Duck Shots

A weekly update on the Mighty Ducks.

A 1-3 start to a six-game trip cannot be what Coach Ron Wilson had in mind.

* Where they stand: 31-33-11 (73 points), third in the Pacific Division, tied for sixth in the Western Conference.

* Who’s hot: Defensemen Dave Karpa, Dmitri Mironov, J.J. Daigneault are getting into the offense and getting some needed points.

* Who’s not: The Ducks’ luck runs thin as injuries, bad penalties, poor defensive coverage and fatigue hit at the same time.

UPCOMING

* Today, at Chicago (5:30 p.m., Fox Sports West 2): Defenseman Chris Chelios, who injured his left knee in a collision March 1 with Colorado’s Keith Jones, is back to help the Blackhawks’ playoff drive. Chelios missed eight games.

* Sunday, at Detroit (noon, KCAL-TV Channel 9): Red Wings are giddy Wednesday after beating Colorado in overtime, 6-5, but lapses on defense and in goal should be a concern. Same problems came up in losses to the Blackhawks (5-3) and Rangers (3-1) this past week. Mike Vernon was yanked in the first period last Sunday after giving up goals on three of the Blackhawks’ first four shots.

* Tuesday, Chicago (7:30 p.m., Fox Sports West 2): Although Tony Amonte (39 goals) had to lead the way Wednesday night in a 5-3 comeback victory over Washington, he is getting a little more help on offense lately. Eric Daze and Ethan Moreau, expected to provide more help on offense this season, got goals against the Capitals. Daze has 17 and Moreau has 13.

* Wednesday, at San Jose (7:30 p.m., no TV): A 2-1 loss to the Maple Leafs Wednesday night is the Sharks’ 12th one-goal loss. More bad news for the Sharks came Monday when their streak for sellouts ended at 118 games. The spoiler role is the only thing left for San Jose, which has learned that rebuilding with ex-Kings is not a blueprint for success.