Carney Sidelined With Hand Injury

Keith Carney, the linchpin for an improved Mighty Duck defense, is sidelined indefinitely because of a chipped bone in his right hand.

Carney injured the hand on his last shift in the Ducks’ 3-3 tie with Calgary on Wednesday. He will be reevaluated by doctors in two weeks.

Pavel Trnka will play while Carney is sidelined.

“Injuries are a part of the game,” Coach Bryan Murray said.

“Unfortunately, we lost a key guy. Trnka is just going to have to step up and play.”

No matter how well Trnka plays, he may not be able to fill Carney’s skates.

Carney, 31, was acquired from the Phoenix Coyotes in June.

He is a 10-year veteran who has helped bring stability to a leaky Duck defense.

He has been paired with Vitaly Vishnevski, the Ducks’ most vicious checker, the last six games. They gave the Ducks a formidable defensive duo that is usually matched against the opposing team’s top line.

“We’ll have to juggle a couple guys around,” Murray said. “We’ll wait and see when the time comes around.”

Defense has been the Ducks’ backbone since a 1-3 trip to open the season. Carney and Jason York, who sat out Thursday’s practice because of a sore shoulder, have been big reasons. York, who signed as a free agent during the summer, is expected to play tonight.

The Ducks have given up 2.3 goals per game in their last 11 games and are 5-4-2 in that span.

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Duck enforcer Kevin Sawyer dropped his gloves and stick, and tried to wrestle Calgary’s Craig Berube into a fight during the second period Wednesday.

Berube would have none of it and skated away. Sawyer chased him, corned him and got a forearm into Berube’s face.

Yet, it was Berube who received a roughing penalty. How can a guy pick a fight and beat the rap?

“The answer is being able to pick up your gloves and stick really fast,” Sawyer said.

This was not the first time that Sawyer has baited opponents into a penalty, giving the Ducks a power play. He did it twice at Phoenix on Oct. 24.

“If you go out there concentrating on doing that, you’re going to get in trouble,” Sawyer said. “You just have to play and make the other guy think too much about you.”

TONIGHT

vs. Detroit, 7:30

Fox Sports Net 2

Site--Arrowhead Pond.

Radio--XTRA (690).

Records--Ducks 6-7-2-0, Red Wings 13-3-0-0.

Record vs. Red Wings (2000-2001)--0-3-0-1.

Update--This is the Ducks’ fourth try at getting their record back to .500 this season. They were 1-1 after two games. Jean-Sebastien Giguere will start in goal. The Red Wings will likely be without center Brent Gilchrist, who took a high stick in the eye and suffered a scratched retina against Phoenix on Wednesday.

Tickets--(877) 945-3946