Ozolinsh Gets on Board Fast

Each day, defenseman Sandis Ozolinsh gets a little more comfortable, a little more knowledgeable, playing for the Mighty Ducks.

Ozolinsh, acquired from Florida on Jan. 30, has been playing more or less on instinct. That has been good enough for a goal and two assists in four games.

But practices, like Monday’s, are getting him up to speed.

“There is a big difference in the way we played in Florida and the way this team plays,” Ozolinsh said. “The systems are different. In Florida, we would dump the puck in and chase it. Here, no one even thinks about doing that. We carry the puck into the zone. I have to change my mind-set.”

With players such as Paul Kariya and Adam Oates, the Ducks are better equipped to attack defenses. Ozolinsh’s skills are well-suited for such offensive rushes.

“We don’t gain the red line, then ring the puck around the boards,” Ozolinsh said. “I’m starting to get comfortable with the system here. I can handle the puck at the blue line. Before, I was rushing to get to where I needed to be.”

Defenseman Fredrik Olausson has been odd-man out since Ozolinsh was acquired, a healthy scratch in the four games since the trade. He has been scratched 12 of the last 20 games.

“I played the six games before the All-Star break and now I haven’t played in a week,” Olausson said. “It’s tough to stay in game shape when you don’t play for a long spell. You can get a lot of work done, but it’s not the same as game situations.”

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Forward Samuel Pahlsson has three assists in the last two games, his first points in his seven games since being recalled from Cincinnati.

“It’s nice to get the zeros off my sheet,” Pahlsson said. “You always feel better when you get a couple of points.”

The points helped put Pahlsson’s early-season problems deeper in the past. He leftCincinnati to return to Sweden in November and was suspended by the Ducks.

He returned in January and was recalled Jan. 21.