Without Defense, They’ll Be Sitting Ducks

Ticket-buyer beware.

The Mighty Ducks certainly have a polished, good-as-new look as they prepare for their sixth NHL season. But it doesn’t take Ralph Nader to realize there are serious flaws in the high-priced product on sale at the Arrowhead Pond.

Captain Paul Kariya is healthy, having no further complications from the post-concussion syndrome that sidelined him for last season’s final 28 games.

He also is signed to a contract that will pay him $8.5 million this season, so there will be no money squabble like the one that kept him from the ice for last season’s first 32 games.

Teemu Selanne, coming off seasons of 51 and 52 goals, appears fit and ready for another standout offensive performance.

New acquisitions Stu Grimson and Jim McKenzie add toughness that was sorely missing last season.

There is depth on the forward lines for the first time in franchise history, with capable centers Matt Cullen, Travis Green and Steve Rucchin.

Pierre Gauthier, the new president and general manager, brings a spark that was missing with Tony Tavares and Jack Ferreira running the operation last season. There appears to be stability and direction in the front office for the first time since Ron Wilson was fired as coach May 20, 1997.

Craig Hartsburg, the third coach in as many seasons, has some sound notions about employing a hard-nosed defensive style of play. Unlike Pierre Page last season, Hartsburg has one game plan and plans to stick with it.

“I feel really good about the moves the organization has made, starting with Pierre Gauthier,” Kariya said. “It’s really solidified things at the top. I think everyone is positive and ready to begin the season.”

However, there is no “D” in Anaheim and that’s why the Ducks are picked by many to finish last in the Pacific Division.

Preview editions of the Sporting News, Hockey Digest and the Hockey News have the Ducks finishing no better than fifth in the realigned five-team division.

Poor defense was one of several reasons the Ducks missed the playoffs last season, finishing 12th with a 26-43-13 record in the 13-team Western Conference. They gave up 261 goals, the third most in the NHL behind Vancouver’s 273 and Tampa Bay’s 269.

There are new faces in the defensive corps in Fredrik Olausson, signed as a free agent from Pittsburgh, and Kevin Haller, acquired with Grimson in a trade with Carolina. But the Duck defense doesn’t appear to measure up to other playoff contenders.

Given the Ducks’ ticket prices (increased 10.19% from last season’s average of $41.20), it seems a steep price to pay to watch a team with serious structural defects.

Hartsburg spent training camp trying to hammer the idea of team defense into his players’ heads. Sometimes it worked, but often defensive breakdowns led to easy goals for exhibition opponents.

Those lapses overshadowed the offensive brilliance of superstar wingers Kariya and Selanne, making it difficult for the Ducks to hold leads down the stretch.

“We’re not going to go into a game thinking we’re going to outscore people, 7-5 or 8-6,” Hartsburg said after the Ducks gave up four third-period goals in a 5-4 loss to the Kings.

“There hasn’t been a day gone by where we haven’t worked on defense. We’ve just got to be committed and we’ll be a good team. We’re trying to build a team here. We need that team commitment to get it right. We’ve got to stick with it. The coaching staff is not going to back off. You can’t just hope you’re going to be a good team.”

The Ducks hoped goaltender Guy Hebert was sound after he underwent surgery on his right shoulder April 9. Their depth at the position was weakened when they left Mikhail Shtalenkov exposed in the expansion draft.

Nashville grabbed Shtalenkov, Hebert’s backup for five seasons, then traded him to the Edmonton Oilers to bolster their defense in a five-player deal last week.

Patrick Lalime, acquired in a trade with Pittsburgh in March, has a promising future and an interesting past. He went 14-0-2 in 1996-97 to set an NHL record for the best start by a rookie.

No one expects a repeat from Lalime, who will start this season in the minors.

Lalime spent last season playing for Grand Rapids of the International Hockey League because of a contract dispute with the Penguins.

Looking for additional goaltending help, the Ducks acquired Dominic Roussel from the Nashville Predators on Monday. Roussel hasn’t played in the NHL since 1995-96, but that doesn’t seem to trouble the Ducks.

“I think he’s a quality goaltender,” Hartsburg said. “He’s won 65 games in the NHL. Now, he’s getting a second opportunity. We feel he can win some games for us.”