Ducks’ Skid Extended to Five

By expansion standards, it is a small losing streak--nothing to speak of, really. The Mighty Ducks have lost five in a row after falling to the Washington Capitals, 5-2, before 16,346 at Anaheim Arena on Friday.

“I think we have to sit back and take a good look at what’s happening, what we’re not doing right,” goaltender Ron Tugnutt said. What he sees is a team that is scrambling so hard to score that it is losing its defensive style.

“There’s too much talk, too many guys are worrying about trying to put the puck in the net,” he said. “I think we were a lot better off when we were trying to win, 2-1, 3-2.

“We were a .500 hockey team when we were not scoring goals. What’s wrong with that?”

Indeed, during their four-game unbeaten streak, the Ducks averaged slightly fewer than three goals per game. The five they gave up Friday were the most since a 7-2 opening-night loss to Detroit.

Still, a five-game losing streak is nothing by expansion standards.

San Jose lost 17 consecutive games last season in the team’s second year, and tied the NHL record for consecutive losses. Their companions in misery? The Capitals, who lost 17 in a row during their first season, 1974-75, when they won only eight games.

Even Tampa Bay, which won 23 games in its successful first year last season, had an eight-game losing streak during the season. Ottawa’s longest was 14.

The Ducks have been plagued lately by overpassing and a slow trigger on shots, but they created some good chances in the first period--only to come up empty.

The Capitals took a 2-0 lead in the first 20 minutes on goals by Dimitri Khristich--his first of two--and Todd Krygier, who was given all day to put a shot in from the slot.

“You give guys in this league time 15 feet from the net, and he’s going to find the corner,” Tugnutt said.

The Capitals’ lead grew to 5-1 after two periods, with the Duck goal coming on a shot from the slot by Bob Corkum, who was assisted by Garry Valk and Todd Ewen at 9:01 of the second period. Corkum is the Ducks’ checking center, but he has scored a goal in each of the last three games to tie Terry Yake for the team lead in goals with four.

Before Corkum’s goal, Washington led, 3-0, after Dave Poulin took the puck away from the Ducks in the neutral zone, then passed to Randy Burridge, who scored the first of his two goals. His second came later in the period after a stretch of swirling offensive pressure by the Ducks. Burridge deflated that, though, when a 2-on-1 materialized and he scored from the left circle for a 4-1 lead.

Burridge, who had a hat trick against the Kings last week, sat out almost all of last season recuperating from reconstructive surgery on both knees.

Khristich scored his second goal at 18:39 of the second, when he stuffed in a rebound seven seconds into a power play that began after Valk was sent off for roughing.

The Ducks pulled within three goals at 8:57 of the third on defenseman Bobby Dollas’ shot from the right point, his second goal of the season. They had a golden chance minutes later, but Don Beaupre made the stop on Patrik Carnback’s shot in close.

“It’s tough now,” Carnback said. “We have to keep on trying.”

Duck Notes

Captain Troy Loney did not play because of a bruised right knee. His status is listed as day to day. . . . The Capitals are still awaiting the Nov. 26 return of Dale Hunter, suspended for the first 20 games of the season for his hit on Pierre Turgeon of the New York Islanders during the playoffs. . . . The Ducks’ final goal in their loss to San Jose on Thursday was scored by center Bob Corkum, contrary to the Associated Press agate summary, which credited the goal to defenseman Sean Hill. The scoring change giving the goal to Corkum was made after the game. . . . Right wing Terry Yake, center Anatoli Semenov and defenseman Alexei Kasatonov are the Ducks’ representatives on the NHL All-Star fan ballot beginning Nov. 1.