OTTAWA (AP) - Chris Pronger sat next to his boss and explained his latest misstep.

The white hot lights didn’t rattle the All-Star defenseman, nor did the barrage of questions about his wayward elbow, the one that knocked out Ottawa’s Dean McAmmond in Game 3 of the Stanley Cup finals and himself out of Game 4.

Pronger, one of Anaheim’s two Norris Trophy finalists, was given a one-game suspension yesterday by NHL disciplinarian Colin Campbell for the second straight series. The Ducks still lead the Senators 2-1, but without Pronger they might head home with a two-game losing streak for the first time this postseason.

If they buck the odds and win tonight in red-bathed Scotiabank Place, the Ducks will return to Anaheim with a chance to win the first Stanley Cup title in team history.

After learning he would have to sit out Game 4, the same contest he missed against Detroit in the Western Conference finals, he joined Ducks General Manager Brian Burke for a news conference not far from where the infamous hit to McAmmond’s head occurred Saturday.

"Now I’m a repeat offender," said Pronger, suspended seven times in 13 NHL seasons. "I’m sure that plays into it as it normally does in any situation. They did the right thing here. It’s a situation where there was a head blow, and that’s obviously something that the league is trying to crack down on.

"I don’t blame them in any way."

The Ducks pride themselves on being physical but have also proven to be undisciplined. They absorbed the most penalty minutes per game in the regular season and haven’t been much better in the playoffs, racking up the worst average of any team to get out of the first round.

Part of Pronger’s problem is that his intimidating aggressiveness sometimes crosses the line. He believes he is victimized by his 6-foot-6, 220-pound frame that makes him much bigger than many of his puck-carrying targets.

"It’s tough when you’re hitting shorter guys, whether it be elbows or shoulders to the head or whatever the case may be," Pronger said. "It’s difficult to get down to that level.

"I’ve got to play with a certain edge and a certain style of play to be effective and play to the highest level I can."

Tell that to the Senators, who were just as angry yesterday as in the time after the early third-period hit.

McAmmond - 7 inches and 30 pounds smaller than Pronger - was struck as he skated with the puck toward the Ducks net. He did a spin, fell backward, struck his head on the ice, and slid into the corner in the Anaheim zone.

"It’s no doubt that he did this on purpose," Senators GM John Muckler said. "Unfortunately, we have a player that is injured and has a concussion. And it’s doubtful whether he’ll be able to play on Monday."

McAmmond lost consciousness but got up, dazed and woozy, and was helped to the dressing room.

"It should have been a suspension, because it was a blow to the head," McAmmond said. "It wasn’t incidental. It’s not like that couldn’t have been avoided."

Copyright 2007 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

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