Kariya Gives Team Best Shot

Paul Kariya’s numbers are perfect after one game: One shot, one goal.

If the quality looks good, though, there is a big problem with the quantity.

“We can’t win with Paul Kariya getting one shot,” Coach Bryan Murray said. “We not only need him to get shots, we need him to get scoring opportunities.”

Those were rare for Kariya in a 4-2 loss to the Boston Bruins on Thursday. He skated on a line with center Samuel Pahlsson, who has played one NHL season, and rookie left wing Timo Parssinen.

Kariya got his one scoring chance in the second period, and was aided by a kind ricochet. Pahlsson’s center pass deflected off a skate of a Bruin player and went straight to Kariya, who tucked a nifty back-hand shot into the upper right corner of the net.

Most of the night, Bruin defenders dogged Kariya. In the second period, Parssinen tried to thread a pass to Kariya, who was behind the net. But the Bruins had him bottled up with Sergei Samsonov and Nicholas Boynton.

Murray said that Kariya will skate with Pahlsson and Parssinen in tonight’s game against Pittsburgh.

“We’re a team with one star and the rest of us are good hockey players,” said left wing Jeff Friesen, who had the Ducks’ other goal. “The rest of us have to step it up and help Paul out.”

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The Ducks’ game tonight will not be on radio. Their regular station, XTRA (690), will broadcast football games. KDisney (710), which normally broadcasts when XTRA has other commitments, is also unavailable.

KDisney and the Ducks are, of course, both owned by Disney, but being in the same corporate family doesn’t seem to give the Ducks priority.

TONIGHT

at PITTSBURGH, 4:30 PDT

Site--Mellon Center.

Records--Ducks 0-1-0-0, Penguins 0-1-0-0.

Record vs. Penguins (2000-01)--0-1-0-0.

Update--The Ducks have not seen Mario Lemieux since 1996-97 and may catch a break tonight. Lemieux is questionable because of a strained hip muscle. Duck center Marc Chouinard, who missed the part of the third period after being struck on the foot by a puck, skated Friday and is expected to play.