Lines Win Critical Acclaim

The reviews weren’t all bad in the wake of the Ducks’ 4-1 loss Thursday to the Chicago Blackhawks. Coach Craig Hartsburg praised his third and fourth lines for their hustling play.

“We had a lot of guys who gave a good effort,” Hartsburg said after the Ducks went 0-4-1 on a five-game trip. “I thought [Johan] Davidsson, [Antti] Aalto and [Jim] McKenzie were our best line. The three of them did all the little team things right.”

Hartsburg said he also liked the play of the checking line of Stu Grimson, Ted Drury and Jeff Nielsen.

Noticeably absent from Hartsburg’s praise were his top two lines, however. For the second time on the trip, he criticized the top power-play unit’s performance.

He didn’t name names, but Paul Kariya, Teemu Selanne, Steve Rucchin and Fredrik Olausson are among those who regularly play on the No. 1 power-play unit.

“We didn’t execute and we didn’t work,” Hartsburg said. “It was a dumb coaching move. I should have just used the other unit.”

The second group includes Aalto, Matt Cullen and Travis Green.

The Ducks went one for six on the power play against the Blackhawks, clicking only on Aalto’s first-period goal that tied the score, 1-1.

Overall, the Duck power play has scored on 20 of 123 chances with the man advantage for a credible 16.3% conversion rate. But on the road, the Ducks are only seven for 65 (10.8%).

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Kariya has failed to record a goal or an assist in three consecutive games, the first time since February 1996 that he has been shut out for two or more consecutive games.

Although he’s had six assists in his last five games, Selanne hasn’t scored a goal since injuring his right thigh Nov. 11. Selanne has only two goals in his last 10 games.

The Ducks are 55-24-15, including 4-4-4 this season, when Kariya and Selanne each have a point in the same game. However, the Ducks are 1-11-2, including 1-1-1 this season, when neither gets a goal or an assist.

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Green has three goals and one assist in three games since returning to the lineup after missing three games because of a sprained left knee. He had only one goal and two assists in 18 games when he was injured Nov. 20.