Hebert Gets Kick Out of This

Duck goaltender Guy Hebert knew something was amiss early in the first period Sunday against the Edmonton Oilers at the Arrowhead Pond.

Edmonton’s Ryan Smyth had kicked the puck in an attempt to move it to his stick for a point-blank shot from near the left goal post. But the puck went between Hebert’s legs and into the net.

Smyth got one good whack at the puck, but hit the outside of Hebert’s goalie pads instead at the 6:57 mark.

Hebert told referee Dan Marouelli to check upstairs with video goal judge Tom Wardell. After a few minutes, it was ruled that Smyth had indeed kicked the puck into the net and the goal was nullified.

The Ducks maintained their 1-0 lead en route to a 3-1 victory over the Oilers.

“[Marouelli] said, ‘It was a good thing you told me,’ ” Hebert said after the game. “It’s the first time a ref ever listened to me.”

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Hebert had perhaps his best overall game of the season, stopping 37 of 38 shots. His best saves came on a pair of second-period breakaways by Edmonton’s Todd Marchant.

On the first one, at the 7:11 mark, Hebert made a spectacular glove save to deny Marchant and preserve a 2-1 Duck lead. Hebert stopped Marchant again at 16:42.

“Sometimes you’re lucky, sometimes you’re good,” Hebert said. “I don’t know which one I was tonight.”

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Coach Craig Hartsburg reunited his second line of Ted Donato, Steve Rucchin and Marty McInnis and it produced the Ducks’ first goal. Donato set up McInnis for a shot into an empty net after Rucchin and Edmonton defenseman Tom Poti distracted goalie Bill Ranford at the 4:49 mark of the first period. Donato had been playing on the fourth line.