Recovering Rucchin Tests Himself

Bruised and battered, center Steve Rucchin took a few tentative turns around the ice at a suburban rink Monday for the first time since suffering a broken nose and cheekbone Nov. 15 against the Colorado Avalanche.

Rucchin hasn’t been sleeping or eating well since Ray Bourque cross-checked him into the path of Teemu Selanne’s deflected slap shot. Surgery to his nose and cheekbone hasn’t helped his breathing. Or his appetite. He said he has lost “about seven or eight pounds.”

“It’s been lousy for me,” Rucchin said. “You can’t explain it unless you go through it. I’ve never felt intense pain like that before. Hopefully, I won’t have to again. It’s really been unbelievable the last week and a half.”

Rucchin donned a full visor to protect his face Monday. He said he will probably wear it for at least the next month.

“It’s going to be awhile,” said Rucchin, who sat out the season’s first six games because of a broken left hand. “I’ve got a lot of time to adapt to it.”

Rucchin said he won’t be nervous about playing in front of the opponent’s net when he returns.

“Once you get out there, you don’t think about anything else,” he said. “It’s second nature. You forget about everything else.”

*

Goalie Jean-Sebastien Giguere will make his second consecutive start tonight, when the Ducks play the Vancouver Canucks. He made 15 saves in his Duck debut Saturday, a 3-2 loss to the Edmonton Oilers.

“I liked the way he played,” Coach Craig Hartsburg said. “I looked past the goals he gave up. I liked the way he competed. I liked enough things the other night that I want to see him in our net again.”

Guy Hebert did not practice Monday because of a sore left shoulder. He has been sidelined since center German Titov accidentally ran into him in Wednesday’s loss to the New Jersey Devils.

“It’s getting better,” Hebert said. “We decided that it didn’t make any sense to go on the ice [Monday]. Only another full day of treatments will help it.”

TONIGHT

at Vancouver, 7

* Site--General Motors Place.

* Radio--XTRA (690).

* Records--Ducks 8-11-4-2, Canucks 12-7-3-2.

* Record vs. Canucks--0-1.

* Update--The Canucks have lost three of five, including a 4-2 defeat Sunday against the expansion Minnesota Wild. Goaltender Felix Potvin was in net for all three losses. Vancouver has given up the first goal in seven consecutive games. Titov won’t play tonight because of a concussion. He practiced Monday with teammates for the first time since taking a tough hit from New Jersey’s Scott Stevens and could be ready for Thursday’s game at San Jose.