Different View of Hull Injury

The Ducks took their own look at the videotape of Tomas Sandstrom’s first-period slash that broke the hand of St. Louis winger Brett Hull in Saturday’s 5-5 tie, and said they didn’t know how it happened.

“I looked at the game tape and I’m just hacking at him,” said Sandstrom, who was not penalized by referee Mark Faucette for slashing Hull in the final seconds of the period. “You see it in every game.”

“Did you see it? It’s not on the tape,” Duck Coach Pierre Page asked reporters Sunday.

Sandstrom shrugged when asked if he expected to be suspended by Brian Burke, NHL senior vice president. Burke reportedly promised the Blues he would review the tape.

“They’re going to do what they’re going to do,” Sandstrom said, referring to Burke. “[But] if they suspend me because of Hull’s reputation [as a standout goal-scorer], it’s wrong.”

Sandstrom said he has been suspended once before--for five games for high sticking while playing for the Kings.

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Seeking to bolster their thin ranks of defensemen, the Ducks recalled rookie Mike Crowley from Cincinnati of the American Hockey League. Page paired him with fellow rookie Pavel Trnka to start Sunday’s game against the Chicago Blackhawks.

Page benched Ruslan Salei because of his ineffective play Saturday against the St. Louis Blues. Salei’s poor clearing pass led to the Blues’ game-tying goal in the third period.