Reward Follows Blowout

Coach Craig Hartsburg gave the Ducks a day off from practice Sunday to watch the Super Bowl, a reward for their 7-1 drubbing of the Pittsburgh Penguins.

There was a catch, however. He expects the Ducks to continue their razor-sharp concentration tonight against the Boston Bruins, the second game on a four-game trip.

“We don’t have the luxury of sitting back and enjoying a big win at this point,” Hartsburg said. “We’ve got lots of big games left.”

Added captain Paul Kariya: “This is a huge road trip. We hope to get some confidence back.”

Routing the Penguins seemed to help. The Ducks matched their biggest margin of victory of the season, laughing at the frustrated Penguins and goading them into needless penalties late in the game.

“It was nice to let loose a little bit,” Kariya said. “Everyone loosened up quite a bit.”

Kariya’s toughest task Sunday was finding a suitable spot for the players to watch the Super Bowl. He settled on a place in the hotel.

*

After Saturday’s victory, Kariya gave defenseman Kevin Haller the yellow hard hat the Ducks carry around as a trophy for standout play. Haller was the chief muzzler of Pittsburgh’s Jaromir Jagr, badgering and frustrating the NHL’s leading scorer.

“He’s a guy we have a great deal of respect for and fear of,” Hartsburg said of Jagr, who did not add to his 75-point total Saturday. “I think it was more than just one person. It was the forwards too. We did a good job of taking away his options.”

Tonight

at Boston, 4 PST

Fox Sports Net 2

* Site--FleetCenter.

* Radio--XTRA (690).

* Records--Ducks 21-24-6-1, Bruins 17-21-13-4.

* Record vs. Bruins--0-1.

* Update--Jeremy Jacobs, the Bruins’ owner, blamed Coach Pat Burns this week for the team’s lackluster play. Burns defended himself after a 1-0 victory Saturday against the Buffalo Sabres. An unnamed player recently ripped Jacobs after the team spent a day at his Florida home. “The guy nickel and dimed us and we all get to see how rich he is,” the unidentified player told the Boston Herald. The Bruins have the league’s worst penalty-killing unit. Goalie Byron Dafoe hasn’t performed to expectations. Center Jason Allison is out for the season because of injuries.