Ducks Return to Chamber of Horrors

Back to reality. Back to the Agony Arena of Anaheim, which always seems to bring out the worst in the Mighty Ducks.

Name it and the Ducks’ shortcomings were on full display in a wretched second period Wednesday that rivaled their worst 20 minutes of hockey this season. Or any other for that matter.

The Phoenix Coyotes exposed all of the Ducks’ flaws during a five-goal second period en route to a 5-1 victory before an announced sellout crowd of 17,174 at the Arrowhead Pond.

Meanwhile, across the freeway, Walt Disney Co. executives celebrated the debut of the retooled Angels and renovated Edison Field. There were fireworks and good cheer all around the new ballpark.

But the Ducks’ pratfall against the Coyotes should provide another grim reminder of how much work remains to be done on Disney’s hockey team, which reverted to midseason form.

Perhaps the Ducks’ 3-2-2 record on their just-completed seven-game trip across the continent was merely an aberration.

But then how to explain a solid first period in which they dominated the injury-riddled Coyotes and led, 1-0?

The Ducks then fell apart at the seams in stunning fashion in the pivotal second period.

Keith Tkachuk, playing for the first time since breaking his ribs March 12, scored 3:58 in. Rick Tocchet, Jeremy Roenick, Norm Maciver and Teppo Numminen also scored in the period and a tight game turned into a laugher for the Coyotes.

It was just what they needed, too.

If ever there was a team more spooked by the Pond than the Ducks, it’s the Coyotes.

The Ducks are a dreadful 10-22-4 this season at the Pond, the league’s second-worst home record. But going into the game, the Phoenix-Winnipeg franchise was only 2-7 in Anaheim.

The Coyotes seemed primed for another belly-flop against the Ducks. Seven regulars were not in the lineup because of injury and several others, including Tkachuk, still were nursing ailments.

The Ducks played the part of the gritty, upset-minded underdogs in the first 20 minutes and seemed eager to put a crimp in the Coyotes’ playoff plans.

A Duck victory combined with San Jose’s victory would have trimmed Phoenix’s hold on the eighth and final Western Conference playoff berth to one point.

But the Ducks were outhit, outhustled, outshot and outscored in a dreadful second period that, were it another franchise, might have sealed the fate of the coach and general manager.

But it was difficult to know if anyone from Disney actually noticed there was a hockey game Wednesday.

Team President Tony Tavares was not in attendance. Disney Chairman Michael Eisner spent an inning or so doing a baseball-related interview with Chris Berman on ESPN at the ballpark.

So Coach Pierre Page and General Manager Jack Ferreira will live to work another day in Anaheim. Tavares has said he will evaluate their performances at season’s end.

It was difficult to pin the blame for the Ducks’ poor performance on those who did not play, however.

Young players such as Matt Cullen, Josef Marha, Jamie Pushor and Pavel Trnka, who were superb on the Ducks’ trip, seemed almost invisible Wednesday. As ever, Teemu Selanne was the Ducks’ best player. But Selanne, the NHL’s leading goal-scorer with 50, did not record a goal or an assist.

Steve Rucchin was credited with the Ducks’ only goal, scored at the 3:27 mark of the first period. It was a bit lucky. Defenseman Ruslan Salei’s shot from the blue line deflected off Rucchin’s skate and past goaltender Nikolai Khabibulin with the Ducks on the power play.

But credit also goes to the Coyotes, who took advantage of all the Ducks had to offer. And that was plenty.

Still, it was hard to fathom that last spring these teams played perhaps the most entertaining of all the first-round playoff series.

The Ducks’ seven-game victory over the Coyotes appeared to signal they had vaulted among the NHL’s elite. In truth, as Page pointed out last month, it was merely a lie.

They have a long way to go before anyone can call them a top-flight team.