Selanne, Rucchin Still Mending

Triage was the first order of business after the morning skate Wednesday.

Declared unfit for duty were Teemu Selanne, who is still recovering from a groin injury, and a frustrated Steve Rucchin, who continued to wait and wonder when he might his head might clear enough to play again.

Selanne tested his sore groin with an extended skate, but said he was not ready to try it at game speed. He underwent a MRI on Monday, which did not reveal a tear.

“Teemu could play, but how effective would he be?” Coach Guy Charron said. “Can he take a hit? Can he push himself? Only he knows how his body feels. We’ll wait until he’s ready to go.”

With Rucchin still experiencing dizziness and Paul Kariya out at least a month because of a broken right foot, the Ducks had to go without any of their top line players for a second consecutive game.

After four days off, Selanne expects to return tonight against Nashville.

“The days off are like pieces of gold for me,” said Selanne, who missed Saturday’s game at St. Louis. “You can do all the exercises, but you have to have time to let it heal. It feels pretty good today, but I didn’t skate for four days. Tomorrow will be a big day for me.”

Rucchin missed his seventh consecutive game because of dizziness related to being hit in the face with the puck against Colorado on Nov. 15, which resulted in a broken nose and cheekbone. He has undergone numerous examinations, but still doesn’t know when he might play again.

“I’m sick of doctors and I’m sick of hospitals,” said Rucchin, who has missed 22 of 38 games this season because of injuries. “My eyes follow things about a half-second slow after they happen. Then I get dizzy.”

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Defenseman Ruslan Salei did not skate in the morning, resting his bad back. He did play in the game. The injury is the same one that forced him to miss the Dec. 17 game against Tampa Bay.

“Everyone gets sore backs, but this has really tightened up,” Salei said. “It maybe pinching my nerve a little bit.”

Salei played 18 minutes 29 second.

TONIGHT

at Nashville, 5 PDT

* Site--Gaylord Entertainment Center.

* Radio--XTRA (690).

* Records--Ducks 13-18-4-4; Predators 14-16-6-1.

* Record vs. Predators--1-0.

* Update--The Predators have won three of four games, including a 5-2 victory over Colorado Tuesday. The Ducks’ penalty killing unit is ranked 28th out of 30 teams.