Ducks’ Run Hits the Skids

And then there was the inevitable letdown.

The Mighty Ducks spent the last two weeks transforming themselves into one of the NHL’s hottest teams, winning six of seven games and reaching the .500 mark. The next step was moving above .500 for the first time since Jan. 1.

But the Ducks’ pratfall Wednesday was swift and painful en route to a 6-2 loss against the energetic Edmonton Oilers in front of 14,540 early departing fans at the Arrowhead Pond.

Credit, of course, goes to Edmonton for exposing all of the Ducks’ weaknesses in one revealing evening Wednesday. The Ducks certainly looked nothing like the same team that escaped a difficult four-game stretch against Philadelphia, Dallas, Phoenix and the Kings with three victories.

“We just played horrible,” Duck captain Paul Kariya said. “I think we forgot what gave us success. I think our heads got a little too big. We got away from doing the little things.”

The Oliers are a speedy team, but the Ducks made them look quicker than they truly are.

The Oilers also are a fine offensive team, but the Ducks made them appear far more skillful than they are.

Oiler right wing Alex Selivanov, whose only claim to fame is that he’s the son-in-law of Hall of Famer Phil Esposito, scored three times in the third period.

In fact, Selivanov had been scratched the last two games and was in the lineup Wednesday only because of the absence of Josef Beranek, who left to attend to a personal matter.

Duck Coach Craig Hartsburg rescued goaltender Guy Hebert from further abuse after Rem Murray gave Edmonton a 5-1 lead at 6:41 of the final period.

Backup goalie Dominic Roussel promptly gave up Selivanov’s third goal for a 6-1 Oiler lead at 7:59.

Ugh.

Does it get any worse than that?

“You could tell before the game we didn’t have that same edge,” Kariya said. “I don’t think it’s a matter of being tired. It’s mental. You’ve got to work harder, especially at the start of the game.”

Kariya scoffed at the notion the Ducks were due for a letdown.

“Due for a letdown?” he said, incredulous. “No, I don’t buy that one. . . . Win or lose, you’ve got to play the game the same way, night in and night out. Look at Dallas, Philadelphia, Detroit. Their habits don’t change.

“Sometimes you’re going to get beat. Tonight was a situation where we beat ourselves from the first drop of the puck. Edmonton came into the game desperate for a win.

“We can’t just toss our sticks out there and expect to win.”

Right from the start there were signs the Ducks weren’t ready to play.

Mats Lindgren’s short-handed goal at 16:49 of the first period, which gave the Oilers a 1-0 lead, was one signal the Ducks didn’t bring their “A” game to the rink.

The Ducks countered with Teemu Selanne’s power-play goal only 26 seconds into the second period. But Edmonton’s Mike Grier put the Oilers ahead to stay about four minutes later.

The third period was nothing short of a debacle, but many in the Duck dressing room later said they thought they were in trouble long before that.

“Burn the [video] tape,” Hartsburg said. “There aren’t many positive things you can take out of this game. Mentally we did a lot of things we haven’t done [while winning six of seven]. When things are going good, you have to keep going. You can’t back off.

“There’s not much time to fret about it. We have to come back Friday with a sharper effort. Certainly, it was an ugly game. Hopefully, it’s a wake-up call.”

The Ducks don’t practice today, departing this afternoon for Calgary for the start of a three-game trip to play the Flames on Friday, the Vancouver Canucks on Saturday and the Oilers next Wednesday.

“We’ll keep this in mind because this is what happens when you’re not prepared to play,” center Matt Cullen said.

Asked why the Ducks didn’t play with the same intensity Wednesday, Cullen shrugged.

“Every guy has to look at himself in the mirror,” said Cullen, who had a first-period assist. “We just weren’t prepared to play. It just felt like we played [flat]. Instead of taking charge and making things happen, we sat back and let them take charge.”