Ducks Find a New Source of Frustration

All those training camp worries about the Mighty Ducks’ defense looking like a bunch of disorganized beer-league players? Well, forget about them.

There are new concerns. How to put the puck in the opposing net is foremost on the minds of the Ducks in the wake of a 1-0 loss Tuesday to the Montreal Canadiens before 20,046 at the Molson Centre.

“A week ago, I thought, OK, we’re going to score five goals a game, but how many are we going to give up?” goaltender Guy Hebert said.

That’s clearly no longer the case.

The Ducks have tightened their defense, giving up only six goals after the first three games of the new season.

But their offense, featuring two of the game’s most skillful players in wingers Paul Kariya and Teemu Selanne, has gone south. Tuesday, the Ducks were defeated, 1-0, for the second time in three games.

To be sure, the Ducks have run into three sharp goalies in losses to Olaf Kolzig of the Washington Capitals, John Vanbiesbrouck of the Philadelphia Flyers and Jocelyn Thibault of the Canadiens.

The Ducks certainly didn’t lack for chances against Montreal, firing 30 shots at Thibault. However, it again appeared the Ducks wouldn’t hit the Pacific Ocean if they fell off the Santa Monica Pier.

“I think we need one to bounce off someone’s butt and into the net,” said Kariya, who scored the Ducks’ only goal of the season in a 4-1 loss Sunday to Philadelphia.

A bit of good luck certainly wouldn’t hurt the misfiring Ducks, who opened with an 0-3 record for the first time in their six-season history. Lucky was about the only accurate way to describe the only goal of the game.

Hebert also might have had a shutout if not for a deflection off teammate Pavel Trnka, which produced a power-play goal for Montreal defenseman Vladimir Malakhov at 10:28 of the second period.

Malakhov’s shot from the right point struck Trnka’s shin guard and Hebert, screened by Trnka, only got a piece of the puck before it settled into the back of the net.

“It was just one of those things,” Hebert said. “It could easily have hit his shin guard and gone into the corner.”

Not likely, given the way things are going so far for the mighty unfortunate Ducks.

The Ducks seemed to do almost everything right, just as they had in a 1-0 loss to the Capitals on opening night. They did not get pushed around as in the loss to the Flyers. Their defense was sound, their goaltending was solid and they moved the puck and produced quality scoring chances.

They simply failed to score.

“Chances don’t count in this game; it’s the final result,” said Kariya, who had several good cracks at tying goals in the third period. “Everybody is doing their job. We [the top line of Kariya, Selanne and Travis Green] are not doing our job. We’ve got to start putting the puck in the net. It’s going to come. Sometimes, it takes a lucky goal.”

The pivotal third period unfolded in frustrating fashion for Kariya and his linemates.

A three-on-two break, which usually means trouble for opposing goalies, failed to click when Thibault stopped Selanne at point-blank range. Moments later Johan Davidsson set up Tomas Sandstrom right in front of the net, but Thibault thwarted that chance too.

Kariya split the Canadien defense, but couldn’t squeeze a backhander past Thibault with 7:12 to play. Steve Rucchin couldn’t convert from the slot with 5:40 left.

Next, Kariya left Montreal defenseman Dave Manson spinning like a top on the way to the net. But Kariya couldn’t jam the puck between Thibault and the right goal post.

Defenseman Fredrik Olausson clanged a slap shot from the right point off the left goal post moments later.

And that was that.

The Ducks outshot the Canadiens, 30-24, including 16-8 in the third period, but they came up empty for the second time in three games.

“That’s hockey,” said Selanne, who had only two shots on goal but played perhaps his best overall game of the season. “We can’t get down now. We have to keep our heads up and keep going. Mostly it’s our timing [that’s off]. The chances are there.”