Central Figures Still Missing

The Ducks hit the 40-game mark of the 1999-2000 season Wednesday against the Florida Panthers. And they have yet to have their entire 23-man roster healthy and eligible to play.

Wednesday, the Ducks were without centers Antti Aalto and Steve Rucchin.

Aalto, out since spraining his left elbow Dec. 4, expects to rejoin the lineup next week. Rucchin, who has had an infected left ankle since last week, is day to day. Wednesday was not his day, however.

Aalto has been skating with teammates the last two days. Rucchin hopes to begin upper-body conditioning soon, but there’s no telling when he might be practicing again.

“You almost expect it,” Duck Coach Craig Hartsburg said of facing injuries over the course of the season. “You don’t worry about it. If you can’t win without having 23 healthy players, you’re in for a tough year.”

Many teams might struggle without their top centers, particularly if they’re as versatile as Rucchin.

Rucchin leads the NHL with 1,018 faceoffs taken and 560 victories (55%). He also is the Ducks’ third-leading scorer with 23 points (seven goals, 16 assists).

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Hartsburg is impressed by the Panthers.

“The whole game is going to be a good challenge for us,” he said before Wednesday’s game. “We think they’re one of the top teams in the East. They’re a big team. They have good skill and speed up front. They’ve got a lot of good, young players.”

The Panthers also got a 3-0 lead after the Ducks failed to show up for the first period.