Injuries force others to step up

Faced with expectations once never imagined in the 14-year history of the franchise, the Ducks more than met that challenge with a first half for the record books.

As they now deal with the remaining 41 games on the schedule, the NHL’s best team finds itself trying to survive the loss of injured defensemen Chris Pronger and Francois Beauchemin while already without the services of goaltenders Jean-Sebastien Giguere and Ilya Bryzgalov.

Dependable checking center Todd Marchant is also on the shelf. It is no surprise the Ducks begin the new year trying to avoid their first three-game losing streak tonight when they face the Detroit Red Wings, who are retiring the No. 19 jersey of future Hall of Fame member Steve Yzerman.

“We know the situation,” Coach Randy Carlyle said. “We have some injured people. But we have other people that are getting an opportunity to step in and play larger roles. We’ve got other people coming and making their mark. Those are things that, in the end, hopefully will strengthen us.”

The rash of injuries has made the Ducks’ start this season all the more important. The Ducks set an NHL record with points in their first 16 games and parlayed that into a league-best 28-7-6 record and 62 points.

Their 10-point cushion over second-place San Jose in the Pacific Division looms large given their ravaged roster.

“We’re happy with what our team has accomplished,” Carlyle said. “We’re proud of our players. They’ve made a statement. All those things are real big positives.

“You can’t say we expected it, but that’s what we pushed for. Do we like where we are at the halfway mark? Of course we like our position. But we’d like to improve on our position.”

With Pronger and Beauchemin out for at least four weeks, General Manager Brian Burke said he has been trying to work a deal for a proven defenseman.

Potential defensemen available, such as Phoenix’s Nick Boynton and St. Louis’ Eric Brewer, come with salaries Burke is unwilling to pay even if it’s for half the season.

“We’re going to see if we can get someone that fits,” Burke said. “We have to make sure that we don’t use up too much cap room either. We want to make sure we have some flexibility for later in the season.”

Burke said he has not considered bringing in 38-year-old Brian Leetch, who has not played this season. Leetch, who has 1,028 points, reportedly is waiting for the right offer to join a playoff-contending team.

“We’re always trying to be cognizant of what might be available in case we get into an injury situation,” Burke said. “It’s not like it’s, ‘OK, Chris got hurt. Now where do we start?’ We know the teams that we’ve talked to and who might have a deal and who might not. It’s not like you start from scratch. But is there something that makes sense and is there a fit at this point? No.”

For now, the Ducks are forced to put more responsibility on second-year defenseman Joe DiPenta and rookies Shane O’Brien and Kent Huskins. Aaron Rome will make his NHL debut after being called up from Portland, Maine.

“We’ve lost two very good defensemen,” Scott Niedermayer said. “Hopefully, they both come along quickly and join us sooner than later. That would obviously be better. But in the meantime, it’s just a matter of keeping it simple. You can play good strong defense as a unit.”

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TONIGHT

at Detroit, 4:30 PST, FSNW

Site -- Joe Louis Arena.

Radio -- 830.

Records -- Ducks 28-7-6; Red Wings 24-9-5.

Record vs. Red Wings -- 1-0-0.

Update -- Pronger is expected to undergo surgery for a broken bone in his left foot when the Ducks return to Anaheim. Bryzgalov, who has an injured groin, may be close to returning with a decision on his availability coming after today’s morning skate. Giguere is receiving daily treatment on his groin but has yet to resume skating on his own.

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eric.stephens@latimes.com