Kurri Becomes Center of Attention for Ducks

One by one, the Mighty Ducks filed down the runway from their dressing room and onto the Pond ice for the first Stanley Cup playoff game in their four-season history.

Center Steve Rucchin was not among them. Back spasms sidelined Rucchin, the team’s third-leading scorer, for Game 1 of the Ducks’ first-round series against the Phoenix Coyotes.

Instead of setting up linemates Paul Kariya and Teemu Selanne for scoring chances, winning key faceoffs or doing dirty work in the corners, Rucchin spent Wednesday night in the trainer’s room.

He watched the game on TV while getting treatments in the hope he will be able to return for Game 2 Friday at the Pond.

“It’s a tough thing to take, but I should be back after one game,” said Rucchin, who had 19 goals and 67 points during the regular season. “I didn’t want to jeopardize the game [by not being fit]. It’s best to let the guys go out and fight the battles.”

With Rucchin out, Duck Coach Ron Wilson turned to veteran Jari Kurri to center the NHL’s most productive line. It was an easy choice. No one on the roster has more experience than Kurri, whose postseason resume includes five Stanley Cup titles and 105 playoff goals in 186 games.

But Kurri also will turn 37 next month, and keeping up with Kariya and Selanne figured to be a chore--not that Wilson expects anyone to match strides with those two.

“There might only be one or two guys in the league who can keep up with them,” Wilson said of Kariya, third in the NHL with 44 goals and 99 points, and Selanne, second with 51 goals and 109 points. “They might be the two most dynamic players in the league.”

Kurri kept pace better than Wilson could have hoped. He whipped a pass from the right wing to Kariya, who scored from the high slot to give the Ducks a 2-0 lead late in the first period. It was Kurri’s 126th playoff assist.

Selanne had no doubt his Finnish countryman would be prepared for the challenge.

“I think the playoffs are an exciting time for him,” Selanne said. “He knows his role is going to be important for us. He’s a big leader for us.”

Kurri, who has played mostly on the right wing in his career, also centered the Kings’ top line when Wayne Gretzky missed most of the first half of the 1992-93 season because of a serious back ailment.

Wilson also planned to use other centers on the top line, but decided it would be better to let only Kurri know ahead of time he was playing with Kariya and Selanne.

“I didn’t want somebody [less experienced] going to bed last night thinking, ‘I’m going to be playing between two of the best players in the game. Oh my god, if they don’t score, it’s my fault,’ ” Wilson said. “In the past, we’ve had success throwing people in cold.”

Other options included Sean Pronger, Richard Park and Kevin Todd or Ted Drury.

“Paul and Teemu are going to play about 25 minutes,” Wilson said. “Jari can’t play 25 minutes. In his heart, he thinks he can, but he’s 36.”

In the end, only Kurri played with Kariya and Selanne.