▁N HL ▁Exp ansion ▁D raft . ▁That ▁left ▁them ▁with ▁Pro spect s ▁Patrick ▁L al ime ▁and ▁Chris ▁Mason ▁for ▁the ▁back ▁up ▁position . ▁ ▁Just ▁before ▁the ▁season ▁started ▁the ▁D uck s ▁acquired ▁Domin ic ▁R ous sel ▁from ▁the ▁Nash ville ▁Pred ators ▁for ▁Chris ▁Mason ▁and ▁Marc ▁Mor o ▁on ▁October ▁ 5 , ▁ 1 9 9 8 ▁which ▁gave ▁the ▁team ▁more ▁experience ▁in ▁case ▁He bert ▁would ▁be ▁s idel ined ▁like ▁last ▁season . ▁Days ▁later ▁they ▁sent ▁Doug ▁Hou da ▁to ▁Detroit ▁on ▁October ▁ 9 . ▁ ▁Reg ular ▁season ▁ ▁The ▁season ▁was ▁much ▁more ▁consistent ▁than ▁last ▁season . ▁Ana heim ▁started ▁off ▁slow , ▁losing ▁their ▁first ▁three ▁games ▁and ▁scoring ▁only ▁one ▁goal ▁but ▁was ▁un be aten ▁the ▁next ▁six ▁games . ▁On ▁October ▁ 2 7 , ▁ 1 9 9 8 ▁they ▁added ▁Mart y ▁Mc In nes , ▁a ▁key ▁player ▁who ▁gave ▁them ▁more ▁scoring ▁depth ▁for ▁the ▁team ' s ▁up coming ▁success ▁and ▁domin ating ▁Power play . ▁On ▁November ▁ 8 ▁Tom as ▁Sand st rom ▁suffered ▁a ▁broken ▁left ▁w rist ▁which ▁kept ▁him ▁s idel ined ▁until ▁late ▁December ▁thus ▁re lying ▁more ▁on ▁their ▁star ▁players ▁and ▁hoping ▁for ▁others ▁to ▁fill ▁the ▁void . ▁The ▁team ▁managed ▁to ▁com eb ack ▁a ▁few ▁times ▁after ▁going ▁win less ▁some ▁games ▁and ▁even ▁put ▁up ▁winning ▁stre aks ▁like ▁in ▁early ▁December ▁( 4 -