Saving Face Has New Meaning for Cullen

Coach Craig Hartsburg jokingly called center Matt Cullen “the Bubble Boy” because of the full visor he wore to protect a broken cheekbone in Tuesday’s 7-1 victory over Washington.

But Hartsburg doesn’t consider the added head and face protection a laughing matter. Hartsburg played in the 1980s, when helmets were viewed with disgust by some NHL old-timers.

“The game has changed a lot the last few years and [wearing a visor] seems like a sensible thing to do,” Hartsburg said. “I think the macho bravado stuff that you can’t wear a visor is ridiculous. You want to protect your eyes. I’ve told some of our smaller skill guys to wear them.”

All-star wingers Paul Kariya and Teemu Selanne and defenseman Oleg Tverdovsky are among the Ducks who wear visors. “We don’t want our guys to miss a period or half a period to get stitched up,” Hartsburg said.

That’s an attitude that would have been laughed at only a few years ago in the rough-and-tumble world of the NHL.

“Hockey people are stubborn people,” Hartsburg said. “[Wearing visors] just wasn’t done. Every time we try something new it takes a long time before it’s accepted--whether it’s a rule change or whatever.

“It’s like, ‘Let’s keep fighting in the game because it keeps the sticks down.’ There’s all kinds of that talk now. Why go back? Let’s go ahead.”

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Defenseman Fredrik Olausson was sidelined for the second consecutive game because of a sprained left ankle. Olausson will probably play in the fifth and final game of the Ducks’ trip Thursday against the Chicago Blackhawks. At Tuesday morning’s workout, Olausson appeared to be skating fine in a straight line, but he had trouble making a quick pivot.