Duck Shots

A weekly update on the Mighty Ducks.

The gap between the Ducks and Phoenix, San Jose and Toronto seems to be getting narrower, but losses to the Stars and Blues and a tie with the Islanders don’t help. If they could only keep Paul Kariya in the lineup. Here’s a look at what’s ahead.

* Where they stand: 4-13-4 (12 points), seventh in the Pacific Division, 13th in the Western Conference.

* Who’s hot: Kevin Todd, who was supposed to replace Bryan Smolinski on the third line in Pittsburgh before the Ducks snagged him off waivers, has points in eight of the last 10 home games.

* Who’s not: Steve Rucchin was the fourth-leading scorer on the team last season and is nowhere near that this season (four points in 18 games).

UPCOMING

* Saturday, at San Jose (7:30 p.m., KCAL-TV Channel 9): Goaltender Kelly Hrudey believes if the Sharks are still close by the third period, they have a chance to win. Great, but chances and actual victories are two different things. This team is 0-3-2 in last five games.

* Sunday, Detroit (5 p.m., KCAL): Sergei Fedorov might not be setting the world on fire, but the Red Wings remain close to the top of the Central Division and the Western Conference. Steve Yzerman is among the leaders in scoring and Nicklas Lidstrom is providing offense from the blueline.

* Wednesday, St. Louis (7:30 p.m., Fox Sports West): Coach Mike Keenan is giving Grant Fuhr plenty of credit for the Blues’ recent five-game winning streak. The Blues keep getting points from Jim Campbell and Harry York, who also collected stitches in consecutive games against Calgary and Pittsburgh.