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Ex-Duck Lupul on Anaheim’s struggles: “I’m pretty surprised”

Joffrey Lupul

Tonight will be a reunion of sorts for Toronto winger Joffrey Lupul. It’ll be the first time he’s faced his former club -- the Anaheim Ducks -- since being traded to Toronto nine months ago.

Not that he’s missing life in Orange County.

The Leafs are off to their best start in years, the Ducks their worst. Heading into Sunday’s play, Anaheim’s 6-12-4 record was the worst in the Pacific Division and dangerously close to the worst in the Western Conference. Columbus is now just one point back of Anaheim for 14th place and should the BJs beat St. Louis tonight and the Ducks lose to Toronto, the Ducks will occupy the conference basement. (As opposed to the parental basement, occupied by the PHT staffers.)

“I’m pretty surprised,” he told the OC Register. “If you just look at those names, (Bobby) Ryan, (Ryan) Getzlaf, (Corey) Perry, (Teemu) Selanne ... you think that’s a playoff team. Right?”

Not that Lupul is shedding any tears. In speaking with the Register, he discussed his acrimonious relationship with Ducks head coach Randy Carlyle about playing left wing. Lupul’s emerged as a high-end scorer since moving to the position full-time in Toronto. He’s scored 11 times and is third in the NHL with 27 points.

“In my conversation with Randy, he said he didn’t think I had the skill to play left in wing in this league being on my off side,” Lupul said (he’s a right-hand shot). “So he wasn’t going to give me that opportunity here. And I’m not going to knock Corey Perry or Teemu Selanne off their right wing spot.

“So pretty much after that conversation, I realized that I probably wasn’t in their plans here.”

That’s not what Carlyle wanted to hear as he squirms on the hottest of hot seats. One of Anaheim’s biggest issues this year has been secondary scoring -- with the Big Three struggling to find their form, the only Duck to step up and provide consistent offense has been Selanne.

“If we probably erred, we probably erred in that we didn’t play him consistently enough at left wing,” Carlyle admitted. “Players make comments. It’s not up to management or coaches to throw any dirt one way or another. I’m just glad that the player is healthy and making a contribution.”

Bet he wishes Lupul was making that contribution for the Ducks, though.