On Second Thought, Official Time Is ...

Petr Sykora ended Game 1 at 12:32 a.m. CDT, but no one was sure what the time was on the game clock.

Perhaps because the red light didn’t go on immediately, the scoreboard clock and the clock on ESPN’s telecast continued to tick after the puck crossed the goal line. It finally stopped at 19:05, or 55 seconds into the fifth overtime.

However, the timekeeper stopped the clock with 19:12 left, 48 seconds into the period, and that was announced as the official time of the goal. So the overtime was 80 minutes 48 seconds and the Ducks’ playoff overtime total is 130 minutes 59 seconds, or more than two full regulation games.

-- Helene Elliott

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Ron Tugnutt has been there. Marty Turco’s backup with Dallas, Tugnutt was the losing goaltender in the third-longest game in NHL history, giving up the winning goal to Keith Primeau at 12:01 of the fifth overtime in the Philadelphia Flyers’ 2-1 victory over the Pittsburgh Penguins on May 4, 2000, at Pittsburgh.

“It started looking very familiar to me,” Tugnutt said of Thursday’s game. “You kind of get to a point where you’re going, ‘No one’s ever going to score. We’re going to be sitting here tomorrow morning still playing.’

“I started thinking, ‘I might have to go in.’ Realistically. I remember when I was playing, I looked at the backup goalie, Peter Skudra, and said, ‘He looks pretty fresh over there.’ And I started hallucinating practically.”

After losing the longest NHL game since the 1930s, Tugnutt was torched by the Flyers three days later, losing, 6-3, in Game 5 of a conference semifinal series won by the Flyers in six. But he expects better from Turco.

“He’s fine,” Tugnutt said. “What’s so great about Marty is how quickly he blows things off, how light he is. He’s such a relaxed guy.”

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Winger David Oliver of the Stars is sidelined indefinitely after suffering a shoulder injury in Game 1, possibly paving the way for Bill Guerin to return today. The Stars, however, were noncommittal about their top winger’s status.

Said Guerin, asked if Thursday’s marathon might hasten his return as Coach Dave Tippett searches for fresh legs: “That’s got nothing to do with it. This is purely about putting the best possible lineup in with guys who are ready to play. Not to say that I’m not because I could play. But an extra couple days might do me good.”

-- Jerry Crowe

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The Ducks got a taste of Turco’s fiery on-ice disposition in the first period Thursday. With Anaheim on a power play, Sykora lost his stick near the net. Turco picked it up and jabbed Sykora with it. Turco then tripped Sykora and whacked him with his goalie stick.

“Marty was just saying a little hello there,” Duck Coach Mike Babcock said.

Turco was called for high sticking, giving the Ducks a five-on-three advantage for 1 minute 12 seconds. “It didn’t bother me because we got the power play,” Sykora said.

What bothered Sykora and the Ducks was they didn’t score in three power-play opportunities and are scoreless on 17 power plays during the playoffs.

-- Chris Foster