Tough Practice, Softer Words

Coach Pierre Page put his team through a lengthy, training-camp-like practice Monday and then held a 30-minute team meeting to “redefine roles.”

Later in his office, he back-tracked somewhat on comments he made after Saturday’s loss in Pittsburgh when he said “we need to change our chemistry.” Monday, he said quick fixes (translation: trades) were not the answer. In fact, he thinks the Ducks played well most of the time during their recent 1-3-1 trip. It was short lapses that did them in.

“We do a lot of good things and then we seem to do something crazy,” he said. “We’ve got checkers trying to score and turning the puck over.”

Page said restrictions may temporarily be placed on some players, but quickly added that “you don’t develop players by putting restrictions on them. You just have to teach them to make good decisions.”

“I was a teacher before I was a coach,” he said. “Teaching is helping somebody to be independent, to make good choices on their own.”

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Teemu Selanne, Joe Sacco, David Karpa and Scott Young missed Monday’s practice.

The Ducks had Sunday off, but Selanne was given a second day of rest because he was “fatigued, both mentally and physically,” Page said.

Sacco was in Boston because his mother-in-law suffered a heart attack. He is expected to return in time for practice today. Karpa (hamstring) and Young (sore right foot) were undergoing MRIs.

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Warren Rychel, who was hit in the mouth with a puck last week, says he will be ready to play Wednesday against Pittsburgh. But he won’t be as quick to drop the gloves.

“I got 40 stitches, lost one tooth and I still might lose two others,” he said. “If I get hit, I’m done. Cuts heal, but teeth don’t come back.”