Carlyle Delivers Explicit Message

From the way Coach Randy Carlyle was barking at his team at Monday’s practice, one might have thought the Mighty Ducks were in a four-game skid instead of a four-game winning streak. As the team struggled through a breakout drill, Carlyle unleashed expletive-laced observations at his charges.

“It’s pretty ... frustrating when you can’t ... do something for the third ... time,” he yelled. “Can’t you get it through your ... heads? What are you ... waiting for?”

After practice, Carlyle shrugged off the exchange. “Sometimes it takes more of a kick in the butt than a pat on the back,” he said.

Carlyle acknowledged that the team, particularly the power-play and penalty-killing units, has improved. Since Nov. 1, the Ducks have the league’s best penalty-killing percentage, 92%. The team has killed its last 21 penalties.

“Our specialty teams are giving us a chance,” he said. “We’re not giving up the odd-man rushes.”

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Defenseman Sandis Ozolinsh is “nowhere near coming off” the injured reserved list, Carlyle said.

Still hampered because of a strained knee, Ozolinsh did not practice and will be “reevaluated on a day-to-day basis,” Carlyle added.

Ozolinsh probably will not play tonight against Carolina, and it is uncertain whether he will travel with the team on a trip that takes them to Buffalo, Montreal and Toronto.

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Ilya Bryzgalov and Jean-Sebastien Giguere looked sharp in goal at practice. Giguere, who sat out six games because of a strained hamstring, said he is “100% ready to go,” but has gotten no word yet from Carlyle about when that would be. “It’s not like I’m never going to play again,” he said.

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TONIGHT

vs. Carolina, 7:30, FSN West 2

Site -- Arrowhead Pond.

Radio -- 1090.

Records -- Ducks 12-11-4; Hurricanes 16-8-2.

Record vs. Hurricanes (2003-04) -- 2-0-0.

Update -- While Giguere was sidelined, Bryzgalov won five of six starts and compiled a 1.33 goals-against average and a .946 save percentage.