Breaks Finally Go Rucchin’s Way

It was a gift, to be sure, but Steve Rucchin gratefully accepted it and scored his first goal of the season.

Detroit goaltender Chris Osgood skated behind his net and put a clearing pass on Rucchin’s stick. The Duck center didn’t miss with a shot from the right faceoff circle.

“That’s a big goal for me, obviously,” said Rucchin, playing in his fifth consecutive game after missing eight in a row because of a groin strain. “Maybe it will wake me up offensively. I really couldn’t have missed. It was pretty much an open net.

“It wasn’t much of a goal to celebrate on.”

Rucchin, who had five assists in the last four games, said he isn’t yet sound from the groin injury he suffered during training camp in September.

“It’s still giving me a lot of trouble,” he said. “It wasn’t fully healed when I came back. Hopefully, with time it will heal. We’ve played four games in six nights and it’s held up pretty good.” *

Rookie center Matt Cullen picked up his first NHL point with an assist on Teemu Selanne’s first-period goal. Cullen passed up an open shot about 20 feet from the net to set up Selanne at the right goalpost.

“I was just trying to get a shot on net because I haven’t had many, but I saw Teemu down there,” Cullen said. “He’s got the touch that’s for sure. I don’t know how he put it in.” *

Cullen, Richard Park and Espen Knutsen formed an energetic line, giving the Ducks the same spark as in Thursday’s 3-0 victory over the Boston Bruins. Knutsen had the Ducks’ best chance for a tying goal in the final minutes, but couldn’t get good wood on an open shot from the slot.

“Maybe we’ll have a chance to play them a little more when we get home,” Coach Pierre Page said. “They give us a lot of lift, which we need.”

Their continued fine play meant tough guys Shawn Antoski and Brent Severyn were scratched. Antoski missed his fourth consecutive game and Severyn his fifth. Kevin Todd also was scratched. *

Marc Chouinard, a promising center acquired in the deal that brought Selanne from Winnipeg in 1996, suffered a cut Achilles’ tendon while playing Saturday for Cincinnati of the American Hockey League.

He underwent surgery and is expected to be sidelined four to six weeks. *

The Ducks gave up three power-play goals, one short of the franchise record of four. ... Defenseman Dmitri Mironov received a 10-minute misconduct for putting a hand on referee Dave Jackson while arguing a dubious interference penalty to teammate Ruslan Salei in the third period.