Oilers Put a Quick Chill on Ducks’ Hot Streak

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 before 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.

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 then 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.

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 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?

Well, at least no one was injured.

Hartsburg was in no mood for consolation prizes, however.

He has been saying the Ducks can be--and must be--better as they prepare for the regular season’s final two months. Simply making the playoffs is no longer the Ducks’ goal. They want to finish no worse than in fifth place in the Western Conference.

“I don’t know if there’s anyone who has overachieved here this season,” Hartsburg was saying at the morning skate Wednesday. “There’s still another level we have to get to. We still have a lot of guys who don’t know how good they can be. It’s not going to be two or three games who lead us to another level, it’s got to be the whole team.”

If that’s so, then the whole team took two giant steps backward Wednesday against the Oilers.

Where to start? The first period was as good a place as any.

The Ducks gave up their second shorthanded goal in as many games, getting things off to a less-than rousing start. They also gave up a shorthanded goal in Monday’s 3-1 victory over the Kings.

This time, Edmonton’s Mats Lindren lifted a shot from near the left goal past over a fallen Hebert at 16:49 of the first period for a 1-0 Oiler.

But with Oiler defenseman Sean Brown in the peanlty box for interference, Teemu Selanne countered with a power-play goal for the Ducks only 26 seconds into the second period.

Selanne’s goal was no thing of beauty, more of a stuff shot at the right post. But, in addition to tying the score, the goal extended Selanne’s point streak to eight games.

It seemed like just the thing to jolt some life into the Ducks.

Wrong.

Edmonton’s Mike Grier put his team ahead, 2-1, about four minutes later, converting on a long rebound in the slot.

The Ducks buzzed the Oiler net, pressing for the game-tying goal against former teammate Mikhail Shtalenkov while on a power-play near the end of the second period.

They couldn’t get another puck by Shtalenkov, who had defeated them twice already this season, and the Ducks trailed to start the third period for the first time in five games.

Getting ahead and staying there has been a hallmark of their recent roll, but the Oilers kept the Ducks chasing them from start to finish.

Was it a sign the Ducks’ hot streak is history?

Perhaps.

But more likely it’s an indication that they paused for a deep breath before another difficult stretch of games begins with a three-game trip that starts Friday.