Team Leaders Back Charron

The Mighty Duck leadership, at least the segment of it that wears skates, is behind Coach Guy Charron, who will learn his fate when the season ends.

Captain Paul Kariya and assistant captain Oleg Tverdovsky said Charron is largely responsible for the team’s recent success. The Ducks are 7-4-2 in their last 13 games.

“We’ve had some stinkers, he kept things in perspective and moved on,” Kariya said. “We have responded well to him. I think he has done a really good job for our team. It’s not up to me to decide. But he has done an excellent job.”

Tverdovsky took that step further. Asked whether Charron should keep the job, Tverdovsky said, “Yeah. I think we have been playing really well lately. Right now, the guys believe in him, believe in what he’s saying. It’s working out pretty good.”

General Manager Pierre Gauthier has declined to discuss whether he will retain Charron, who replaced Craig Hartsburg on Dec. 14.

Charron took over a Duck team that was unraveling rapidly. A rash of injuries, including Kariya missing 16 games because of a broken foot, made resurrecting the Ducks difficult. But the change alone gave the Ducks a bounce. They seemed to respond better to Charron’s outgoing personality than Hartsburg’s stoicism.

“The biggest thing he has done is stay positive,” Tverdovsky said. “Sometimes he gets frustrated and gets mad. But every day is a new day. That allowed us to work things out.”

As a result, the Ducks are close to realizing Charron’s post-All-Star game goal of a winning record. They are 9-10-4-1 since the break with two games remaining.

“He preaches the same thing that most coaches in the league preach, which is just good defense,” Kariya said. “He’s very emotional person, a likable person. I don’t know anyone who has a bad thing to say about him. The team has played well under him.”

TONIGHT

At Colorado, 6 p.m.

* Site--Pepsi Center.

* Radio--XTRA (690).

* Records--Ducks 25-39-10-5; Avalanche 51-15-9-4.

* Record vs. Avalanche--0-3.

* Update--The Ducks are playing well right now. But the Avalanche is rolling, going 16-3-2 in its last 21 games. Colorado has clinched the President’s Trophy, awarded to the team with the best overall record during the regular season. Of course, the team that won the President Trophy--first given in 1985-86--has won the Stanley Cup only four times in 15 seasons.