MIGHTY DUCK NOTEBOOK : Karpov’s Confidence Gets Rolling Again

Valeri Karpov’s loss of confidence last season was so bewildering to Mighty Duck Coach Ron Wilson that the coach wanted to take Karpov on a monster indoor roller coaster in Edmonton, just to show him he could conquer all fears.

Wilson’s attempt at a psychological ploy never got off the ground, though. Just before they got to the front of the line, the roller coaster broke down.

It was that kind of rookie season for Karpov, who blazed through the exhibition season, then faltered when the real thing started, belatedly, in January. He finished with four goals and seven assists, a considerable disappointment.

Karpov, 24, a Russian, already has four goals this exhibition season--two of them in the Ducks’ 4-4 tie against the New York Rangers on Sunday--and Wilson believes Karpov is over the hump.

“He’s just very confident. He’s in good shape, and he has confidence in his whole situation,” said Wilson, noting that Karpov’s progress on learning English has also helped. “It’s confusing being with a team when you don’t understand what’s going on around you. He understands humor a little now; it’s not all confusion.”

Said Karpov: “I’m more comfortable than last year. Last year I spoke bad English. Now is better. I have the experience. I know what coach and team want.”

He also blames the three-month lockout for his loss of conditioning. He’s in shape now: He was one of five Ducks to play in his third exhibition game in three days.

“This year, I practice Russian style,” he said. “Is better, I think.”

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It took a power-play goal by Ray Ferraro with two seconds left in the third period for the Rangers to salvage a 4-4 tie at The Pond of Anaheim, where the paid attendance was 16,829.

The Ducks led, 4-1, early in the second period, but the Rangers scored three power-play goals to tie it.

It was the Rangers’ off-season acquisitions that did in the Ducks--along with their own specialty-team play. Ferraro, the former Islander signed by the Rangers as a free agent, scored two goals. Luc Robitaille and Ulf Samuelsson, acquired in a trade with Pittsburgh, scored the others.

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It was just an exhibition, but in the back of their minds the Rangers have to remember that they still have never beaten the Ducks.

Granted, the teams have met only twice, but the Ducks swept the 1993-94 season series against the Rangers, who went on to win the Stanley Cup. Then last season’s shortened season prevented the teams from meeting. They won’t play their third official game until Nov. 3.

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If remembering that the hot line during last year’s exhibition season was Anatoli Semenov, Karpov and Paul Kariya makes you wonder whether Kariya, rookie center Chad Kilger and Todd Krygier are the real thing, Wilson says not to worry.

“There was a thing called the lockout and they didn’t play in October, November and December,” he said. “That’s long enough to cool anybody off. We’re going to go right into it. Besides, those guys weren’t nearly as hot as these guys are right now.”

Kilger scored his third goal of the exhibition season Sunday and has seven points in five games. Kariya had an assist and leads the team with eight points in four games, and Krygier has five points in four games.

Once last season finally began in January, Semenov was intermittently benched and later traded to Philadelphia, Karpov’s confidence faltered, and only Kariya remained a standout.

Duck Notes

An update from the training room: Defenseman Bobby Dollas, who sprained his left shoulder in the exhibition opener against Dallas on Sept. 17, is getting close to returning--perhaps Wednesday against Dallas at The Pond. The same goes for defenseman David Karpa, who has had soreness from off-season surgery on his right wrist and has yet to play in an exhibition game. Center Mike Sillinger, who strained his neck and suffered a slight concussion Friday night against Boston, has sat out back-to-back games but will play this week. Center Steve Rucchin, who had yet to play in an exhibition game because of a sore back, made his preseason debut on Sunday. Last but not least, left wing Paul Kariya played Sunday after sitting out Saturday night at Vancouver because of minor soreness in his left wrist.