Duck Shots

A weekly update on the Mighty Ducks.

The Mighty Ducks are just a bad break (Mike Modano’s stick) and a wide shot (Paul Kariya’s last-second effort in a loss to Dallas) away from a perfect week. Victories over the Kings and the Maple Leafs help the Ducks inch closer to the rest of the pack in the West. Here’s a look at what’s ahead.

* Where they stand: 4-11-3 (11 points), seventh in the Pacific Division, 13th in the Western Conference.

* Who’s hot: Goaltender Mikhail Shtalenkov faces 38, 36 and 28 shots and comes out of it with two victories and a loss.

* Who’s not: Jari Kurri gets a goal and an assist against Toronto but still is playing way below expectations on offense.

UPCOMING

* Tonight, at Dallas (5:30, no TV): Center Jamie Langenbrunner was expected to lead the Michigan K-Wings of the International Hockey League. Instead he is among the rookie scoring leaders in the NHL. He had the second assist on Greg Adams’ game-winner on the power play against the Ducks last Monday.

* Sunday, at St. Louis (4 p.m., no TV): Wayne Gretzky leaves but the Blues find some offensive production beyond Brett Hull. Rookie centers Jim Campbell and Harry York are among the top six on the team in scoring. But it is probably tough for Coach/GM Mike Keenan to overlook York’s plus/minus rating of minus-7.

* Wednesday, N.Y. Islanders (7:30 p.m., no TV): Zigmund Palffy and Derek King provide the offense for a franchise just waiting to gain experience. The Islanders are dangerous when short-handed (three goals, tied for second with five teams) on the road. A last-place team has to look for small victories where it can find them.