DUCKS NOTEBOOK; RUCCHIN MAKES SURPRISE RETURN TO LINEUP.

Byline: Greg Christensen Staff Writer

SAN JOSE - The Mighty Ducks got a much-needed lift Saturday when Steve Rucchin returned to action after missing 11 games due to a staph infection in his left ankle.

Rucchin, who has been out since Dec. 27, had just one full-scale practice (Thursday) before his surprise return against the Sharks. He began the game on a line with Tony Hrkac and rookie Maxim Balmochnykh but did play some with his normal linemates - Paul Kariya and Teemu Selanne.

And despite his lengthy layoff, he saw plenty of action. In the first period, only Kariya (8:24) and Marty McInnis (7:00) saw more playing time among the forwards than Rucchin (6:19).

Rucchin nearly celebrated his return with a goal early in the first period, but San Jose goalie Steve Shields made a diving save on his shot from the slot 2 1/2 minutes into the game.

With Rucchin out of the lineup, the Ducks were 2-7-2 and were outscored 38-24.

--Cooling waters: After roaring out of the gate with a 7-2 record, the Sharks were the toast of the NHL, with some even picking them to advance to the Stanley Cup Finals. But the Sharks have leveled off dramatically and now find themselves in the middle of the Pacific Division and Western Conference pack.

San Jose came into Saturday's game with a 14-20-6-4 mark since their fast start and with their No. 1 line in a collective slump. Vincent Damphousse had only one goal in 17 games and three assists in the last eight (all in the same game). Jeff Friessen had only three points in the last 12 games, while Owen Nolan, the NHL's third leading scorer had but four points in 11 games.