Hebert Ready; Rucchin Hurt

Goalie Guy Hebert and defenseman Pavel Trnka are expected to be back in the lineup tonight against the Calgary Flames. But the Ducks will hardly be at full strength tonight.

Center Steve Rucchin needed crutches to get around Tuesday, his left foot too swollen to wear a shoe. Rucchin said he took a shot off the foot near the end of the first period of the Ducks’ 4-1 loss Monday to the Edmonton Oilers.

“Hopefully, with a little rest, it will be better,” he said.

If Rucchin can’t play, Coach Craig Hartsburg will have to juggle his lines. Tuesday in practice, Ted Donato skated in Rucchin’s spot between wingers Paul Kariya and Teemu Selanne. Ladislav Kohn centered the fourth line.

The good news for the Ducks is that Hebert and Trnka are fit.

Hebert is expected to start in goal after missing the last two games because of neck spasms. Trnka has been out since suffering a groin strain Dec. 8.

“He’s ready,” Hartsburg said of Hebert, 13-13-3 with a 2.09 goals-against average. “He’s had a couple of good practices the last two days and he feels pretty good.”

Hebert said he was ready to play Monday, but Hartsburg figured an extra day of rest couldn’t hurt. Hartsburg went so far as to have rookie Gregg Naumenko suit up as Dominic Roussel’s backup against Edmonton.

“If 1/8Hebert 3/8 is on the bench, he has to be ready to play,” Hartsburg said. “He was pretty close 1/8Monday 3/8, but we might as well have waited another day.”

Naumenko returned to Cincinnati of the American Hockey League after Tuesday’s practice.

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The Ducks spent part of their practice working on their power play. Failing to score on five chances with the man advantage was one of the turning points in their loss Monday.

“We had four or five great scoring chances and didn’t finish,” Hartsburg said. “ 1/8The power play 3/8 can make a big difference. If we score on one of those power plays, it’s a different hockey game.”

The Ducks are 16 for 128 on the power play (12.5%), three for 55 on the road (5.5%).

TONIGHT

at Calgary, 6 PST

* Site--Canadian Airlines Saddledome.

* Radio--XTRA (690).

* Records--Ducks 18-15-4-1, Flames 15-17-5-1.

* Record vs. Flames--1-0.

* Update--Like the Ducks, the Flames collapsed in the second and third periods Monday and lost, 5-1, to the Philadelphia Flyers. Like the Ducks, the Flames are playing their third game in four days. Calgary goalie Fred Brathwaite is 10-8-3 with a 2.05 goals-against average. He was leading the league with a 1.91 goals-against average before giving up five goals Monday.