Stick Check Recalls McSorley Episode

It figured that someone might question the legality of another’s stick Sunday, what with Marty McSorley at the Arrowhead Pond for the Duck-Edmonton Oiler game.

So, when Edmonton Coach Ron Low called for Teemu Selanne’s stick to be measured in the final minutes of the Ducks’ 6-4 victory, the press box buzz focused immediately on McSorley, who was not in the Oiler lineup.

However, a quick check of Selanne’s stick by referee Rob Shick revealed it to be legal and the Oilers were given a delay-of-game penalty.

“His stick looks illegal, but it’s not,” Duck Coach Craig Hartsburg said. “Teemu’s no dummy.”

You may recall that McSorley’s illegal stick in the 1993 Stanley Cup finals led to a power play on which the Montreal Canadiens scored and turned the series against the Kings. It has been rumored that McSorley did not have a legal stick on the bench as the Kings attempted to preserve a one-goal lead late in Game 2.

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The Ducks were grateful for any and all breaks they received Sunday--and there were quite a few. They are counting on a successful homestand to propel them into the season’s second half with enough momentum to reach the playoffs.

Wednesday’s game against the Calgary Flames marks the midway point. It also is the midway point of this season-high seven-game homestand.

“I’ve never been involved in a seven-game homestand,” goalie Guy Hebert said. “It could make or break us for a playoff spot. These are some very big points for us.”

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Hebert gets the final word on Ryan Smyth’s disallowed goal in the second period that turned the game around for the Ducks on Sunday against the Oilers.

Asked whether the puck was in the net, Hebert said, “A goalie always says it wasn’t in. I think these things balance out over the course of the year.” Pause. “But I’m sure it wasn’t in.”