Ducks Can’t Fly With Two Wings

After five games in their best-of-seven Western Conference quarterfinal playoff series against Phoenix, the Mighty Ducks do not have a goal from a forward other than wingers Paul Kariya and Teemu Selanne.

Selanne and the Coyotes’ Keith Tkachuk are the series co-leaders with five goals each. Kariya has three but has been shut out the last two games. Defensemen J.J. Daigneault, with two, and Dmitri Mironov, with one, have the Ducks’ other goals.

“We just can’t rely on Paul and Teemu to score all our goals,” right wing Jari Kurri said. “We need guys going hard to the net. We need some ugly goals.”

Right wing Joe Sacco agreed.

“Other guys have to chip in some goals,” Sacco said. “Paul and Teemu can’t do it all by themselves.”

Selanne had 51 goals and Kariya 44, accounting for 95 of the Ducks’ 245 goals in the regular season.

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Tkachuk scored most of his 52 goals from point-blank range. But he gave the Coyotes a 1-0 lead over the Ducks in Game 5 by scoring on a breakaway after trailing a Duck rush into the Phoenix zone.

“My eyes lighted up when I saw Dallas [Drake] lift the puck out of the zone,” said Tkachuk, who was near center ice on the play.

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Selanne felt sadness as he watched Mario Lemieux score what might have been his final goal at Pittsburgh’s Civic Arena on Wednesday night. The Penguins won Game 4 against Philadelphia, but trail in the series, 3-1.

“Hockey is going to miss him a lot,” Selanne said of Lemieux, retiring at season’s end. “A big spot is going to be open as to who’s going to replace him. It will be the same when [Wayne] Gretzky retires. Those two have done more for hockey than all the other guys combined.”

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Coach Ron Wilson gave the Ducks the day off Friday. . . . The Ducks recalled right wing Igor Nikulin and defenseman Pavel Trnka from their minor league affiliate at Baltimore. Neither is expected to play in Game 6 on Sunday at Phoenix.