Saturday, March 06, 1999
MIGHTY DUCKS 4, SYRACUSE 3
Bad game is good enough
BY DAVE HELLER
Enquirer contributor
Whether it was inactivity or playing down to the level of their opponent, the Cincinnati Mighty Ducks were not crisp on Friday night. Fortunately for the Ducks, they were playing Syracuse, the team with the worst record in the AHL, and were able to escape with a 4-3 win at Cincinnati Gardens.
“I don't think our club respected that team, and we made it tough on ourselves when we shouldn't have,” Ducks coach Moe Mantha said.
The Crunch (13-37-2-7) came into the game having won just once in 16 games since Jan.16, including three losses to the Ducks (27-28-0-4) in which Cincinnati outscored Syracuse 17-6. Syracuse has lost 10 straight games on the road, with its last victory away from home coming on Dec.26.
Syracuse didn't help itself. The Ducks were able to take advantage of shoddy goaltending by Syracuse's Craig Hillier, who hasn't won since that last Crunch road win. Three of Cincinnati's goals could have been considered “bad” goals. “We can't have goaltending like that and expect to win,” Syracuse coach Jack McIlhargey said.
Joel Kwiatkowski put the Ducks ahead to stay with Cincinnati's second power-play goal of the game, his low slapshot from the point sliding past the left skate of Hillier. While the Ducks scored twice with the man advantage, Syracuse failed in all five of its power play chances.
“Our gameplan was to come in and shoot the puck as much as we could,” Kwiatkowski said. “When we've played them, there have been some soft goals.”
Anders Bjork had tied the game 3-3 when his slow backhanded shot from the right faceoff circle somehow fluttered past Hillier, whose right skate was at least a foot from the puck. For Bjork, who was loaned to the Ducks from Houston (IHL) on Jan.9, it was his first goal for Cincinnati in 16 games. It was also his first career AHL goal.
The Ducks scored the first two goals of the game but Syracuse scored three consecutive goals off Jamie Ram, who was making his first start at home since Jan.29. Tom Askey had started the last 10 games for the Ducks at the Gardens.
Frank Banham, who led the Ducks with seven goals in February, opened the scoring when he one-timed a pass from Johan Davidsson past Hillier.
SYRACUSE ....... 1 2 0 — 3
CINCINNATI ....... 2 2 0 — 4
First period - 1, C, Banham 19 (Davidsson), 10:46; 2, C, Wren 23 (Trebil, Nikulin), ppg, 12:56; 3, S, Murzyn 1 (Bodtker, Wotton), 13:20.
Second period - 4, S, Soling 1 (Gordon), 1:49; 5, S, Komarnski 4 (Kolkunov, Bodtkev), 2:31; 6, C, Bjork 1 (LeBoutillier, Ferguson), 6:22; 7, C, Kwiatkowski 9 (Bjork, Chouinard), ppg, 13:39.
Third period - None.
Shots on goal: Syracuse, 11-15-10-36; Cincinnati, 12-11-6-29. Power play opportunities: Syracuse, 0-5; Cincinnati, 2-4. Goalies: Syracuse, Hillier (9-17-6); Cincinnati, Ram (10-15-1). Attendance: 3,815.
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