The Ducks love him because opponents loathe him. 
No question, the Ducks and their rivals noticed the absence of defenseman Ruslan Salei while he was sidelined for two months because of headaches and dizziness stemming from a Jan. 17 concussion. 

Salei played three games after returning to the lineup March 16, but was relatively ineffective. Saturday against the Kings, that changed. Salei looked like his old self again, causing trouble and angering the opposition. 

Although he did not record a goal or an assist in a 3-3 tie, Salei delivered a team-high five hits, including a tough but legal check that drove King center Eric Belanger to the bench in the first period. Belanger suffered a shoulder injury and could not continue. 
"He had missed a lot of games," Coach Guy Charron said of Salei, who was injured when he fell and hit his head on the ice in a 5-2 victory over the Atlanta Thrashers. "It was unrealistic to expect him to play as aggressively in his first few games. . . . He was playing himself into game shape." 

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Defenseman Vitaly Vishnevski, sidelined for three games because of a shoulder injury, skated with assistant coach Kelly Miller for more than an hour Monday and hopes to practice with his teammates today and Wednesday. If all goes well, he could be in the lineup for Thursday's game against the San Jose Sharks. 
"When we have Vitaly and Salei in the lineup, opponents know when those two guys are on the ice," Charron said. "They expect to get hit. It's an advantage for us."