Rucchin Has an Off Night

EDMONTON, Canada â€”  Faceoffs were among the countless one-on-one battles the Ducks lost Monday to the Edmonton Oilers, which made a 5-3 loss predictable.

Center Steve Rucchin had a miserable night, losing 18 of 26 draws. The Ducks lost 48 of 71 overall, which meant the difference in the game.

At least Rucchin had an excuse for his failures. His left hand, broken on Sept. 22, has healed, but isn’t as strong as Rucchin needs it to be in order to be at his best on the draw.

“I think I probably came back prematurely,� Rucchin acknowledged Monday. “It’ll be nice when we have a few nights without games to rest it. Seven games in 11 nights are not going to give it a chance to let it settle down.�

Rucchin was sidelined for the Ducks’ first six games, but has been fairly effective until Monday’s loss to the Oilers.

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As expected, the Ducks played without right wing Marty McInnis, who suffered a sprained neck when he crashed headfirst into the boards in the first period Sunday. McInnis is unlikely to play Wednesday. He is scheduled to see a team doctor today in Anaheim.

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Defenseman Oleg Tverdovsky played in his 221st consecutive game Monday, the league’s second-longest active streak behind Chicago’s Tony Amonte, who has played in 257 in a row. . . . Jason Marshall played his 306th game as a Duck, tops among defensemen in team history. Bobby Dollas played 305 games for the Ducks.