FINDING THEIR WAY

CHICAGO —  Pierre Gauthier has found himself answering some pretty unusual questions this season.

Is the Walt Disney Co. selling the Mighty Ducks?

Are the Ducks a bunch of thugs?

Is Coach Craig Hartsburg too conservative?

Are you trading Teemu Selanne?

Gauthier’s answer to all of the above has been, “No.”

But there is one question the Duck president and general manager can’t answer in a one-word statement. There simply is no easy answer to the nagging question of why the Ducks aren’t better than a ninth-place team in the NHL’s Western Conference.

All he can do is ask for patience.

“All the good teams took a long time to get good,” he said. “Dallas, Detroit, Colorado--they were successful because they stayed with the program. It’s how it works in hockey.”

In many ways, the Ducks are still trying to live up to the lofty expectations created by their 1997 first-round playoff victory over the Phoenix Coyotes and their gritty second-round loss to the eventual Stanley Cup champion Red Wings.

The Ducks regressed in 1997-98, missed the playoffs and hired Hartsburg to replace Pierre Page, who was hired to replace Ron Wilson. The Ducks then hired Gauthier to stabilize the franchise.

Hartsburg and Gauthier got the Ducks back in the playoffs last season, but Detroit’s four-game sweep did little to rekindle the passion of ’97.

Which brings us to the Ducks’ current predicament.

A 4-3 victory Monday against the Chicago Blackhawks gave them a 4-2-2 record in their last eight games. However, they are five points out of eighth place in the fight for the final playoff spot.

Selanne and Paul Kariya, the Ducks’ best players, are on torrid scoring streaks. Selanne has an 11-game point streak, the longest active streak in the NHL. Kariya has 14 goals and 22 points in the last 12 games. The power play has scored at least once in eight consecutive games, clicking on 13 of 39 chances.

Role players--including center Steve Rucchin, defenseman Oleg Tverdovsky and newly acquired forward Kip Miller--have stepped up their games.

“We’re well in the mix,” Gauthier said. “We’ve had our ups and downs this season, but we’re prepared for the final one-third of the season. We’re back on track and should have a good last part of the season.”

It has been a strange season. After all, training camp was still some days away when the story of a possible sale of the Ducks and Angels by Disney first broke.

On Oct. 2, the Ducks were accused of thuggery by the Dallas Stars after three of their players were injured in a rough-and-tumble season opener. Three Ducks were later suspended for their actions.

A tight-checking victory Nov. 9 against the Toronto Maple Leafs prompted several Canadian reporters to question Hartsburg’s handling of the gifted offensive pair of Kariya and Selanne.

This month, rumors have run wild that Gauthier is ready to trade Selanne to the New Jersey Devils for a package of players.

“We’ve had a lot of tests this year,” Gauthier said. “These [trade] rumors. The suspensions. The sale. Stories about the coach’s style of play. There have even been people writing that we play the [neutral-zone] trap. If you’ve seen our team once you would know we don’t play the trap.

“It’s been a tough go. A lot of people thought we would crack, but we’re back on track. We need a good stretch here. There are a lot of four-point games coming up.”

The Ducks would be better off today if they hadn’t performed belly-flops against lesser teams such as the Montreal Canadiens (twice), New York Islanders and Tampa Bay Lightning.

“Where would we be with three or four more wins?” he asked. “I just hope we can get in [the playoffs]. If we get in, it’s a brand new ballgame. It’s been such a funny season, but I think our team is up to making a good stretch run.”

The league’s trade deadline is March 14, but don’t expect Gauthier to make any dramatic moves. Dealing Selanne certainly is out of the question.

“I said I wouldn’t trade him and I can’t lie to the fans,” Gauthier said. “That’s one thing I can’t do. I can’t lie to the fans . . . I’m always looking to improve the club. It’s a matter of fine-tuning. We got Kip Miller [two weeks ago from the Pittsburgh Penguins] and he’s helped us.

“There are always deals to look at. But there’s no dramatic changes to be made. It’s not in the cards. There is every indication this team can finish strong and make the playoffs.”