Dry Spell Over, Kariya Is Raining Goals on Opponents

Paul Kariya, the foundation the Mighty Ducks hope to build on at some point, has regained form.

Early-season struggles are out. Pucks are going in. Kariya has 17 goals in his last 27 games, dating to Jan. 11. He has five multigoal games in that time, including three hat tricks.

But Kariya expects more.

“I still don’t feel I’m as sharp as I should be in terms of burying my opportunities,” Kariya said.

It’s a big improvement from the start of the season, when Kariya had only six shots in the Ducks’ first four games and one goal in the first 11.

“Early on, it wasn’t a case of me getting opportunities to score, it was a case of me not scoring with the opportunities,” Kariya said. “Sometimes you go through a dry spell where you get a ton of opportunities and nothing is going in. Then everything starts going in.”

The number of linemates certainly had an effect. But when rookie Andy McDonald settled in at center, Kariya’s production rose. There has been no drop-off since top line center Steve Rucchin returned from an injured ankle and replaced McDonald.

Kariya is tied for 15th in the league with 30 goals, giving him six 30-goal seasons in the last seven seasons.

His 10 power-play goals, on a power play that lacks production, also tie for 15th in the NHL.

“Where early in the year I thought he was trying to shoot bullets through the goaltender, now he’s not overpowering the puck,” Coach Bryan Murray said. “He’s just playing now, not pressing. As a result, the shot is there, and it’s going in more often.”

*

Training room update: Oleg Tverdovsky, who suffered a strained groin injury against St. Louis on Friday, did not practice Tuesday but is expected to extend his consecutive game streak to 363 tonight against Phoenix. Tverdovsky played against Dallas on Sunday.

Marc Chouinard, who has missed 11 games with a strained left shoulder, will start skating on his own today. Chouinard wasn’t sure when he would return to the lineup but hopes to play before the season ends.

TONIGHT

vs. Phoenix, 7:30

Fox Sports Net 2

Site--Arrowhead Pond.

Radio--XTRA (690).

Records--Ducks 26-37-7-3, Coyotes 34-24-9-5.

Record vs. Coyotes--3-0-0-0.

Update--The Coyotes have had trouble with the Ducks, who have outscored them, 9-3, in three games. But the Coyotes are 10-2-2-1 in their last 15 games. Phoenix will be without defensemen Danny Markov, who has a broken bone in his left ankle, and Ossi Vaananen, who has a bruised shoulder.

Tickets--(877) 945-3946