Streak’s Four Ties May Haunt

It’s hard to find fault with a 10-game unbeaten streak, but here goes. . .

Ties can be dangerous, because the NHL’s tiebreaker system favors the team with the most victories.

The Ducks are 6-0-4 in their last 10 games for 16 points. It would be better to be 8-2. Same number of points, more victories.

Last season, remember, the Ducks actually finished in a tie with Winnipeg for the eighth and final Western Conference playoff spot, but lost the postseason berth because Winnipeg had 36 wins to the Ducks’ 35.

With six teams in close contention for the final five playoff spots at the moment, the tiebreaker seems likely to come into play. Only one of those six teams, Chicago, has fewer wins than the Ducks’ 29.

Give David McNab, the Ducks’ assistant general manager, credit for a jest of a trade proposal: Anybody willing to trade two ties for a win and a loss?

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The Ducks (29-30-10) get a second shot to reach .500 today, which is important because that’s usually a ticket to the Stanley Cup playoffs.

Usually, that is. Last season, the New Jersey Devils failed to make the Eastern Conference playoffs despite going 37-33-12, claiming 86 points during an 82-game season.

Still, since the Ducks joined the NHL in the 1993-94 season, the Devils are the only .500 team that has failed to reach the postseason.