Hartsburg Likes Power Setup

One of the reasons the Ducks went from also-rans in 1997-98 to playoff qualifiers last season was their power play. It went from hindrance to potent weapon.

The Ducks were the NHL’s top team with the man advantage last season, converting 22% of their power plays. They had a franchise-record 83 power-play goals, a league-leading 25 from Teemu Selanne.

So, the question is, can the Ducks be even better with the off-season additions of defenseman Oleg Tverdovsky and left wing Ted Donato?

“If we’re fighting harder for loose pucks and making better break-out passes, then the result will be a better percentage,” Coach Craig Hartsburg said.

Hartsburg plans no changes to his first unit of Selanne, Steve Rucchin, Marty McInnis, Paul Kariya and Fredrik Olausson. Tempting though it might be, Hartsburg will not bump McInnis to the second unit, move Kariya from the point to the left wing and replace him with Tverdovsky.

“There are lots of different reasons” for leaving Kariya at the point, Hartsburg said. “First, we had success with him there, so we’re not going to change. Second, he’s a bigger threat when he and Teemu play farther apart. When they are farther apart, they can generate offense out on top and down low.”

For now, Hartsburg plans to have Tverdovsky quarterbacking a second five that includes Donato.

“We want to establish a second unit that can be a threat for us,” he said.

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The Ducks play the third of eight exhibition games tonight against the San Jose Sharks at 7:30 at the Arrowhead Pond. . . . One season after the Mighty Ducks released him, defenseman Milos Holan, 28, was waived by the Atlanta Thrashers after attempting another return to the NHL four years after being diagnosed with leukemia. He plans to retire and live in the Czech Republic.