Sawyer Getting Ready

ST. PAUL, Minn.--Eager is as close as one can come to describing Duck tough-guy Kevin Sawyer’s anticipation right now.

His five-game suspension, the result of a brawl-filled, “Slap Shot”-like evening in Calgary, will be over after tonight’s game against Minnesota. Wednesday against Colorado, Sawyer hopes to be back on the ice.

“I never take anything for granted, but I sure hope I’m in the lineup,” Sawyer said. “I can’t wait to get back.”

That could be disturbing news for any opponent who might want to take a run at Paul Kariya or any other Duck player. Sawyer will be on patrol again. He did that well during the Dec. 8 melee at Calgary, when the Flames decided to test the Ducks’ resolve. Sawyer tried to answer an attack on goalie Jean-Sebastien Giguere in the traditional manner, but Calgary’s tough-guy, Bob Boughner, didn’t want to dance. So Sawyer deliberately ran into Flame goalie Mike Vernon.

Sawyer received a match penalty, a mere 10 minutes in a game that had 309 minutes in penalties, 291 in the third period. Later the league assessed Sawyer, a 27-year-old rookie who has a league-high 142 penalty minutes, the first suspension of his career.

“I don’t know if getting suspended was inevitable, but when you play a role like I do, you are definitely going to get into your fair share of trouble,” Sawyer said. “The first couple days after the incident happened, I doubted myself a little bit. I wondered if I should change some things. But I really don’t think I would change anything as far as my play. It has kept me in league so far.”

TONIGHT

at Minnesota, 5 PST

Site--Xcel Energy Center.

Radio--XTRA (690).

Records--Ducks 9-18-4-3, Wild 12-12-5-3.

Record vs. Wild (2000-01)--2-2-0-0.

Update--The Ducks are scoreless in their last 23 power plays. The Wild is tied with Washington for the best power play in the league.