Kariya to Have Foot Examined

Left wing Paul Kariya, who has a history of breaking bones in his feet after blocking shots, was injured after a slap shot from Tampa Bay defenseman Pavel Kubina struck his right foot in the second period.

Kariya’s foot was swollen by game’s end, but X-rays taken Sunday night were inconclusive. He is scheduled to undergo a CAT scan today.

Kariya suffered a broken foot blocking a shot last season and was sidelined for seven games between Feb. 21 and March 5. He also broke his left foot blocking a shot in Game 3 of the Ducks’ four-game playoff loss to the Detroit Red Wings in April 1999.

“It’s too early to tell,” Kariya said Sunday. “Either way it’s out of my control. It all happened in an instant. I was right in front of Guy [Hebert, the Duck goalie] and for a split-second so many things go through your mind. All I could do is soccer style [the shot].”

Kariya has plastic guards on the outside of each skate, hoping to avoid repeats of the broken feet he suffered the last two seasons. But there’s no special protective padding on the inside of his skates.

“My skates have to fit a certain way,” he said. “I can’t put armor around them. It’s not going to work that way.”

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Defenseman Ruslan Salei did not play Sunday because of a back injury. His status is day to day, according to Coach Guy Charron. . . . The Ducks sent forward Petr Tenkrat to Cincinnati of the American Hockey League.