Now That He’s Playing Often, Ducks’ Corkum Is Finding Success : Hockey: He has more points in the past 22 games than in his three seasons with Buffalo.

The Mighty Ducks represented an opportunity for Bob Corkum, a chance to play every night and make a name for himself in the NHL.

So far, he hasn’t blown it.

It probably would have never happened in Buffalo, where his old team, the Sabres, have a lineup stocked with talented centers.

Dale Hawerchuk, Derek Plante, Pat LaFontaine and Bob Sweeney occupy the position this season, and it’s safe to say a move to Anaheim was the best thing to happen to Corkum.

He played his 47th game Sunday night, scoring one goal in the Ducks’ 4-3 loss to Vancouver at Anaheim Arena. It was his team-leading 35th point, a stat that amazes him as much as anything that’s happened this season.

He gives no technical, drawn-out reasoning behind his scoring success this season. It’s only happened because he’s had a chance to play, he said.

“It never crossed my mind,” Corkum said when asked if he ever thought he would be the Ducks’ leading scorer this far into the season.

How could it?

Anatoli Semenov and Terry Yake were supposed to be the Ducks’ scorers this season. And for the most part, they haven’t disappointed. Before suffering a dislocated elbow, Semenov scored nine goals with 15 assists in 29 games. Yake is the team’s second-leading scorer with 15 goals and 15 assists.

But who could have known Corkum would contribute so much?

“I’ve gotten the chances on the power plays,” he said, trying to explain, “but I’d still rather have Anatoli carrying the puck up the ice than me.”

Semenov’s injury could have thrown the low-scoring Ducks into a funk after he went down in a Dec. 7 game against Florida.

Somebody had to step up and Corkum asked himself: “Why not me?”

He has scored in 10 of the past 13 games (seven goals and 10 assists) and 12 of 22 (eight goals, 11 assists).

That’s probably not going to grab many headlines in the next edition of The Hockey News or the Buffalo News, but consider this: Corkum has more points in the past 22 games than in his three seasons as a Sabre.

Corkum hasn’t been fazed by the curious twists and turns the Ducks’ first season has taken. He was ready for anything when the Ducks took him in the expansion draft.

But he can’t seem to do much about the Ducks’ lousy play at Anaheim Arena, where on Sunday they lost for the 15th time in 22 games.

Like his teammates, he knows what’s wrong, but correcting the shortcomings again was tough Sunday.

“The big thing is playing well at home,” Corkum said. “On the road, you know you have to be ready or you’re going to be blown out of the building. We don’t have that feeling yet here.”

Sunday, the Ducks hit the ice and went splat, falling behind, 4-0, by the end of the first period. They rallied in the second, starting with Corkum’s 15th goal of the season 22 seconds in the period.

“It was too late,” Corkum said. “When you’re down, 4-0, there’s not a lot you can do against a team like Vancouver.”

Somebody pressed Corkum about the Ducks’ faltering play at home.

“When you’re in Chicago and they (the fans) get up and start applauding before the end of the national anthem, you’re shaking in your skates because you can’t wait to get started,” Corkum said. “On the road, we’re ready for anything. It think it’s coming here.”

Eliminating the mistakes would be a start. So would covering for teammates after a mistake is made would probably help, too, Corkum said.

Sunday, Corkum believed the Ducks left goaltender Ron Tugnutt to fend for himself, which accounted for the four-goal deficit and Tugnutt’s departure from the game after the first period.

“I’m not blaming Ron,” Corkum said. “We didn’t give him a lot of help out there.”

The realization that the Ducks lost another chance to stay in contention for a playoff spot, hit Corkum hard. He knew this was a game they might need late in the season.

That’s almost an absurd notion--an expansion team making the playoffs--but Corkum isn’t counting out postseason play.

“You’re aiming too low if you don’t consider that,” he said. “This division is really tight. Anything can happen.”

Take it from a man who has seen his share of surprising turns of events this season.