Duck Shots

A weekly update on the Mighty Ducks.

The Ducks prove they can lose with ease at home and away. San Jose’s penalty-killing unit (three goals) outscores the power play (one goal) in a 4-1 victory last Friday. Boston starts off with a short-handed goal in a 5-1 victory last Sunday. After a downpour of defensive mistakes, Coach Ron Wilson sees a rainbow on the horizon in a 3-0 loss to Philadelphia on Wednesday. No short-handed goals given and only 12 shots taken. That’s optimism. Here’s a look at what’s ahead:

* Where they stand: 1-6-2 (4 points), seventh in Pacific Division, 13th in Western Conference.

* Who’s hot: Ken Baumgartner, Warren Rychel and Barry Nieckar do their jobs and respond to challenges from Boston’s Jeff Odgers, Troy Mallette and Steve Staios. All this comes in the first period.

* Who’s not: The Duck power play (4 for 40) is better at scoring than Detroit’s (2 for 38), but giving up four short-handed goals over two games is not what is expected of unit that includes Teemu Selanne, Jari Kurri, Roman Oksuita and Fredrik Olausson.

UPCOMING

* Today, at Hartford (4 p.m., Prime): The Whalers’ luck remains good, so far. Proof? Defenseman Glen Wesley is finally getting into the offense, although still not enough to justify the three No. 1 draft picks the Whalers sent to Boston for him in 1994.

* Sunday, Calgary (5 p.m., Prime): Theoren Fleury battles everything and everyone. That determination is enough to get him out of a slump and move the Flames to the top of the Pacific Division.

* Wednesday, Vancouver (7:30 p.m., Prime): The Canucks knocked Dallas from the unbeaten ranks with a 6-1 victory last Thursday. The line of Markus Naslund, Mike Ridley and Alexander Mogilny had four goals and five assists in that one, only the unit’s fourth game together.