Babcock Seeking Momentum

Consecutive games against the Phoenix Coyotes might seem like just another weekend for the Mighty Ducks. Yet, from where the Ducks sit at the moment, this is urgent, at least according to their coach.

“They don’t get any bigger,” Mike Babcock said. “We went on a road trip that got off to a 2-0 start, you get grandiose ideas and think it’s going to go great. In the end, you come back [at] .500, so it didn’t go as well as we wanted. Yet, we sure seemed to see signs of life.” He specifically mentioned goaltender Jean-Sebastien Giguere’s play in St. Louis on Tuesday.

The Ducks picked up five of 10 points on their swing through New York, Washington, Chicago and St. Louis. That left them with 11 points through 14 games. They had 13 points through 14 games a year ago.

But repeating their start from last season wasn’t in their plans. The trip to the Stanley Cup finals, plus the additions of Sergei Fedorov and Vaclav Prospal, prompted optimism entering the season.

“There are higher expectations now,” forward Jason Krog said. “We wanted to pick up where we left off at the end of last season, not start all over again.”

The Western Conference, though, seems to be helping the Ducks. Vancouver has bolted from the gate with 20 points, but the Ducks remain within at least four points of every other team ahead of them in the conference as of Thursday. Of course, they were also within four points of last-place Columbus.

“It’s nice that the other teams haven’t got rolling and we’re not in a terrible spot,” Babcock said. “ ... You have to get playing well every night to make a climb. That’s our focus.

” ... You want it to be easy. For some teams -- Tampa Bay is out great, Vancouver is out great -- it has been easy. It hasn’t been for us. So? Let’s get better. Let’s make it easy for ourselves.”

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Center Steve Rucchin sat out practice for the second time this week, this time with a sore elbow. He underwent a precautionary MRI Thursday afternoon.

“He’s not healthy,” Babcock said. “He’s trying to get healthy.”

Meanwhile, Dan Bylsma and Mike Leclerc, both recovering from off-season knee surgeries, apparently are on different timetables.

Bylsma skates 20 minutes a day in full equipment. He said he would check with doctors next Thursday to see if he could increase that regimen.

Leclerc skated briefly Thursday. He probably will fly to Cleveland in two weeks to be examined by Dr. Tony Meniaci at the Cleveland Clinic.

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The Ducks have 24 goals. Only Calgary, Columbus and Pittsburgh have scored fewer.