Players Try to Focus on Future

Coming off their worst performance of the season, and spiraling with an eight-game winless streak, there is only one thing for the Mighty Ducks to do. Play on.

“What we need to do is simply focus on the next game,” Coach Bryan Murray said.

That is tonight, at the New York Islanders.

Certainly that is better than looking back at recent games. The Ducks are one shy of matching the longest winless streak in franchise history. They have not won since beating Atlanta, 5-0, on Nov. 4.

The Ducks are 0-4 against the easy teams, at least by comparison, on this six-game road trip.

They have games on consecutive days against the Islanders and New York Rangers this weekend.

The Ducks had a 2-0 first-period lead against Tampa Bay on Tuesday and lost, 3-2. They fell behind, 2-0, Wednesday against Florida and folded in a 6-0 loss.

“You can’t fall apart after a team gets a goal,” captain Paul Kariya said after the loss to Florida. “That’s hockey. You have to be able to play with the lead or from behind.”

So the answer remains simple, at least on paper.

“Right now, it seems as we’re falling and we can’t stop ourselves,” left wing Dan Bylsma said after Wednesday’s loss. “We make a mistake and it affects the whole team. I think we have to get back to every person making the plays that they can make.”

*

Timo Parssinen returns tonight, and Duck officials are hoping this time he pans out. Parssinen, a fourth-round pick in June, had an impressive camp, made the team, then produced little in three games and was shipped to minor league Cincinnati.

He had six goals and 14 points in 16 games with Cincinnati. He had five goals in his last three games.

“I’ve learned you don’t score goals if you don’t shoot the puck,” Parssinen said. “I have to be more physical. That’s something I need to keep reminding myself out there. You have to take and give hits to create plays.”

TONIGHT

at New York Islanders, 4 p.m.

Site--Nassau Veterans’ Memorial Coliseum.

Radio--KDIS (710).

Records--Ducks 6-13-3-0, Islanders 14-5-2-1.

Record vs. Islanders (2000-01)--2-0.

Update--The Islanders are 4-5-1-0 since opening the season 9-0-0-1. The Islanders’ power play ranks fifth in the NHL at 19.6. Alexi Yashin has three goals in the last three games.