It Doesn’t Take Much for Dallas to Blank Ducks

Conventional wisdom would hold that any team that has Paul Kariya and Teemu Selanne should spend a lot of time celebrating goals. That’s just not the case with the Mighty Ducks, whose offensive woes continue.

The Ducks’ 1-0 loss to the Dallas Stars Sunday was another stinging moment, with the only upside being that their latest struggles came in semi-privacy. An announced crowd of 12,671 showed up at the Arrowhead Pond.

Conventional wisdom seemed to project--at least in General Manager Pierre Gauthier’s mind--center German Titov as a major free-agent signing last summer. A consistent 50-point player.

Titov was noticeable Sunday, when he got clobbered so hard his helmet skidded up ice in the third period. Other than that, it was another ghostlike performance for a player who is looking more like a $4.5-million boondoggle.

Conventional wisdom had the Ducks as a contender for the Stanley Cup playoffs. Certainly, Gauthier said, they had improved the team considerably.

Instead, the Ducks went down to another conventional defeat Sunday and fell further behind in the Western Conference playoff race. Since having the best October record in team history, the Ducks are 4-10-3-1. They have scored 18 goals in their last 11 games.

“It would be one thing if we weren’t working hard and there was no effort,” Selanne said. “That’s not the case. That’s why this is so frustrating.

“Our line alone should have had three or four goals tonight. We could get two goals in one shift. We’re getting chances. We just need a puck to go in off someone’s butt and into the net.”

While the Ducks were hoping for freak deflections, the Stars were taking advantage of a defensive lapse. Grant Marshall took his sweet time lining up a shot, as the Ducks’ Mike Crowley and Matt Cullen became preoccupied with 5-foot-10 Ted Donato. Marshall was allowed to skate from the corner to the front of the net unmolested. He easily beat a helpless Guy Hebert for a 1-0 Dallas lead at 5:26 of the first period.

That was enough. The Stars, with a lead, asphyxiate teams. They are 12-0-1-1 this season when leading after two periods. Goalie Ed Belfour stopped 29 shots for his 56th career shutout.

“We were playing a team that is renowned for its defense,” Duck Coach Craig Hartsburg said. “They won a Stanley Cup by shutting teams down like that.”

The Stars did win a Stanley Cup . . . in 1998-99. And the Stars did reach the final last season. Recently, though, things have been rough. The Stars had given up 17 goals during a 1-3-2 streak against Western Conference teams.

The Ducksended up being just what the Stars needed. Reasons were evident.

Selanne, who left the game in the third period with a strained right groin, has not had a goal in nine games. Marty McInnis has not scored in 11 games. Kariya has two goals in eight games.

“Both Paul and I had good chances,” Selanne said. “The other night against Columbus [a 5-2 Duck loss], we had four shots go off the post. After that game, we said, ‘What’s going on here? This is a joke.’ ”

Kariya was wide open for a one-time twice within five seconds in the first period. Belfour easily handled both. Selanne hit the post with another shot, also in the first period.

“Obviously, we’re not scoring any pretty goals right now,” Kariya said. “A guy like Belfour is going to stop the first shot. We need to get two or three opportunities. We need to get more traffic in front of the net.”

That’s where the 6-foot-1, 205-pound Titov would be handy. He had three shots Sunday. None had a chance.

“I have to do more to help this team,” Titov said. “They expect a lot from me. The injuries have slowed me, but I need to push myself right now.”