games to Columbine High School.”

Avalanche players visited wounded students in hospitals and are wearing patches on their sleeves with the school’s initials, CHS.

OLDIES BUT GOODIES

* Center Guy Carbonneau, 39, had two goals in Dallas’ first two playoff games before spraining his knee, which will idle him for a week. He had only four goals in 74 games this season.

* Defenseman Al MacInnis, 35, had a part in all six of the St. Louis Blues’ goals in the first two games of their series against the Coyotes, and in eight of 10 goals over three games. He has two goals and six assists.

* Goalie Dominik Hasek, 34, has stopped 116 of 119 Ottawa shots to help the Buffalo Sabres take a surprising 3-0 series lead. That’s a .975 save percentage.

LEMIEUX GETS ASSIST FROM NHL

Mario Lemieux’s bid to own the Pittsburgh Penguins got a boost last Friday, when the NHL made a motion in U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Pittsburgh supporting his plan to reorganize the club’s finances.

Lemieux is scheduled to meet Wednesday with Wes Westley of SMG, which manages the Civic Arena. The Penguins are bound to their lease through 2007, but Lemieux hopes to renegotiate their $6-million rent.

The club’s future is murky because sorting out the financial mess has been tedious. The NHL can relocate or dissolve the franchise, steps Commissioner Gary Bettman is loath to take, but the Penguins’ status must be clarified by June 1 to allow time to schedule for next season.

“What we want is for it to come together in Pittsburgh,” Bettman said. “This is about a franchise that has been gradually getting itself into deeper and deeper economic trouble. Hopefully, this will all work out and there will be a successful reorganization so the Penguins can have a bright future in Pittsburgh.”

99 REASONS TO HIRE GRETZKY

Bettman wants Wayne Gretzky to maintain ambassadorial ties to the NHL, but Gretzky apparently wants to enjoy his retirement a while.

“Wayne and I talked briefly about it last week and I made it known we want to keep him involved,” Bettman said. “But he wants some time to himself. I would be shocked if on some basis he wasn’t involved at some point.”

Since Gretzky announced his retirement two days before his finale, other teams had no chance to honor him. Although it was suggested Gretzky might make a postretirement tour of some sort, Bettman indicated that’s unlikely.

SLAP SHOTS

Duck General Manager Pierre Gauthier isn’t enjoying the playoffs. Not only is his team 0-3, so are the Ottawa Senators, the team he worked for until a year ago and still considers his baby. . . . Flyer center Eric Lindros is working out, but there’s no timetable for his recovery from a collapsed lung.

Alexei Yashin, who led Ottawa in scoring and ranked sixth in the NHL, has no points against Buffalo. Michael Peca is checking him into submission. . . . The New Jersey Devils didn’t sell out their first two home playoff games. Were prices too high or did fans fear another flop?

Bettman, in Anaheim on Sunday on a playoff tour, said he likes the two-referee system, which will be used in substantially more games next season. He also said he’d like to make the trading deadline earlier and will raise the issue with the NHL Players Assn., which must agree to a change. . . . With scoring champion Jaromir Jagr idled because of a groin pull, the Penguins banded together and played sterling defense to take a 2-1 lead over the top-seeded Devils. “It’s not about who is playing, it’s about how hard you’re playing,” winger Alexei Kovalev said.

Alan Eagleson, former NHL Players Assn. boss who served six months in prison for fraud, was booed when his face was shown on the scoreboard last week at Toronto’s Air Canada Centre. The accompanying music was “Jailhouse Rock.” Supply your own punch line. . . . Aki Berg’s team, TPS Turku, won the Finnish League title by defeating 1998 champion IFK Helsinki, 3-1, in a best-of-five series. Berg was ejected in the third game for accumulating too many misconducts, but his teammates triumphed without him. In one game he leveled defenseman Jere Karalahti, a 6-3, 220-pounder who was a 1993 King draft pick. Signing Berg for next season is vital to the Kings’ re-rebuilding plans.

STANLEY CUP PLAYOFFS

GAME 4

Detroit vs. Ducks

Arrowhead Pond

7:30 p.m.

FSW 2

NO TIME TO DIVE: One game from elimination, the Ducks are talking about playing for pride, but no one is close to making concession speeches. Page 5

****

ELSEWHERE

Carolina: 3

Boston: 2

Andrei Kovalenko’s disputed goal gave the Hurricanes the win and a 2-1 lead in the series.

Toronto: 2

Philadelphia: 1

Steve Thomas scored the game-winning goal as the Maple Leafs took a 2-1 lead in the series.

Colorado: 2

San Jose: 1 (OT)

Milan Hejduk scored in overtime to give the Avalanche a 2-0 series lead.

Roundup, Page 5

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MacInnis in ’85 Oiler Territory

With eight points in his first three games, St. Louis Blue defenseman Al MacInnis is on pace to challenge some playoff records:

* Most points in one series (other than finals)

19--Rick Middleton, Boston, 1983 division finals vs. Buffalo. Five goals, 14 assists in seven games.

18--Wayne Gretzky, Edmonton, 1985 conference finals vs. Chicago. Four goals, 14 assists in six games.

17--Mario Lemieux, Pittsburgh, 1992 division semifinal vs. Washington. Seven goals, 10 assists in six games.

* Most points by a defenseman, single playoff year

37--Paul Coffey, Edmonton, in 1985.

Twelve goals, 25 assists in 18 games.

34--Brian Leetch, New York Rangers, in 1994. Eleven goals, 23 assists in 23 games.

31--Al MacInnis, Calgary, in 1989. Seven goals, 24 assists in 18 games.

Most points, single playoff year

47--Wayne Gretzky, Edmonton, 1985. Seventeen goals, 30 assists in 18 games.

44--Mario Lemieux, Pittsburgh, in 1991. Sixteen goals, 28 assists in 23 games.

43--Wayne Gretzky, Edmonton, 1988. Twelve goals, 31 assists in 19 games.