Frustration Boils Over at Practice

Team captain Paul Kariya and defenseman Pavel Trnka exchanged a few pushes, a couple of elbows, then the gloves were dropped and they wrestled each other to the ice Thursday.

There were signs everywhere that the Mighty Ducks have reached a sink-or-swim point to their season. A chance at a playoff berth seems farfetched. But the moment is at hand as to whether or not they will completely unravel.

They are coming off a 6-0 pasting by the Florida Panthers. They are winless in eight games, one shy of the longest streak in franchise history. And General Manager Pierre Gauthier’s job seems to be on the line.

In the dressing room after practice, assistant coach Tom Watt wrote on the board, “Let’s be thankful for what we have today, not sorry for what was yesterday.”

Certainly a message, but not nearly as effective as the sight of Kariya going after Trnka in practice.

“I wasn’t going to break it up,” Coach Bryan Murray said.

The two were involved in a drill that ended when they tangled and had to be separated. Kariya then barked at Trnka that he should have been that physical in the loss to Florida on Wednesday.

“He did his job, I did mine,” Trnka said. “Hopefully we will do the same in games.”

As to Kariya’s harsh words, Trnka said, “We’re hockey players, that’s what we’re suppose to do, isn’t it?”

This was the high point the day after the Ducks’ lowest moment. The physical practice came a day after a game that both Murray and Kariya called “embarrassing.”

“I don’t want to talk about that,” Kariya said about his fight.

He did, however, want to address a few other things.

“If there wasn’t more intensity out there today, then there is a serious problem with this team,” Kariya said. “But it has got to be there in the game. It should be there all the time, but at least it should be there in games.”

Kariya was angry about his teammates’ lack of effort in Wednesday’s rout. He said so after the game, but his fight Thursday spoke louder.

“I think it is good it was No. 9,” Murray said, referring to Kariya’s number. “I think it was good he made it clear how he felt [last night] so everyone could hear.

“The coaches can get upset and go in there and lecture them. But we need someone on the team, more than one, to show some fire.”

Murray’s design for Thursday’s practice seemed to invite confrontation. The Ducks went through one-on-one and three-on-three drills that brought out physical play.

“If players get upset, that’s good,” Murray said.

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The Ducks recalled left wing Timo Parssinen from minor league Cincinnati.... Enforcer Jim Cummins, sent down Tuesday, cleared waivers and will report to Cincinnati.