Monday, April 26, 1999
Ducks' season is over
Phantoms sweep locals from playoffs
BY DAVE HELLER
Enquirer contributor
No one in Cincinnati can complain that the hockey season lasts too long.
One day after the Cincinnati Cyclones were ousted from the IHL playoffs, the Cincinnati Mighty Ducks bid adieu to the 1998-99 season.
The Philadelphia Phantoms used four power play goals to finish a three-game sweep of their best-of-five AHL quarterfinal series against the Ducks, beating Cincinnati 5-2 at Cincinnati Gardens.
Including the playoffs and regular season, the Ducks have lost 10 straight times to the defending Calder Cup champs.
Cincinnati had hoped to stay out of the penalty box, as Philadelphia had scored on 15-of-63 (23.8 percent) of its power plays during the regular season and 3-of-9 (33.3 percent) in the first two games of the playoff series. But the Ducks gave Philadelphia six power plays in the first two periods, with the Phantoms scoring three times.
The Phantoms converted 4-of-11 power plays in the game and finished the series 7-for-20 with the man advantage; Cincinnati was 2-for-16.
“If we give them that many power plays, they're bound to score a few, that's basically what it came down to,” said team captain Craig Reichert, who likely played in his last game for the Ducks.
Said Bob Wren: “Basically, they had a little more power than we did.”
The Ducks had taken a 2-1 lead 2:32 into the second, Joel Kwiatkowski scoring on a rebound off a Mike Leclerc breakaway. But the momentum would shift four minutes later.
With Cincinnati shorthanded, Leclerc elbowed Brian Wesenberg by the Ducks bench, knocking the Phantoms right wing to the ground with a bloodied face. Leclerc was assessed a five minute major penalty and given a game misconduct.
The Phantoms took advantage, scoring with two seconds left on their five-on-three power play, Paul Healey tying the game 2-2 by banging in a cross pass from the left post. Philadelphia took the lead for good 30 seconds later when Francis Belanger tipped a Andy Delmore shot from the point over the left shoulder of Ducks goalie Tom Askey.
“This is the playoffs; I was just trying to finish off a check,” Leclerc said. “I don't think I should have been thrown out for it. Not in a playoff game (did he think he'd be given a major penalty). The first two games were exactly the same (hitting style). I feel like an idiot, I feel like I let the guys down.”
Cincinnati, missing the presence of Leclerc, who led the team in power play goals during the regular season and was third overall in goals scored, didn't score the rest of the game, including four opportunities with the man advantage.
Former Duck Richard Park provided the crushing blow, scoring with 25 seconds left in the second period, outracing Rasto Pavlikovsky for a rebound and slamming the puck easily into the net, the right side of which had been vacated by Askey as he made a save on Chris Joseph.
Philadelphia ....... 1 3 1—5
Cincinnati ....... 1 1 0—2
First period: 1, P, MacIsaac (Wesenberg, Montgomery), ppg,5:17; 2, C, Stevenson 1 (Banham, Lecompte), ppg, 9:57.
Second period: 3, C, Kwiatkowski 2 (Leclerc), 2:32; 4, P, Healey 1 (White, Joseph), ppg, 7:38; 5, P, Belanger 2 (Delmore, White), ppg, 8:08; 6, P, Park 2 (Joseph, Eaton), 19:35.
Third period: 7, P, Eaton 1 (White, Healey), ppg, 18:01.
Shots on goal: Phil, 8-18-6=32; Cin, 7-10-8=25. Power play opportunities: Phil 4-11; Cin 1-6. Goalies: Phil, Boucher (3-0); Cin, Askey (0-3).
Attendance: 1,118.
Sports Stories
The right way works
Slow starters beware: Bowden watching
Williamson gets save to match his stuff
REDS NOTEBOOK
