SawyerPut ina Tough Position

Left wing Kevin Sawyer made it clear from the Mighty Ducks’ first scrimmage that--on the ice and off--he was here to fight for a job.

He skirmished, early and often, that day then announced his intentions. . At 27, it was time for him to play in the NHL.

And he will. His play through the exhibition season has landed him a job as one of the Ducks’ enforcers. He will skate on the fourth line in Thursday’s opener at Boston.

“I’ve been in this situation before and you can lay awake nights, thinking about making the team,” Sawyer said. “It can drive you crazy. I wanted to make sure I could live with myself and do everything possible to make this club.”

Hockey has been a long struggle for Sawyer. He has played only 22 games in the NHL since signing with St. Louis in 1995, including a career-high nine last season with the Ducks. He also has spent short stints with Boston, Phoenix and Dallas. .

He signed as a free agent last year but a bad back hampered him during training camp and limited his play. His back is a nonissue now, he said. Sawyer, Jim Cummins and Denny Lambert have competed for two enforcer spots. Cummins will start the season on the injured reserve list because of a blister on his right heel that led to an infected ankle.

But Sawyer’s abilities in scraps are only part of the reason he has a spot on the team. He has also shown defensive skills and has been a tough checker.

“The game has changed,” Sawyer said. “You can’t just be a fighter anymore. You have to make the right decisions with the puck and in situations. I want to contribute in other ways.”

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Coach Bryan Murray is under no delusions about the Ducks’ season, but he also has hopes.

“We’ve had a short camp with a lot of exhibition games,” he said. “There hasn’t been the time to teach. I think we will be a better team by the time we get to Christmas.”

The Ducks, though, were done in the Western Conference by Christmas last season.

“It’s important that we compete every night, get some hard-fought wins,” Murray said. “If we do, I think we’ll stay in the playoff race.”

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Jeff Friesen, who was expecting to skate on a line with Paul Kariya and Steve Rucchin, needs a fast start. He is coming off a subpar 48-point season after averaging 60 points the previous four seasons.

“Yeah, a fast start will be huge,” Friesen said. “But if I have only two goals and four assists in the first 20 games, it’s not like I’m going to start doubting myself. It’s not just about having a fast start. It’s about having a good season.”

Still ...

“I’ve seen how quickly you can go from a star to someone nobody wants in this league,” Friesen said.

He will start the season skating with center Matt Cullen and right wing Marty McInnis.

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Rucchin, who sat out Monday’s practice to rest his sore hip, practiced, and said he would play Thursday.