Hartigan gets another chance

It was only 8 minutes 21 seconds, but it was what Mark Hartigan hoped was the beginning of an opportunity to stick in the NHL.

Hartigan is on his third go-round, this time with the Ducks, who acquired him last Friday in a multiplayer trade and put him to work in Sunday’s game against Dallas.

The Ducks have been searching for someone to fit on a second scoring line with second-year forwards Ryan Getzlaf and Corey Perry.

In that debut Sunday, Hartigan had two shots on goal and took an interference penalty in the Ducks’ 4-1 victory over Dallas.

“He’s playing with some guys who are skilled players,” Coach Randy Carlyle said. “That’s part of his makeup. It’s important that he feels comfortable and makes a contribution with that group.”

Said Hartigan: “The time I had given to me, I thought I played pretty solid.”

Hartigan, 29, a star at St. Cloud State in Minnesota, has put up big numbers in the American Hockey League but has failed to win a spot at stops in Atlanta and Columbus.

This time, Hartigan hopes it is different.

“They’re not expecting miracles out of me or anything like that,” he said.

“They’re expecting me to play my game, play smart and play hard. They’re not expecting a goal out of me every game.”

Hartigan was picked up from the Blue Jackets along with winger Joe Motzko for minor league centers Zenon Konopka and Curtis Glencross.

“Obviously, I want to state my case with the opportunity,” Hartigan said. “They don’t come around that often.”

*

Scott Niedermayer will have an X-ray taken of his right foot to see if the stress fracture has begun to heal.

He sat out his first game in two seasons with the Ducks on Sunday and was expected to sit out the next two.

“Hopefully, there’s some improvement there,” said Niedermayer, who Monday tested a skate fitted with orthotics and said that the doctor will “talk to me about how it feels. We’ll see where we go from there.”

The Ducks are hoping that he can return next week for consecutive games against division rival San Jose.

Said Carlyle: “What we’ll have to do is make sure we’re making progress here and doing the things necessary to get him back on the ice.”

TONIGHT

vs. Phoenix, 7, Ch. 56

Site -- Honda Center.

Radio -- 830.

Records -- Ducks 31-12-8; Coyotes 23-25-2.

Record vs. Coyotes -- 3-1-0.

Update -- A group of children who are cancer patients at Children’s Hospital of Orange County attended practice Tuesday. Phoenix has lost ground in the Western Conference playoff race and if the Coyotes fall further out by the Feb. 27 trade deadline, forwards Ladislav Nagy and Shane Doan could be made available.

Tickets -- (877) 945-3946.

eric.stephens@latimes.com