Hartsburg Seems Satisfied Lineup Change Will Help

Still cranky about the Mighty Ducks’ listless effort in a 2-2 tie Monday against Ottawa, Coach Craig Hartsburg vowed to make a few lineup changes tonight against Toronto.

Forwards Antti Aalto and Matt Cullen are not expected to play. Josef Marha will take Cullen’s spot on the second line. Jeff Nielsen will move to the third line from the fourth line to replace Aalto.

Pascal Trepanier, who has played the last three games on defense, will replace Nielsen and defenseman Mike Crowley will take Trepanier’s spot.

“If our players are satisfied, they’re going to be very uncomfortable,” Hartsburg said after an intense 90-minute practice Tuesday at Maple Leaf Gardens. “Everybody’s got to be accountable. We’ve got to fix it. It was not a punishment practice. We didn’t skate their butts off. We worked on things. If we wanted to make it a punishment practice, we would have kept the pucks off the ice. The best way to fix it is to practice it.”

So the Ducks performed a series of drills designed to improve their defensive-zone coverage and forechecking, among other things.

“We need to work,” Hartsburg said. “We’ve been too easily satisfied. I thought [Monday] we were fortunate to tie.”

*

Defenseman Jason Marshall hoped to play tonight against the Maple Leafs, but he’s expected to be sidelined for the fourth consecutive game because of an injured left hamstring. Friday’s game against Buffalo appears to be a more realistic date for his return to the lineup.

TONIGHT at Toronto

4:30

* Site--Maple Leaf Gardens.

* Radio--XTRA (690).

* Records--Ducks 13-12-8, Maple Leafs 19-13-2.

* Record vs. Maple Leafs (1997-98)--0-2-2.

* Update--This is the Ducks’ final appearance at historic Maple Leaf Gardens. The Maple Leafs move next month to the new Air Canada Centre at the site of the former downtown Toronto post office. The Ducks aren’t getting too choked up about it. They are 1-5-4 at the league’s oldest arena. Their only victory there was a 1-0 shutout by Guy Hebert, who stopped 38 shots Dec. 15, 1993. Hebert is expected to start tonight against former St. Louis teammate Curtis Joseph. Dominic Roussel started the Ducks’ last two games. Toronto leads the NHL with 107 goals, but lost, 2-1, Saturday to Montreal and 5-1 Dec. 23 against Dallas. The Maple Leafs are 12-2-1 against Western Conference teams. Mats Sundin has 17 goals and 13 assists in 22 games against the Ducks.