Hartsburg at Loss for Sleep After 4-2 Defeat to Islanders

Coach Craig Hartsburg said he couldn’t sleep Wednesday night after the Ducks’ dismal 4-2 loss to the New York Islanders.

Right wing Teemu Selanne wasn’t surprised to learn of Hartsburg’s restless night.

“If all the guys wanted to win as much as him, we’d be 15 games over .500,” Selanne said. “He takes it very seriously. I know how much he wants to win. I’m worried about this team. Maybe we’re too satisfied.”

The Ducks are four games below .500, in 10th place and out of a playoff position in the Western Conference. They are 3-11-2 since Dec. 19.

Hartsburg said he’s past the point of calling a 6 a.m. practice, or something equally drastic, to get his players’ attention.

“That’s pretty juvenile,” he said. “At some point, the answers have to come from the players.”

Selanne agrees, which is why he and captain Paul Kariya spoke Thursday afternoon to their teammates about the final 32 games.

“We’re going to miss the playoffs if we don’t wake up soon,” Selanne said. “I talked with Paul and we said we have to be harder on the guys. We have to take some of them aside and tell them, ‘You better show up tonight or else.’ Sometimes fear is good.

“The coaches have done exactly what they have to do to get us ready. You can’t blame them. It’s the guys. We have a lot of young guys. Young guys have to prove themselves every game.

“Everybody has a role here. When everybody plays their roles that’s when it becomes a team. The leaders of this team have a job to do right now. The leaders have to find a way to lead.”

Certainly, Selanne and Kariya have picked up their play in the last two weeks.

Selanne has a goal in three consecutive games for the first time this season. Kariya has a four-game goal-scoring streak and eight goals and two assists in his last seven games.

Leading by example, however, has taken the Ducks only so far.

“This is a great time to come together and show our character, a perfect time to show we want to be a good team,” Hartsburg said.

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If the Ducks miss the playoffs, losses to league doormats like the Islanders, Montreal Canadiens and Tampa Bay Lightning will have played a significant role.

“It’s frustrating when the team is playing great against great teams and playing bad against bad teams,” Selanne said. “When you win against Detroit, Dallas or Colorado it doesn’t mean anything if you lose to the Islanders.”

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The Ducks are believed to be interested in dealing for Islander center Olli Jokinen, a former King who was part of the trade last summer that brought Ziggy Palffy west. Jokinen has three goals and eight points in 48 games.