Wednesday, March 01, 2000
Ducks coach's future still in limbo
BY JOHN P. WISE
Enquirer contributor
Cincinnati Mighty Ducks coach Moe Mantha's job is safe. For now.
Mantha is in the last year of a two-year contract, and with his team struggling in fifth place of the Mid-Atlantic Division with 20 games left, he expected the topic to come up.
“There are no secrets in the game of hockey,” Mantha said from Philadelphia Tuesday.
“But you're still never prepared for a question like this.”
Mantha has an 82-110-25-3 in three seasons in Cincinnati.
The four teams ahead of Cincinnati in the division are among the six best records in the AHL.
Of the Ducks' 80 games this season, 42 of them will have been against the divisional rivals.
“We play Kentucky and Louisville 14 times each,” said David McNab, Cincinnati general manager and assistant GM of NHL parent Anaheim. “They're two of the best teams in the league. We probably have the tough est schedule in the entire AHL.”
Still, Mantha remains cautious about his future.
“I don't know what the future holds,” he said. “The only way to control it is to continue to develop the young players in our organization. I think I've helped players understand the game better.”
DUCKS BLOW 2-GOAL LEAD: Todd White scored twice and Mikhail Chernov had a goal and two assists as the Philadelphia Phantoms rallied to defeat the Cincinnati 4-2 Tuesday at the First Union Spectrum.
The Ducks remain 11 points behind Louisville for the fourth and final playoff berth in the Mid-Atlantic Division.
Cincinnati ....... 1 1 0—2
Philadelphia ....... 0 1 3—4
First period: 1. Cin, DiRoberto 15 (Chouinard, Jacques), 18:26.
Second period: 2. Cin, Kwiatkowski 4 (Wren, Audet), 8:53 (ppg). 3. Phi, Chernov 7 (Maneluk, Tory), 16:54 (ppg).
Third period: 4. Phi, T. White 11 (Greig, Chernov), 1:07 (ppg).5. Phi, T. White 12 (Divisek), 7:58.5. Phi, Maneluk 38 (Chernov, Bast), 10:42.
Shots on goal: Cin 9-12-13=34; Phil 9-13-12=4. Power plays: Cin 1-for-5; Phi 2-for-6. Goaltenders: Cin, Naumenko (34 shots, 30 saves; record 15-18-6); Phi, Little (34 shots, 32 saves; record 20-13-1). Attendance: 8,164.
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