THESE DUCKS JUST CAN'T FLY.

Byline: MATT McHALE NHL 

The Mighty Ducks' 3-2 victory over the New York Rangers on Sunday was a little quirky and not just because it was their first win in 10 games. The Rangers were one of hockey's hottest teams until suddenly bottoming out two days before the Ducks game.

Twice, the Ducks had a rare five-on-three power play and twice they scored. Even tough guy Kevin Sawyer got the first goal of his five-year NHL career.

Put it together and it had all the making of a turnaround game. It was the kind of game the Kings played Thursday in Edmonton when the go-ahead goal scored after a penalty was called on a guy for simply talking with the referee.

The Kings' four-game unbeaten streak certainly isn't a cure for a rough season, but it is a start.

For the Ducks, sadly, Sunday was one victory but nothing more.

A lot was made recently when mild-mannered captain Paul Kariya got into a fight with teammate Pavel Trnka last week during practice. Kariya always has been a Mike Piazza type who is the best player but not a leader.

That brawl was viewed as a possible turning point, not just for the Ducks, but for the maturing of Kariya as a player. But it might have been overstated, coming in the midst of a hard practice after a 6-0 loss.

Recently, Kariya also barked at his team through the media. At first it looked as if he might be growing into his role after seven seasons in the league. But it has been six years since Kariya scored 50 goals and led the Ducks on a spirited playoff run that was the organization's high point. It also netted Kariya a multiyear contract worth $10 million per season.

Nothing has ever been the same since and this year could be the worst.

The reason is simple: With an already thin roster hurt by injuries to Keith Carney and Steve Rucchin, these Ducks can't fly.

On Nov. 4, the team was 6-7-1. New coach Bryan Murray had the team believing .500 and the playoffs were not unrealistic goals.

Then Carney chipped a bone in his right hand. Rucchin suffered a stress fracture in his left tibia. When the Ducks return to practice today they could learn a timetable for when Carney can begin skating, not playing. The same with Rucchin, who could be a few weeks away.

Instead of a new beginning, the Ducks have that haunted look of last year when they finished 25-41-11-5 and missed the playoffs for the second consecutive year.

That season, they won six games in October, hovered around .500, then went 2-8-3 in November and never were heard from again.

Rucchin played just 16 games all year because of a severe concussion. Kariya missed 16 games with a broken foot. Mike LeClerc and Niclas Havlid each missed more than 30 games with injuries.

The result was free-falling attendance, the trading of Teemu Selanne and the firing of coach Craig Hartsburg.

This year, the heat is being felt by general manager Pierre Gauthier, an original member of Ducks management in 1993 brought back four years ago after turning lowly Ottawa into a league power. It hasn't happened in Anaheim. Rumored replacements are former North Star Bobby Smith, Phoenix's former GM, and Neil Smith, the ex-Rangers GM.

Orange County has lost interest in the team. Five of the eight poorest-attended games in franchise history came in the first month. And league-wide, NHL fans who once made the Ducks the No. 1 team in merchandise revenue, also have disappeared.

The Ducks owners at Disney once saw the club as a major source of programming for a West Coast version of ESPN, which it also owns. It never happened.

In addition to Gauthier's possible firing, there is the debate over what will happen if Disney's other Anaheim-based sports team, the Angels, is sold to Florida Marlins owner John Henry as part of baseball's proposed contraction plan.

Through it all, the Ducks rarely have been blown out this season. In all but three games, the Ducks were tied, trailed by a goal or led by a goal heading into the third period.

But unlike the Kings, who have lost the close ones all year, the Ducks don't have the talent to bounce back. Beating the New York Rangers on Sunday was nice, but it didn't change a thing.

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By Matt McHale

NO SABRE RATTLING

Teams are not too worried facing the Buffalo Sabres, who are last in the Northeast Division after losing two-time MVP Dominik Hasek and captain Michael Peca last summer. In four games last week, opponents started their backup goalies - Kevin Weekes (Lightning), Dan Blackburn (Rangers), Trevor Kidd (Panthers), Corey Schwab (Leafs). Slava Kozlov, the main pickup in the Hasek deal, has just one point in his last 15 games.

FEDOROV WON'T PLAY

The big story last week was Patrick Roy's decision to skip the Olympics for Canada. But just as big in Europe is that Red Wings' star Sergei Fedorov is not expected to play for Russia. Toronto's Alexander Mogilny and Dallas' Sergei Zubov already have pulled out. Russian hockey has never been the same since the fall of the Soviet Union. Despite recent improvements, established NHL players say it isn't worth the trouble.

A CHANGE IN NET

The U.S. Oympic hockey team looks like it will go with Mike Richter and Tom Barrasso in goal at Salt Lake City. During training camp, Nashville's Mike Dunhamhad the top spot, but he has been a disappointment with a 7-7-1 record and 2.93 goals-against average. As Nashville coach Barry Trotz put it, ``Mike's A-game hasn't come around yet.''

GIVE ME BACKUP

The Kings might have finally found a spot for third goaltender Stephane Fiset, who was languishing in the minors until blowing out his right knee. Chicago is desperate for backup help after Jocelyn Thibault started 22 of the first 23 games. Fiset's $2.7 million salary probably would have been too much since the Hawks are balking at the $2.3 million being paid Florida's Kidd, who is available.

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