Kariya Shooting, but Not Scoring

Paul Kariya shoots, he scores.

Well, not lately, and that is causing Kariya a certain amount of frustration. He has taken 30 shots in the Mighty Ducks’ first eight games this season and has one goal, a percentage well below his high standards.

“I feel if I was putting the puck in the net, we would have won more games,” Kariya said. “I always feel pressure to score, there’s nothing different about that.”

Kariya has not scored since the second period of the season opener in Boston. He had eight shots against the Bruins on Wednesday and seven against Washington on Oct. 12.

Several of his shots have hit goalies in the midsection.

“I’m not happy with my shots right now,” Kariya said. “I’m getting opportunities. It’s not just shots from the blue line. I’m kind of missing right now.”

Kariya does have a team-high five assists, with three coming when others have knocked in rebounds of his shots.

“Paul has tried to put a lot of shots on net,” Coach Bryan Murray said. “You want to get the puck on the net and hope it has eyes. Paul’s a typical goal scorer. He needs one right now to get his confidence back.”

Speaking of shots, the Ducks have given up more, 253, than any team in the NHL. Granted, they had played more games than most teams, but they have allowed 35 or more shots in three games.

“We’ve played teams, like Boston, that will shoot the puck from anywhere,” defenseman Keith Carney said. “The important thing is to limit scoring chances.”

The Ducks are giving up 3.13 goals per game. Only five teams are giving up more.

“When you start getting up around 40 shots, that’s too many,” Carney said.

More was revealed about right wing Jim Cummins’ injury. He said Saturday an MRI earlier in the week showed a torn muscle on the right side of his rib cage.... Defenseman Ruslan Salei, who sat out Friday’s practice because of a bruised left knee, practiced Saturday and is expected to play tonight against Vancouver.

TONIGHT

vs. Vancouver, 5 Channel 9

Site--Arrowhead Pond.

Radio--XTRA (690).

Records--Ducks 2-5-1-0, Canucks 2-5-1-0.

Record vs. Canucks (2000-01)--1-2-1-0.

Update--The Canucks are playing their second game in as many nights. “We have to win some of these games,” Murray said. “You have to aim to be around .500 around 20 games into the season. To stay in [playoff] contention, you have to stay around that mark.”