Sykora Is Not Happy With Team’s Effort

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. â€”  Petr Sykora cut to the chase when asked what the Mighty Ducks need to do better in Game 3 of the Stanley Cup finals.

“We can’t wait until the last 10 minutes to attack,� he said. “That’s not enough to beat Marty [Martin Brodeur]. We have to create more shots, like, 20 quality shots. We have to go at them with something more. I had nothing tonight. I don’t know how many Paul [Kariya] had.�

Sykora did not record a shot on net during the Ducks’ 3-0 loss in Game 2. Kariya also did not have a shot. They led the Ducks with 44 shots and 43 during the first three playoff rounds.

“They were better,� Sykora said of the Devils. “They were really better. They shut us down. This is how we play against other teams. We have to do it against them. This is 2-0 and we’re going home and start to play better. We’ve come this far, we’re not going to give it to them. We will play better hockey. This is unacceptable.�

-- Elliott Teaford

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Coach Mike Babcock complimented defenseman Sandis Ozolinsh for his ability to pop up out of nowhere on the ice.

That’s nothing compared to his vanishing act after Thursday’s morning skate. Ozolinsh, never one to talk to reporters on game day out of superstition, put Alexei Smirnov’s nametag above his locker, then kept his head down while removing his equipment. Since most of the media that cover the finals couldn’t tell him from Smirnov, it was a veteran move.

Only one reporter approached Ozolinsh. “Sandis what’s up with this?� the reporter said, pointing at the Smirnov nametag. Said Ozolinsh: “Hey, I’m Alexei.�

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Babcock had a large support group, as 14 former classmates from McGill University attended Game 2.

“It’s special,� said Babcock, who played hockey at McGill and received a bachelor’s degree in physical education in 1987. “I was real fortunate to go there and have some real good friends that I played with and good contacts with them to this day.�

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Babcock is the first rookie NHL coach to take a team to the Stanley Cup finals since Pat Burns guided Montreal to the finals in 1989.

Burns’ next appearance in the finals is this season with New Jersey.

“That just shows how hard it is to get here,� Babcock said. “You don’t get these opportunities often. You have to take advantage of them when you get them.�

-- Chris Foster

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The Stanley Cup will be on display this weekend at the these locations: Saturday, at Eisenhower Park in Seal Beach from 9-11 a.m., at the Huntington Beach Pier from noon-2 p.m. and at the Balboa Pier Gazebo in Newport Beach from 3-5 p.m. Sunday, at the AMC Plaza in the Block at Orange from noon-4 p.m.