Sunday, April 09, 2000
Louisville 4, Mighty Ducks 2
BY JOHN P. WISE
Enquirer contributor
One good thing about the season ending today for the Mighty Ducks is that they don't have to play Louisville again until October.
The Panthers' 4-2 victory at the Gardens Saturday in front of 7,529 ends the 14-game series in which Cincinnati claimed only one victory this year. David McNab, assistant general manager of NHL parent Anaheim, was at Saturday's game, and simplified the minor league team's most glaring problem this season.
“We can't beat Louisville,” he said during the loss. “If we split with them this season, we make the playoffs. It's that simple.”
What also is simple is the way the Panthers make the game look when they play Cincinnati.
Louisville finishes the season 10-1-3 against the Ducks, and now waits until Wednesday's best-of-five series opener at Kentucky.
McNab might be in town to ad dress the issue of coach Moe Mantha's future. Whatever the reason, he insists Mantha's performance has been acceptable in three years in Cincinnati “Moe's done a good job here,” McNab said of his coach, who's in the last year of his contract. “It's been the plan all along to wait until after the season to review everybody, whether they're under contract or not.”
Louisville ....... 1 3 0—4
Cincinnati ....... 0 2 0—2
First period: Lou, Ferguson 29 (Reichert, Boyle) 19:30, pp.
Second period: Cin, Banham 19 (Wren, Nolan) 10:16; Lou, Mayes 1 (Nilson, Tetarenko) 13:17; Lou, Mason 1 (Smith, Ratchuk) 13:30; Cin, Chouinard 17 (Ferguson, Kwiatkowski) 15:00, pp; Lou, Tetarenko 3 (Ward) 17:59.
Third period: None.
Shots on goal: Lou, 13-8-8=29; Cin, 15-9-8=32. Goalies: Lou, Gauthier (30 saves); Cin, Naumenko (25). Power plays: Lou, 1-for-6; Cin, 1-for-7. Attendance: 7,529.
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