by By DAN WOOD; The Register , The Orange County Register

The standout checking-line center and premier penalty-killer never has been known for offense. He has just three goals and 10 points in 40 games this season.

Still, there was Pahlsson on the club's top power-play unit Sunday against the Phoenix Coyotes at Honda Center. With Perry ineligible to play the next three games, Pahlsson likely will be there again tonight when the Kings come to town.

While Pahlsson did not register a point, he was on the ice for power-play goals by defenseman Chris Pronger and rookie winger Bobby Ryan in Sunday's 2-0 victory over the Phoenix Coyotes.

"The one thing about Sammy is he's strong on draws, and you know he's going to front of the net," Ducks coach Randy Carlyle said. "That's what we ask him to do."

Pahlsson, the team's best faceoff man, can be especially valuable on the power play given this season's new NHL rule that virtually all man-advantage opportunities begin in the offensive zone.

"That's huge," Carlyle said. "Ask every power play. They'd love to start in the zone with the puck. Sammy gives you more of an opportunity to do that.

"Maybe it's a new beginning for Sammy, as far as an offensive opportunity."

If there is any possible downside to Pahlsson's increased responsibilities, it is the potential for overwork. Pahlsson's average of 18 minutes, 12 seconds per game is more than any of the team's forwards except Perry (18:22) and center Ryan Getzlaf (19:32), and virtually all of Pahlsson's ice time is especially taxing, coming against the opposition's top scoring threats.

"I made it through last night, but there weren't too many penalties," Pahlsson said Monday after having played 22:04 against the Coyotes. Only Pronger (26:28) and fellow blue-line leader Scott Niedermayer (25:17), who assisted on both power-play goals, were on the ice more.

"It's all fun, though," Pahlsson said. "You want to be out there. You want to play. I don't think it should be a problem. I know I probably won't be there for a long time, but I have to help out."

While each team had only four power-play chances Sunday, Carlyle might have to make some adjustments if the Ducks get into one of their typical games where they face an abundance of shorthanded situations. Youngsters Drew Miller, Andrew Ebbett and Ryan Carter could be used to spell Pahlsson in penalty-killing duty, Carlyle said.

"We have some people that we can spread it to, but Sammy has been a mainstay in our penalty-killing since we got here," Carlyle said.

CUT FOR KIDS

Right wing George Parros got a rare haircut Monday as part of the second annual George Parros Cut for the Kids.

The team's resident enforcer, the 6-foot-5, 231-pound Parros was at the ESPN Zone at Downtown Disney to donate his hair to the Childhood Leukemia Foundation

Parros, 29, has been growing his hair long and making donations to noprofit organizations that provide children with wigs to aid in their fights against cancer since he was in the Kings' farm system, at Manchester, N.H., in 2003.

"It's something that I find easy to do, just grow my hair out all year and get one haircut," Parros said. "It's going to come off anyway, and I could care less what it looks like during the year. It benefits a good cause, and if people come along with me to do it, I think it's a great idea."

The Ducks' George Parros jokes around with fellow hair donor Kylie Eggers, 6, of Yorba Linda. Parros donated his hair to the Childhood Leukemia Foundation.

Copyright 2009 The Orange County Register (California) All Rights Reserved
	Terms & Conditions     Privacy Copyright © 2009 LexisNexis, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.