Rucchin Still a Bit Rusty in Return

BUFFALO, N.Y. —  Steve Rucchin wore a heavy ice pack on his left hand and a grimace on his face after playing his first game of the season.

Rucchin took his customary spot between all-star wingers Paul Kariya and Teemu Selanne, but wasn’t nearly as sharp as his linemates. A broken bone in his left hand has kept Rucchin out of the lineup since Sept. 22, and there was very little magic on the Ducks’ top line Friday against the Buffalo Sabres.

Rucchin played 19 minutes 49 seconds in his 2000-2001 debut and, as expected, took very few faceoffs in order to protect his hand. He took seven draws, losing six. Last season, he was second in the NHL behind Washington’s Adam Oates in the number of faceoffs won with 1,066.

Marty McInnis filled in on several key third-period draws, losing one in the dying seconds that set up Chris Gratton’s tying goal with 7.2 seconds left.

“I can only get better,” Rucchin said. “I wasn’t expecting there not to be pain. Going into the game, you hope everything’s going to be great. Deep down, you know that’s not going to be the situation.”

Rucchin hopes to be in the lineup again tonight against the Philadelphia Flyers. “I assume so,” he said. “We’ll see how it feels in the morning. I hope it reacts well.”

*

The Ducks tried shopping center Antti Aalto around the NHL, but found no one willing to deal. They put him on waivers, but no one claimed him and he was assigned to Cincinnati of the American Hockey League on Wednesday.

Perhaps they might want to hang onto Aalto after all. In his second game with Cincinnati, he scored two goals in a 5-4 victory over Portland on Thursday.

TONIGHT

at Philadelphia, 4 PDT

* Site--First Union Center.

* Radio--KOGO (600).

* Records--Ducks 3-2-1-1, Flyers 1-4-2-0.

* Record vs. Flyers (1999-2000)--0-0-2.

* Update--Guy Hebert is scheduled to start in goal tonight for the Ducks. Philadelphia has given up a league-high 30 goals, including 10 while shorthanded. The Flyers will be without their three top offensive players tonight. Eric Lindros, a restricted free agent, remains unsigned, John LeClair will have back surgery today and Mark Recchi has post-concussion syndrome and isn’t expected to play.