Monday, April 12, 1999
KENTUCKY 4, MIGHTY DUCKS 2
Banham, Wren out with injuries
BY DAVE HELLER
Enquirer contributor
The Cincinnati Mighty Ducks got a taste of life without two of its leading scorers, and the result wasn't pleasing.
The Ducks, playing without Bob Wren and Frank Banham, lost to Kentucky 4-2 at Cincinnati Gardens.
Both Wren, who leads the Ducks with 70 points, and Banham, fourth in scoring on the club, were hurt in Friday's game against the Thoroughblades in Kentucky. Banham took a stick to the eye and will miss the final two regular season games, both against Kentucky next weekend.
The situation with Wren is more serious. He took a flying elbow from Shawn Heins and suffered a concussion. Wren will miss the final two games and his playoff status is in doubt. He will be reevaluated Wednesday or Thursday.
The effect of Wren's injury spilled over. With 3:32 elapsed, Peter LeBoutillier pounced on Heins and pummeled him. LeBoutillier drew 25 minutes in penalties, including a game misconduct. “The first five minutes we tried to settle the score,” Ducks coach Moe Mantha said.
The loss of LeBoutillier left Cincinnati (35-37-2-4) even more shorthanded. The Ducks, playing their third game in three days, peaked early, taking a 2-1 lead midway through the second period. Kentucky tied the game with seven seconds left in the second, then tallied the only two goals of the third period.
“Bottom line, we ran out of gas,” Mantha said. “The way we've been on an emotional ride, it takes a lot of stress and strain on our game.”
Kentucky continued its cheap-shot play throughout the game, particular ly Jarrod Skalde. Skalde delivered cross checks from behind on both Ivan Ciernik and Lloyd Shaw, both hits leaving the Ducks players on the ice for a couple of minutes while they recovered from the blow.
“I think it's over,” Craig Reichert said of the back-and-forth fighting and hitting. “I don't think either team wants to get in a confrontation right now. If we happen to meet these guys in the second round (of the playoffs), we'll go from there. But I don't think either team is looking to continue what's been going on.”
Ducks General Manager David McNab sent a tape of Heins' hit on Wren to the league and will do the same with Skalde's hit on Ciernik.
Kentucky ....... 0 2 2—4
Cincinnati ....... 1 1 0—2
First period: 1, C, Leclerc 25 (Reichert), 16:23.
Second period: 2, K, Burr 7 (Craig, Bradley), ppg, 9:36; 3, C, Ciernik 9 (Nikulin, Goldmann), 10:43; 4, K, Burr 8 (Lingren, Pankewicz), shg, 19:53.
Third period: 5, K, Veilleux 8 (Dueling, Walby), ppg, 8:41; 6, K, Bradley 23 (Dueling, Pankewicz), 11:22.
Shots on goal: Ky 11-8-5=24; Cin 6-11-18=35. Power plays: Ky 2-4; Cin 0-8. Goalies: Ky, Nabokov (25-14-1); Cin, Ram (14-19-1). Attendance: 3,708.
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