Ducks send Rampage for a Lupul

Published on January 4, 2004 under American Hockey League (AHL)
Cincinnati RailRaiders News Release


CINCINNATI, Ohio -- Joffrey Lupul had three goals and an assist and Chris Kunitz tied a franchise record with five points on a goal and four assists to lead the Cincinnati Mighty Ducks to a 5-2 victory over the San Antonio Rampage at Cincinnati Gardens.

After Michel Periard scored for the Rampage to even the score at 2-2 midway through the third period, Lupul scored three times 4:01 apart for his first professional hat trick.

Lupul, a first-round pick by Anaheim in 2002, also assisted on the game-opening goal by Kunitz 9:15 into the first period. The 6-foot-1, 200-pound Edmonton, Alberta native has five points in his last two games after going scoreless in his first AHL game January 2 against Houston after being sent down by Anaheim, where he had six goals and eight assists in 34 games.

Kunitz assisted on a goal by Todd Reirden with one second left in the first period to give the Ducks a 2-1 lead and all three of Lupul's goals in the third. The Ferris State product now ranks second among AHL rookies in scoring with 27 points, including a team-leading 11 goals.

Lupul and Kunitz also each posted franchise-best plus-5 ratings for Cincinnati, which snapped its five-game winless streak (0-3-1-1) and moved into a tie with San Antonio for fifth place in the West Division.

Eddy Ferhi, a first-year pro out of Sacred Heart University, stopped 18 shots in the win for the Ducks and was involved in a fight with San Antonio goaltender Travis Scott early in the second period.

Scott, who leads the AHL in wins with 13, surrendered four goals on 38 shots in the loss for the Rampage, who are 2-6-1-0 in their last nine games.

The Ducks, who have scored nine goals in their last two games after netting just 22 in their previous 11 games, begin a three-game road trip Thursday at Milwaukee.

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American Hockey League Stories from January 4, 2004


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