Hebert Finally Getting Help From His Defense

Exhibition games mean little to anybody in the NHL--unless you’re a member of a middle-of-the-pack team searching near and far for positive training camp developments.

For instance, at least one Duck veteran is overjoyed to see the number of shots given up in the last four exhibition games dramatically reduced.

“It’s unbelievable,” said goalie Guy Hebert, a human clay pigeon for much of his Anaheim career. “Pierre Gauthier [team president and general manager] has always wanted a really mobile defense that can jump up into the play. The more time we spend in their zone with the puck, the better. We have a number of guys who are faster skaters and better puck-handlers.”

Defensemen such as Niclas Havelid and Oleg Tverdovsky, who appear to have the edge as the team’s top defense pair, move the puck swiftly out of danger and into the attacking zone, on the theory that the best defense is a good offense.

True, they’re just exhibitions, but Hebert has never seen a defense as effective in muzzling the opposition. In the last four games, the Ducks have held opponents to an average of 19.8 shots a game.

“I stood around for quite a while tonight,” Hebert said after the Ducks limited the San Jose Sharks to 18 shots in a 2-1 victory Sunday. “You have to stay sharp with a low shot total.”

Two seasons ago, the Ducks gave up 31.6 shots a game. They cut it to 27.5 last season. Hebert wouldn’t mind seeing the average drop again this season.

“There’s nothing better than getting 10 shots from [long range] to start a game, nice easy ones you can see,” he said. “But I hope things continue like this.”

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The Ducks sent defensemen Dean Malkoc, Chris O’Sullivan and Peter Podhradsky, right wing Maxim Balmochnykh and goalie Gregg Naumenko to Cincinnati of the American Hockey League.

Coach Craig Hartsburg appears set on keeping two goalies, eight defensemen and 13 forwards to start the season. Currently there are three goalies on the roster, nine defensemen and 16 forwards.