Antoski Gamely Trying to Avoid Knife

Determined to avoid surgery as long as he can, tough guy Shawn Antoski is back in the lineup despite a painful hip injury.

“There’s no secret I’m still sore,” he said the day after playing for the first time in 20 games. “Everybody knows. Everybody asks. Doctors, trainers, coaches. At this point, it’s not like I’m going to be able to hide it.

“I hear so many opinions [about surgery]. Do it, don’t do it,” Antoski said. “But I can’t come to grips with sitting out the rest of the year.”

At 6 feet 4 and 235 pounds, Antoski is easily the biggest player on the Ducks, and his presence made an impact during a 3-2 victory against Florida on Wednesday. But he’s not 100%, and it was clear during practice Thursday.

“In practice, I’ll work as hard as I can, go as long as I can go,” he said. “It’s not just, ‘Can I take the pain?’ It’s “Is it going to rip or tear?’ ”