Injured Duck Rickard Rakell is skating and hopes to play against Carolina on Wednesday

Rickard Rakell has been on a hot streak since he was cold-fired into the season, so it’s understandable that he wants to stay on the ice.

Rakell sat out the Ducks’ last game with an upper-body injury that is not expected to be a long-term issue. He practiced Tuesday, although he was not part of the line rushes and mostly did work on the side.

“I felt better today than yesterday,” Rakell said. “Hopefully it feels better [Wednesday].”

Rakell has six goals in his past eight games and is the Ducks’ second-leading goal scorer with 10 going into Wednesday’s game against the Carolina Hurricanes. That total was achieved in 16 games because Rakell didn’t play his first game until Nov.1 following his re-signing, a process that was interrupted by September surgery to remove scar tissue related to an appendectomy this year.

This injury is unrelated, and Rakell said it was “something that’s kind of been building up a little bit.” He said he wouldn’t need extended time to get it right.

“I just want to get back to playing, actually,” Rakell said. “If I’m good enough to play, I’ll be back. I don’t want to sit out. I’m feeling good otherwise. I’m hoping to get back as soon as possible.”

Rakell has thrived, particularly since he was given a regular top-line wing role with Ryan Getzlaf and Corey Perry. He gives the Ducks another dimension to their power play and he’s arguably their most skilled forward.

“Obviously we’d like to add that skill back into our lineup,” Ducks Coach Randy Carlyle said.

Bernier rebounds

Jonathan Bernier said he can turn the page on the 8-3 loss to the Calgary Flames last Saturday. Bernier was charged with all eight goals, five in the second period. His goals-against average went from 2.02 to 2.77.

“You’re due for a game like that, probably once a year or twice,” Bernier said. “You can’t really beat yourself [up] too much on those games. You look at it, it’s really 10-15 minutes that we didn’t play our style of game and they scored five, six goals.”

Carlyle had to leave Bernier in the game because John Gibson was ill. Bernier said he didn’t know that until goalie coach Sudarshan Maharaj told him at second intermission.

“It was a long second period,” Bernier said with a chuckle.

Cogliano pays up

The final drill of practice saw Andrew Cogliano wearing an Ohio State football helmet, courtesy of teammate Ryan Kesler.

“I had to buy it,” Kesler said. “Amazon.”

Cogliano, a Michigan alum, was paying off a gentlemen’s bet with Kesler, a former Buckeye, after Ohio State’s win against Michigan last month. Kesler, who was actually born and raised in Michigan, took a picture with Cogliano afterward.

“He was supposed to wear it for half the practice and he only wore it for the last [part],” Kesler said. “I don’t think he liked it too much, but he had fun with it. I couldn’t stop laughing.”

NEXT UP

VS. CAROLINA

When: 7:30 p.m.

On the air: TV: FSW; Radio: 830

Update: Ducks forward Chris Wagner was assigned to San Diego of the American Hockey League. Hurricanes center Jordan Staal (concussion) did not travel with Carolina and defenseman Elias Lindholm (lower body) is day-to-day, according to the team.