Injury Doesn’t Stop Lupul’s Scoring

Right wing Joffrey Lupul scored a goal despite playing with a hyperextended left knee Tuesday night in the Mighty Ducks’ game against San Jose at the Arrowhead Pond.

Lupul injured the knee in Sunday’s 3-2 shootout loss to Columbus when Blue Jacket defenseman Luke Richardson stuck his knee out and caught the second-year forward as he was heading up ice. He underwent an MRI exam for precautionary reasons Monday.

“I saw the replay,” said Lupul, who wore a knee brace Tuesday. “It could have been worse. Could have been a lot worse.”

Lupul thought the hit was illegal but doesn’t consider Richardson a dirty player.

“When a guy’s getting around you, it’s almost a natural reaction to get any piece of him you can,” he said. “It just happened to be knee-on-knee. He’s not trying to hurt a guy, but it’s something you’d like for guys not to do.”

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Defenseman Keith Carney was back in the lineup after coming out in the first period of Sunday’s game because of back spasms.

The Ducks didn’t practice Monday and Carney said the day off helped.

“It’s definitely improved each day here,” he said. “It takes a while for it to heat up and loosen up, but it’s good.”

Carney said he felt fortunate that it wasn’t a lingering injury.

“Especially the way it came on so unexpectedly,” he said. “You never know how it’s going to react.”

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Rookie Corey Perry expressed sympathy for Duck prospect Jordan Smith, who lost the vision in his left eye when he was struck by a puck.

Perry, who played against Smith in junior hockey, said he became friends with the defenseman while playing at minor-league Portland this season.

“It’s his first year in the [AHL] and he just signed a contract at the start of the year,” Perry said. “He was the happiest guy in the world at that time. All of a sudden he gets hit with a puck and it’s over.

“It’s one of those fluke accidents and it’s a sad story.”