Shawn Antoski

There are dog days and then there are dog days. Professional hockey players are used to having their faces split by fists, their bones broken and teeth knocked out with sticks, their flesh slashed open with cold steel. But when your dog kicks in your head, you know it's not your day. Shawn Antoski's eight-year career in the NHL has been littered with stretched knee ligaments, separated shoulders, broken knuckles, strained hips and even hernia surgery.

Shawn Antoski seemed uncertain about what to say at first, so he cracked a joke at his own expense Friday morning. "Did anybody find a lung out there?" he asked, breaking into a wide smile after his first workout with Mighty Duck teammates since the Nov. 24 car accident that almost took his life. It didn't take long for him to stop pretending to be short of breath and to adopt a more serious tone, however.

Sean Pronger had two goals and an assist as the Mighty Ducks made the most of their scoring chances in a 4-2 exhibition victory over the Coyotes at Phoenix. The Ducks scored on four of 13 shots. Matt Cullen and Shawn Antoski also scored goals for the Ducks. Goalie Mikhail Shtalenkov made 35 saves.

Shawn Antoski seemed uncertain about what to say at first, so he cracked a joke at his own expense Friday morning at the Arrowhead Pond. "Did anybody find a lung out there?" he asked, breaking into a wide smile after his first workout with Mighty Duck teammates since the Nov. 24 car accident that almost took his life. It didn't take long for him to stop pretending to be short of breath and to adopt a more serious tone, however.

Colorado, Calgary, Vancouver. That's the answer to the question, "Who are the only teams to beat the Mighty Ducks since the Kings' 3-1 victory on Feb. 20?" The Ducks are 11-3-7 since a loss they've called a wake-up call and a slap in the face. "We've lost three games in 21," Duck Coach Ron Wilson said. "If we go on a roll like that [in the playoffs] we'll win the Stanley Cup." Except, of course, there are no ties in the playoffs.

Determined to avoid surgery as long as he can, tough guy Shawn Antoski is back in the lineup despite a painful hip injury. "There's no secret I'm still sore," he said the day after playing for the first time in 20 games. "Everybody knows. Everybody asks. Doctors, trainers, coaches. At this point, it's not like I'm going to be able to hide it. "I hear so many opinions [about surgery]. Do it, don't do it," Antoski said. "But I can't come to grips with sitting out the rest of the year."

Tough guy Shawn Antoski is hoping he'll be able to play if the Ducks make the playoffs. Antoski skated Wednesday for the first time since undergoing abdominal surgery Feb. 4. He played in only two games before being injured after arriving in a trade from Pittsburgh. "I just skated and shot pucks, nothing major. It felt pretty good," Antoski said. "I'm looking at the playoff picture. I'm still focused on that. It's my goal, but I'm realistic. I could be out for the season."

After visiting Dr. William Garrett of Duke University earlier this week, enforcer Shawn Antoski has decided to undergo groin surgery. The only question is when and who will perform the procedure. "It's kind of tough because this could have been diagnosed two months ago, but there's no tests [to determine what's wrong]," said Antoski, who suffered what is called a "sports hernia" in a Nov. 20 game against the New York Islanders and has played only once since.

Mighty Duck forward Shawn Antoski suffered a depressed skull fracture in a one-car accident early Monday morning and is listed in serious but stable condition after undergoing surgery at Western Medical Center in Santa Ana. Antoski, 27, was riding in the passenger seat of a rented 1996 Ford Mustang driven by Antoski's cousin, according to authorities and team officials.

Shawn Antoski seemed uncertain about what to say at first, so he cracked a joke at his own expense Friday morning at the Arrowhead Pond. "Did anybody find a lung out there?" he asked, breaking into a wide smile after his first workout with Mighty Duck teammates since the Nov. 24 car accident that almost took his life. It didn't take long for him to stop pretending to be short of breath and to adopt a more serious tone, however.

There are dog days and then there are dog days. Professional hockey players are used to having their faces split by fists, their bones broken and teeth knocked out with sticks, their flesh slashed open with cold steel. But when your dog kicks in your head, you know it's not your day. Shawn Antoski's eight-year career in the NHL has been littered with stretched knee ligaments, separated shoulders, broken knuckles, strained hips and even hernia surgery.

Left wing Shawn Antoski, who suffered a fractured skull and underwent surgery after an auto accident Nov. 24, was released from a Santa Ana hospital Friday and has been resting comfortably at home. He is expected to make a full recovery, but probably won't play again this season, according to a team spokesman. Antoski scored one goal in nine games before the accident.

Mighty Duck forward Shawn Antoski suffered a depressed skull fracture in a one-car accident early Monday morning and is listed in serious but stable condition after undergoing surgery at Western Medical Center in Santa Ana. Antoski, 27, was riding in the passenger seat of a rented 1996 Ford Mustang driven by Antoski's cousin, according to authorities and team officials.

Tough guy Shawn Antoski remains a big part of the Ducks' plans this season. He is 6 feet 4, 235 pounds, a strong skater and a bit mean, but Coach Pierre Page expects more offense from the former first-round draft pick of the Vancouver Canucks. Antoski combined skill and physical play to record 25 goals, 56 points and 201 penalty minutes in his final season with North Bay of the junior-level Ontario Hockey League.

When the game of hockey is under control, the players fit into their roles: the passer, checker, scorer. But when an opponent tries to expand his role, that's when the trouble starts. He becomes an odd shape and things no longer fit. Enter Shawn Antoski of the Mighty Ducks. His job is to bash that square peg into a round hole, make things fit and restore order. After a season of disorder, Antoski is ready to rearrange his career. "The scrimmages and practices are all great . . .

Sean Pronger had two goals and an assist as the Mighty Ducks made the most of their scoring chances in a 4-2 exhibition victory over the Coyotes at Phoenix. The Ducks scored on four of 13 shots. Matt Cullen and Shawn Antoski also scored goals for the Ducks. Goalie Mikhail Shtalenkov made 35 saves.

Left wing Shawn Antoski, who suffered a fractured skull and underwent surgery after an auto accident Nov. 24, was released from a Santa Ana hospital Friday and has been resting comfortably at home. He is expected to make a full recovery, but probably won't play again this season, according to a team spokesman. Antoski scored one goal in nine games before the accident.

Shawn Antoski seemed uncertain about what to say at first, so he cracked a joke at his own expense Friday morning. "Did anybody find a lung out there?" he asked, breaking into a wide smile after his first workout with Mighty Duck teammates since the Nov. 24 car accident that almost took his life. It didn't take long for him to stop pretending to be short of breath and to adopt a more serious tone, however.

Colorado, Calgary, Vancouver. That's the answer to the question, "Who are the only teams to beat the Mighty Ducks since the Kings' 3-1 victory on Feb. 20?" The Ducks are 11-3-7 since a loss they've called a wake-up call and a slap in the face. "We've lost three games in 21," Duck Coach Ron Wilson said. "If we go on a roll like that [in the playoffs] we'll win the Stanley Cup." Except, of course, there are no ties in the playoffs.

Tough guy Shawn Antoski is hoping he'll be able to play if the Ducks make the playoffs. Antoski skated Wednesday for the first time since undergoing abdominal surgery Feb. 4. He played in only two games before being injured after arriving in a trade from Pittsburgh. "I just skated and shot pucks, nothing major. It felt pretty good," Antoski said. "I'm looking at the playoff picture. I'm still focused on that. It's my goal, but I'm realistic. I could be out for the season."