Number of Fights Shocks Even Murray

The Mighty Ducks and Calgary Flames played a game Saturday night that was a throwback to old-time hockey when every player on the ice dropped his gloves following a face-off.

The amount of fisticuffs even shocked the Ducks’ Bryan Murray, who has coached more than 1,000 NHL games.

“I’ve seen it in junior hockey, but I’ve never seen it in the NHL,” Murray said about the game, which had 19 fighting majors in the final 1:25 of the third period. “It’s a good rallying cry.”

The Ducks improved to 1-1-1 on their four-game trip with a 4-0 victory.

Calgary Coach Greg Gilbert blamed the Ducks for how things got out of hand. Gilbert said Craig Berube’s hit on Duck goaltender Jean-Sebastien Giguere was not out of line. The Ducks thought it was and believed Kevin Sawyer’s run at Calgary goalie Mike Vernon was justified.

“Berube could have killed Giguere if he wanted to and he bumped him,” Gilbert said. “Kevin Sawyer skated a beeline from the blue line at Vernon and that’s unacceptable.... In my opinion [Sawyer] had been given an order.”

Murray denied Gilbert’s claim.

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For the first time since the final two games of the 1999-2000 season, forward Matt Cullen was not in the lineup. Murray made Cullen, who has four goals and 18 points in 29 games, a healthy scratch.