Some Tidying Up Needed Before Trip Begins

The situation isn’t dire, but it is serious, according to Mighty Duck players. After being outclassed by a solid St. Louis Blues team Sunday, they head into tonight’s game with Boston looking to get straightened out before heading off on a five-game, nine-day trip to the East Coast.

The Ducks looked listless against the Blues, losing 5-1 in only the second game of the season.

“We turned the puck over a lot against St. Louis and they took advantage of those mistakes,” captain Paul Kariya said. “That’s the type of team we want to be. We have to reverse those roles.”

That point was driven home to the Ducks the last two days. Their practices have had a training-camp edge, Coach Craig Hartsburg stopping to scold them at times.

“I think the players were all embarrassed about what happened the other day,” Hartsburg said. “We are going to be a heck of a lot better in a lot of areas.”

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A victory tonight might help at the gate when the Ducks return.

They had a franchise-low 11,134 Sunday, and that was the announced attendance. Media estimates had the crowd at about 8,500.

Part of it was the Ducks playing a 1 p.m. game that was competing against NFL games and the major league baseball playoffs. But players had bottom-line concerns as well.

“I think a lot of it has to do with us not making the playoffs last season,” Kariya said. “This is not like baseball, where only a few teams make the playoffs.

“Everyone in Orange County is terrific. I got the feeling over the summer that people were excited about us. But we have to put a product out there.”

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Center Steve Rucchin, who has been out since Sept. 22 because of a broken left hand, will begin handling the puck this weekend and will make the trip with the team.

Rucchin, though, was cautious about his return.

“We’ll see how it feels next week,” he said. “I should start practicing with the team next week. Four or five days of practice might make a big difference.”

TONIGHT

vs. Boston, 7:30

Fox Sports Net 2

* Site--Arrowhead Pond.

* Radio--XTRA (690).

* Records--Ducks 1-1-0-0, Bruins 2-0-1-0.

* Update--The Bruins will probably be without goalie Byron Dafoe, who suffered a pulled left hamstring. Twenty-year-old Andrew Raycroft stopped 29 of 31 shots in his NHL debut, a 4-2 victory over Florida on Monday. Duck right wing Jonas Ronnqvist is questionable because of an injured right knee. Hartsburg has had all-stars Kariya and Teemu Selanne on different lines during practice the last two days.

* Tickets--(714) 703-2545.