• Preview
• Recap
• Bleachers

Anaheim without All-Star D Pronger for Game Four

May 17, 2007 - 1:28 PM Detroit at Anaheim 9:00 pm EDT Western Conference final Detroit leads, 2-1

ANAHEIM, California (Ticker) -- The Anaheim Ducks will be without perhaps their best player on Thursday in Game Four of the Western Conference finals against the Detroit Red Wings.

All-Star defenseman Chris Pronger has been suspended for Game Four for delivering a blow to the head of Tomas Holmstrom in the second period of Game Three. Pronger is the team's leading playoff scorer with 12 points.

The suspension comes at a bad time as the Ducks are down two-games-to-one in the best-of-seven series following Tuesday's 5-0 drubbing here.

Oddly enough, Pronger was not penalized during the game for the hit, but teammate Rob Niedermayer was. The pair delivered a simultaneous hit on Holmstrom which left him dazed on the ice with a bloody forehead.

Niedermayer drew a five-minute major for boarding and was ejected. Holmstrom, who had two tallies prior to leaving, returned in the third period after receiving stitches on his forehead and assisted on a third-period goal.

Dominik Hasek earned his 14th career playoff shutout in the Game Three victory. The Ducks' goaltending situation was not quite as stable.

After allowing his third goal early in the second period, Jean-Sebastien Giguere was pulled in favor of Ilya Bryzgalov. The change didn't help as Holmstrom scored on Bryzgalov 17 seconds after the change.

Ranked third during the regular season, the Ducks' power play is 0-for-16 in the series and 0-for-31 in the last five games.