Morrison: 'Total regression'

In the pantheon of players not meeting expectations, and the coach responding with a lineup scratch, you get the feeling that Morrison is a different case. He is taking it deep to heart, unable to explain why his recovery from ACL surgery last April is still keeping him from replicating his form of a decade spent in the NHL.

Morrison posted consecutive two-goal games late in December, in Calgary and Dallas, but hasn't scored a goal since. He's also been held without an assist in his last seven games. After being a healthy scratch in back-to-back games against Buffalo and Minnesota last week, he was playing among the Ducks' bottom six forwards the next two games.

"Around December is when I was playing my best hockey of the year for a stretch. I felt like things were coming," Morrison said. "It's almost like there's been a total regression the last month. Production-wise, there's been zero production. I've been embarrassed by it. You have to face up to it, own up to it. I'm not going to sit here and make excuses, it hasn't gotten done."

In terms of hockey, maybe a worse thing couldn't be happening to a better person.

"One thing about him, he takes responsibility for his actions," Carlyle said. "You always defend an individual who does the necessary things to make him a strong NHL player, and he continues to do that. Other than the lack of production, he's been a great teammate, he's worked hard, he's supported our younger players. He's supported every player who's been in a tough situation. It's not easy sitting a player out like that."

As far as getting him back into the lineup, the question is, where does Morrison fit best?

He was at right wing with Travis Moen and Todd Marchant against Nashville, then centered the fourth line between George Parros and Mike Brown against Calgary. In practice Tuesday, he was back on the second line with Bobby Ryan and Teemu Selanne.

"So far," he confessed, "things haven't really jelled, or there hasn't been a lot of chemistry." Added Carlyle: "It's a work in progress and we're going to continue to find a fit for him."

For Morrison to catch on as a top-six forward for the Ducks' stretch run, he will need to display the quickness of skate and stick that made him a stable force in the Vancouver Canucks' lineup from 2000-08. Those skills have been displayed in spurts this season, but when (or if) Morrison regains his pre-surgery quickness is anyone's guess. 

"You talk to people that have gone through [ACL surgery]; everyone typically says it takes at least a year until you feel fairly good again," Morrison said. "I've had this conversation with Brendan Mikkelson. He said it took him longer than that, but you always think it's not going to take me that long. It's never been an issue for me, skating, but this year it has as far as challenging guys, breaking away from guys, beating guys to pucks -- it's almost been nonexistent."