Line Shows Explosiveness

The bad news for Mighty Duck opponents: Paul Kariya, Teemu Selanne and Matt Cullen, the Ducks’ top line, had eight points--three goals, five assists--in a 5-2 victory over Washington Friday.

The good news? There is none. Those three are only beginning.

“The chemistry is starting to be there,” said Selanne, who scored 107 points last season. “The big thing for us is to be hungry and want to make things happen. We’ve had a few good games in a row, but it is not enough.”

When will it be enough?

“I don’t know,” Selanne said. “Let’s see.

“The power play can be better. If that was clicking [Friday] that game could have been 8-2. We can do better penalty killing and five-on-five. Everything can always get better.”

Kariya’s conditioning is a big reason everything already is better. He sat out most of training camp because of a hip injury and is only now nearing playing shape.

He was third in the NHL with 101 points last season. Kariya had two goals and an assist Friday.

“Players sometimes don’t realize how important training camp is because it is so tough when they are going through it,” Coach Craig Hartsburg said. “Paul is getting pretty close right now. It shows that you can’t miss training camp. Agents who keep their guys out of camp should be shot. No matter what financial gain they get, they are hurting their guy on the ice.”

The Ducks’ improved play also can be traced to left wing Marty McInnis, who has looked sharper in recent games. McInnis had 18 goals and 34 points after being acquired from Calgary last season.

McInnis has two goals and an assist in his last four games while playing on the second line. He has three goals and three assists for the season.

“I felt a lot more comfortable the last couple weeks,” McInnis said. “I have always been a slow starter and I tried to avoid that this year. Then I start thinking out there and stop moving. I always have to keep my feet moving. Then good things happen.”

They have the last two games. The Ducks have back-to-back victories, beating Washington and Pittsburgh, midway through their six-game home stand.

Tonight

vs. Phoenix, 5

* Site--Arrowhead Pond.

* Radio--XTRA (690).

* Records--Ducks 6-5-1-1, Phoenix 7-2-3.

* Record vs. Coyotes--0-1.

* Update--The last time these teams met, the Ducks were stunned by the suspensions of defensemen Ruslan Salei and Pascal Trepanier and left wing Jim McKenzie and were routed, 4-0. While the Ducks are happy about getting defenseman Oleg Tverdovsky (four goals, six assists) from Phoenix in an off-season trade, the Coyotes aren’t complaining about their end of the deal. Travis Green, acquired in the trade, leads the team with eight goals, including two Saturday in a victory over Colorado. Jeremy Roenick has five goals in four games, and scored his 800th career point, since returning from a five-game suspension.

* Tickets--(714) 740-2000.