Roussel Earns Another Start

Goaltender Dominic Roussel’s previous five starts were on the road, so he was startled by fans’ reaction to the first of his 21 saves in the Ducks’ 4-1 victory over Phoenix Friday at the Pond.

“It’s been a long time since I made a save and the crowd was cheering,” he said. “It was an awesome night.”

Roussel will get another chance to hear those cheers today, the second time he will have gotten back-to-back starts. The last time that happened, he earned a 1-0 victory at Colorado Dec. 22 and a 2-2 tie at Ottawa Dec. 28.

“I don’t know that it’s a reward. Dom played well and we won, so we’ll play him again,” Coach Craig Hartsburg said Saturday. “He’s a good goaltender and he worked his way to where he is now.”

Roussel, who has stopped 103 of 106 shots in his last three games (a .972 save percentage), is glad to start again so soon. “You get that second one, you feel like you’ve got a rhythm,” he said. “When I’m not playing, I’ve learned to keep my enthusiasm up and my motivation up. That’s one important thing in the NHL, to stay sharp mentally.”

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Hartsburg has been impressed by the two-way play of defenseman Ruslan Salei, who has been paired with Fredrik Olausson. Hartsburg usually plays them with the Paul Kariya-Steve Rucchin-Teemu Selanne line, forming a five-man unit in the manner used by many European teams and the Red Wings’ Russian Five.

“I don’t know how good a player he can be. Right now, he’s starting to come into his own,” Hartsburg said of Salei. “He’s strong and he plays nasty and he’s got good skills. The up-side is big for Rusty. The biggest thing is to be consistent and stay on the upswing and not take any steps back. . . .

“It’s not fair to compare him to anybody. He is his own player. He plays extremely hard. He plays for keeps.”

For Salei, who has learned to time when to jump up into the offense and has a good shot, playing with such skilled players puts him at ease.

“I feel pretty comfortable now. If you play a lot with the same line, you understand each other better,” he said. “It’s easy for me because they play close to European hockey, always passing the puck. I like the opportunity to play with them and I look forward to getting better and better.”

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Defenseman Jamie Pushor, who suffered a scratched left cornea Wednesday, is doubtful for today’s game. Pushor also missed Friday’s game.

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Maxim Balmochnykh, the Ducks’ second-round pick in the 1997 entry draft, left the Quebec Ramparts of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League without explanation and went home to Russia after the world junior tournament. Pierre Gauthier, the Ducks’ general manager, said he was unaware of the 19-year-old left wing’s decision until Balmochnykh was on the plane and would like to know why Balmochnykh left, more out of curiosity than worry.

TONIGHT vs. Edmonton, 5

Channel 9

* Site--Arrowhead Pond.

* Radio--XTRA (690).

* Records--Ducks 15-16-8, Oilers 16-18-5.

* Record vs. Oilers--0-1.

* Update--The Oilers have been battling Colorado for first in the Northwest Division. Their fortunes should improve when center Doug Weight returns from knee surgery, probably within the month. They haven’t fared well against the Ducks the last few seasons, with a 3-9-1 record.