Penalty-Killing Unit Comes Up Short

There is very little special about the Mighty Ducks’ special teams these days. Their power play has seven goals and their penalty-killing units have given up six in the last two games.

It’s no secret which one concerns Coach Craig Hartsburg more.

“You always say that the power play can win you a game, but bad penalty killing can lose it,” Hartsburg said. “That’s what has happened to us.”

The Ducks gave up six power-play goals in eight chances over the last two games. They are last in the NHL in penalty killing by a good margin.

The expansion Atlanta Thrashers are 27th at 75% with the Ducks 28th at 70.2%.

“It comes down to who wants to take pride and win some battles for loose pucks,” Hartsburg said. “Penalty killing is as important as the power play. The problem is, we have a lot of the same guys on both and they don’t take the same pride in both.”

Hartsburg drove that point home Wednesday. The Ducks worked on special teams the entire practice, with an emphasis on clearing the puck from their zone while short-handed.

“We just have to kill a couple,” defenseman Ruslan Salei said. “It just seems like everything has been going against us. The puck will bounce funny. I broke my stick one time Monday. We just need to get our confidence back.”

Soon, according to Hartsburg.

“If you give up two or three power-play goals, you better be pretty good in every other area to win a hockey game,” he said. “But these things can turn around quickly.”

*

The Ducks, who had to play without three suspended players during parts of October, are now short-handed because of injuries:

* A decision will be made today on whether right wing Teemu Selanne will play against Calgary tonight. Selanne missed Monday’s game against Detroit because of a groin strain.

* Defenseman Kevin Haller, who suffered strained ligaments in his left knee Monday, will be out one to two weeks.

* Defenseman Fredrik Olausson, who missed the Detroit game because of a sore knee, will probably play tonight.

* Left wing Jim McKenzie, out since Nov. 9 with a broken left hand, will have X-rays today and is close to returning, according to Hartsburg.

* Left wing Mike Leclerc, who had elbow surgery Oct. 29, will be examined by the team doctor. Leclerc said he could play as soon as Friday, when the Ducks face Chicago.

TONIGHT

vs. Calgary, 7:30

Fox Sports West 2

* Site--Arrowhead Pond.

* Radio--XTRA (690).

* Records--Ducks 8-9-2-1; Calgary 5-11-2-0.

* Record vs. Coyotes (1998-99)--2-2.

* Update--This begins a four-game homestand for the Ducks, who have lost three consecutive games. “Any time you lose, you should be more desperate, hungrier and willing to sacrifice more the next time out,” Hartsburg said. The next three games are against teams that are last in their divisions--Calgary, Chicago and Montreal. The Ducks, though, are 0-1-1 against those teams this season, tying Chicago and losing to Montreal. All five of the Flames’ victories have been overtime decisions. Calgary’s Valeri Bure is tied for third in the NHL with 12 goals. Defenseman Denis Gauthier probably will miss the game with a shoulder injury. The Flames picked up defenseman Bobby Dollas, a former Duck, last week.

* Tickets--(714) 740-2000.