Penner Heeds Another Call-Up
Dustin Penner had just exited the team bus in Maine on Tuesday night after the Portland Pirates lost, 5-4, in overtime to the Providence Bruins in the American Hockey League playoffs.
As he was heading home, Penner was summoned by Portland Coach Kevin Dineen.
“Kevin gave me a call and asked if I wanted to come back and watch video of the game that we just played,” Penner said. “I said, ‘Really?’ He said, ‘No, no, you got called up.’ ”
The rookie left wing was in the Mighty Duck lineup for Game 4 on Thursday night after taking the place of injured left wing Todd Fedoruk. Penner was called up twice during the regular season and scored four goals in 19 games.
Penner said he knew his role Thursday was to use his 6-foot-4, 243-pound frame to make things difficult for Calgary goalie Miikka Kiprusoff. In the first period, he had three shots and delivered a hard hit to Flame defenseman Dion Phaneuf in the first period.
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Duck forward Ryan Getzlaf and Phaneuf renewed their rivalry Tuesday when the two rookies fought each other in the second period.
Getzlaf and Phaneuf were adversaries for years in junior hockey when Getzlaf played for the Calgary Hitmen of the Western Hockey League and Phaneuf played for the rival Red Deer Rebels. The two played for Canada in the World Junior Championships but Getzlaf described Phaneuf as a teammate and nothing more.
“We reintroduced ourselves,” Getzlaf said with a grin. “I played against him just about every shift of my junior career in Calgary. We played them twice in the playoffs and at least 10 or 12 times during the year.... You’re going to butt heads every once in a while.”
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Fedoruk was released from a local hospital after recuperating from an undisclosed “upper-body” injury suffered Tuesday. Fedoruk was leveled by Calgary defenseman Rhett Warrener in the second period and did not return.
Duck Coach Randy Carlyle said Fedoruk was available to skate but the veteran did not play. Fedoruk, who was “spitting blood” after the hard check, did take part in the pregame warmup and is expected to join the team for Game 5 on Saturday in Calgary.