They’ve Only Begun to Fight

A victory over St. Louis Wednesday would put the Ducks three points ahead of the Blues with two games remaining, leaving them in good position to clinch the Western Conference’s fifth playoff spot. That would mean another tete-a-tete with Phoenix in the first round of the playoffs.

So Sunday’s melee may have been a preview.

Things heated up at the end of the Ducks’ 3-0 victory. Coyote captain Keith Tkachuk winged his stick at Teemu Selanne, who was on his way to an empty-net goal, then tackled Selanne after he had scored. Tkachuk then went after Duck defenseman Kevin Haller, who came to Selanne’s defense.

Both teams, though, downplayed the incident, which resulted in 52 penalty minutes spread among six players.

“I’m sure something like that looks stupid,” Coyote right wing Rick Tocchet said. “But there are a lot of things that go on during a game that people don’t see. Haller plays a little chippy. That’s just his job.

“That’s just hockey. It’s not a big deal. It’s not like anyone went up and sucker-punched Paul Kariya.”

Haller said he wasn’t holding any grudge. But, then, it was easier to let bygones be bygones after a victory.

“[Tkachuk] was just frustrated,” Haller said. “That was a tough loss for them. If we had lost like that, I probably would have been frustrated too.”

Enough to toss a stick?

There’s no doubt this will be an intense playoff series, should it come about.

“You need a little bad blood,” Tocchet said. “We haven’t been in Phoenix too long [the team moved from Winnipeg before the 1996-97 season]. We needed a rival to get fans excited. The Ducks haven’t been around that long. They needed a rival. It’s good for the league.”

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The Ducks didn’t practice Monday, giving their wounded a day to heal.

Defenseman Jason Marshall is day to day after being sent headfirst into the boards by Phoenix’s Dallas Drake. He didn’t miss a shift, but Duck officials were being cautious, saying Marshall “had his bell rung.”

Steve Rucchin, who has missed six games because of a groin injury, has skated on his own but is also listed as day to day. Still, it was not known if he would practice today or play Wednesday. Rucchin has said he will be ready for the game.

The news was better on Tomas Sandstrom. He played Sunday with flu, according to Duck officials, but didn’t play after the first period because of dizziness. It certainly didn’t help that Phoenix’s Bob Corkum sent him over the boards and into the Coyote bench in the first period.

Sandstrom is expected to practice today and play Wednesday.