[0] DUCKS NOW HAVE A SINKING FEELING LOSS ALL BUT ELIMINATES ANAHEIM CHICAGO 5, DUCKS 2.

Byline: Greg Christensen Staff Writer

CHICAGO - For the better part of seven seasons, Guy Hebert has played well when the Mighty Ducks needed him. But on Wednesday night, the Anaheim goalie was a no-show in the team's biggest game of the year - a 5-2 loss to the Chicago Blackhawks before 15,112 at United Center.

Hebert gave up three goals on shots of more than 40 feet and was easily beaten by Bob Probert on a breakaway. Meanwhile, Chicago goalie Jocelyn Thibault's 27 saves put the Ducks' Western Conference playoff hopes on life support.

With two games to play, Anaheim (33-35-12-2) needs help, and lots of it, after it was unable to help itself against a Chicago team it had beaten eight times in the previous 10 meetings (8-1-1).

``Their goalie and the goal posts were the difference,'' said Anaheim coach Craig Hartsburg, who watched as Paul Kariya hit the post twice in a game that was up for grabs until the middle of the third period.

Kariya, who was a threat each time he stepped on the ice, beat Thibault with a backhander at 9:40 after taking a breakaway pass from Teemu Selanne to tie the game 2-2. Suddenly it looked as if there was a real chance the Ducks might pick up two points on Edmonton, which had lost to Colorado.

Then, 38 seconds later, Jean-Yves Leroux wristed a 40 footer from the top of the left circle that beat Hebert and give the Blackhawks a 3-2 lead.

``I thought it was going to be our game, then boom, the next shift it's 3-2,'' said Selanne, who assisted on both Anaheim goals. ``We had great scoring chances and they throw a puck at the net and it goes in.''

Leroux's goal was the third of three 40-foot-plus shots that got by Hebert, who continues to suffer through the most inconsistent year of his career.

Steve Sullivan beat him with a long one-timer at 14:47 of the first period and Kevin Dean's harmless looking wrist shot slipped past him at 5:32 of the second to give the Blackhawks a 2-0 lead.

There was some traffic in front of Hebert on two of the goals, but Hartsburg was in no mood to defend his veteran goalie.

``You can't score from there at this time of year,'' he said.

The Ducks, as they have in so many games the second half of the season outchanced their opponent, but goals, not chances, go up on the scoreboard.

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Photo: Teemu Selanne of the Ducks shoots on Chicago Blackhawks goalie Jocelyn Thibault.

Fred Jewell/Associated Press