Rookie Fills Void Left by Rucchin

The worst-case scenario--as most of them are for the Mighty Ducks--came to pass last week, when center Steve Rucchin had surgery to insert screws in his fractured left ankle.

The Ducks went from expecting their top center back within a week to being without him indefinitely. Team officials said he would be out six to eight weeks.

So why was this team smiling Sunday, besides the fact it had just routed Phoenix, 4-0?

Rucchin’s loss has been cushioned a bit by Andy McDonald’s play. He has three goals and seven points in the last five games, including the Ducks’ first goal Sunday.

He also had an assist in the victory at America West Arena.

“Andy has helped with the loss of [Rucchin], that’s for sure,” team captain Paul Kariya said.

“Obviously, [Rucchin] is a huge part of our team. That he is out that much longer is not helping us.”

But McDonald is. He has three goals and 10 points in 10 games since being recalled Nov. 30. Among rookies, he and Carolina’s Erik Cole are tied for second in points during December. Atlanta’s Ilya Kovalchuk and Danny Heatley each have 11 points.

The other centers who had tried to replace Rucchin on the top line had one even-strength goal in 10 games.

McDonald’s goal Sunday was a skating exhibition, as he showed the speed that allows him to offset his 5-foot-10, 186-pound frame. He rushed into the Coyote zone, then circled before firing a shot past goalie Sean Burke.

He then assisted on Kariya’s second-period goal. McDonald snapped a cross-ice pass to Patric Kjellberg, whose shot was stopped by Burke. Kariya knocked in the rebound.

“Those are the things that make that line tick right now,” Coach Bryan Murray said. “Andy has played very well in that spot. You see Paul picking up some chances that he wasn’t getting early in the season.”

“The only things we thought were handicapped were Andy’s experience and size. The way he’s playing now, size is not a factor. One thing he can do is skate to create space for himself and teammates.”

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Kariya is fifth among North American forwards in balloting for the NHL All-Star game. Kariya has 37,278 votes and trailed Detroit’s Brendan Shanahan and Brett Hull, San Jose’s Owen Nolan and the New York Rangers’ Theo Fleury.

Kariya has appeared in five of the last six all-star games, missing only the 1997-98 game when he had a concussion.