ANAHEIM, Calif. – Paul Kariya is a five-time NHL All-Star stuck with a struggling team, playing in an arena before thousands of empty seats, and flying solo after having been half of one of the league’s highest-scoring duos.

Even so, the only major complaint from the Anaheim left wing and captain has been with himself – at least until the Mighty Ducks’ last game.

“Scoring is my job and I’m not doing it,” Kariya said recently as he went through a personal slump along with the team.

Kariya, a former University of Maine star, broke out of his scoring drought with his sixth career hat trick as the Mighty Ducks won for the first time in nine games with a 5-3 victory Monday over Nashville.

Even with Anaheim last in the Pacific Division and well on its way to a third consecutive losing season, Kariya has managed to stay positive.

His job has been considerably more difficult this season because the Ducks traded away high-scoring linemate Teemu Selanne last March.

“Sometimes, I even wonder where he gets that positive attitude,” said Selanne, swapped to San Jose for left wing Jeff Friesen and goaltender Steve Shields. “Paul always sets little goals for himself and I think that helps keep his spirits up.

“I know how much he likes to win, so I know this has to be tough on him. But he’s a winner and, sooner or later, he’ll get credit for that.”

Steve Rucchin, who centered the line with Kariya and Selanne, also marvels at Kariya’s ability to remain upbeat.

“Paul knows what he needs to do and is focused on that,” said Rucchin, who has missed much of the past two seasons with injuries and is recuperating from a fractured left ankle. “Paul doesn’t let adversity get the best of him. He sees it as a challenge.

“He never loses his composure about anything. That’s his nature.”

Kariya, who recently went through a six-game streak without a point and earlier had 10 straight games without a goal, approaches every game the same, regardless of whether he’s scoring or the Ducks are winning.

“I focus on the discipline of getting ready to play every night, on going out there and having fun,” he said. “If you’re winning every game, obviously it’s a lot more fun.”

Former Ducks coach Ron Wilson, who now coaches the Washington Capitals, remains a big fan of Kariya.

“For three years there, Paul was the hardest-working athlete I’ve ever been associated with, the most focused athlete I’ve ever been around. It’s simple,” Wilson said. “Paul played both sides of the puck with the same intensity.

“He’s got incredible skill, and when you have that kind of skill and you work hard, only great things can happen.”

Kariya leads the Ducks in scoring with 17 goals and 17 assists, off his usual pace. He had 33 goals and 34 assists last season despite missing 16 games with a foot injury. He topped 100 points in both 1994-95, when he had 50 goals and 108 points, and 1998-99, when he had 101 points and 39 goals.

Although Kariya won’t say as much, Wilson believes his play has suffered because of the absence of Selanne and Rucchin.

“He plays best when he’s got a steady line,” Wilson said. “He knew he had Teemu and he knew he had Steve Rucchin. There was a chemistry among those three that made it one of the best lines in the league.

“He doesn’t have Teemu, and Rucchin’s been hurt all year. So it’s kind of tough I guess when you’ve been playing with different players every night.”