PUCKNET / NHL

Ducks are 8-10-5 (21 points)

Third in Pacific Division

Seventh in Western Conference

F Steve Rucchin has a goal and an assist this week.

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At Blues, 5:30 p.m. Saturday: St. Louis uses a defensive switch to confuse opponents, CNN/SI reports. Defenseman Marc Bergevin, who plays on the left side and is paired with Al MacInnis, is free to take chances while MacInnis hangs back. Steve Duchesne, who plays on the right side and teams with Chris Pronger, is aggressive in the neutral and offensive zones while Pronger stays back. Opposing teams are pressured from different directions on each shift.

https://cnnsi.com/hockey/nhl/news/1997/11/12/farber--insider/

* At Stars, 5:30 p.m. Monday: Joe Nieuwendyk and Pat Verbeek are contributing the way the Stars thought they would when they came to Dallas last season. “They [Nieuwendyk and Verbeek] are finally getting to a point where they understand each other’s tendencies on the ice,” Mike Modano told USA Today.

https://www.usatoday.com/sports/hockey/shn/shnw.htm

* Devils, 7:30 p.m. Wednesday: GM Lou Lamoriello has a plan for keeping a big part of his team together after this season, the Newark Star-Ledger and Slam! Hockey report. He is expected to sign Scott Stevens, Doug Gilmour and Martin Brodeur and build around them. Brodeur will be a restricted free agent. Stevens and Gilmour will be unrestricted free agents after this season.

https://www.canoe.ca/PuckMaster/home.html

Too early to be thinking of Olympic hockey? CBS Sportsline has a web site for those who can’t wait for the men’s and women’s tournaments. Columns, chat zones and links to other Winter Olympic sites are here.

https://cbs.sportsline.com/u/olympics/nagano98/hockey/index.html

“One time, I broke my brother Darryl’s ribs. Didn’t mean it. Wasn’t proud of it. But if I hadn’t whacked him he would have scored a goal. It was a playoff game. I mean, I had no choice, right? A playoff game . . . If it’s your friend or your brother you’re playing against, you should want to kick his ass harder. That’s being competitive.”

--Calgary Coach Brian Sutter tells ESPN SportsZone of his desire to win

https://espn.sportzone.com/premium/nhl/columns/western/00450824.html

Ducks on TV: Wednesday (Fox Sports West 2)

Ducks on Radio: All games on KRLA-AM, (1110)