Offense Keeps Vanishing

There was talk from Mighty Duck officials about how they improved their goaltending and shored up the defense during the off-season.

And much of that has proven true.

But the Duck offense is a magical thing, as in now you see it, now you don’t.

The Ducks have scored 12 goals in six games and only five in the last three.

So Coach Bryan Murray will tinker with his lines again, swapping left wings Mike Leclerc and Jeff Friesen.

“We’re not creating enough offense and we’re not taking advantage of some of the things we are creating,” Murray said. “Moving a couple people around might trigger some things.”

Friesen will skate on the top line along with Paul Kariya and Steve Rucchin. Friesen skated with Kariya for 15 games last season after being acquired from San Jose.

The combination seemed to work. Kariya had 12 goals and 16 points in that span. Friesen scored only two goals, but had 12 points.

“Who wouldn’t want to skate with Paul?” Friesen said. “He’s one of the best players in the world.”

Leclerc will rejoin Matt Cullen and Marty McInnis.

That trio was the Ducks’ most productive line at the start of last season, before injuries set in.

In the first 11 games, McInnis had six goals and nine points, Leclerc four goals and 11 points, and Cullen two goals and eight points.

“You get familiar with guys and it makes things easier,” Leclerc said. “You learn how each other plays.”

*

No one on the Ducks took the Tampa Bay Lightning lightly Sunday, they all claim.

Still, there was no doubt that the Ducks lacked something in a 3-2 loss to one of the NHL’s worst teams a year ago.

“It was a strange game,” Murray said. “We know we have to play hard against Boston and Washington and teams like that.

“Not to be disrespectful to Tampa, but you go into a game like that expecting to have scoring chances. I know some teams play us that way.”

The Lightning had the Ducks on their heels at the start, although the score was tied, 2-2, after the first period.

The problem is a familiar one for the Ducks, who have played to the level of their competition the last two seasons.

“Washington played solid the other night and we played solid,” defenseman Oleg Tverdovsky said. “We took the play to them. The way we played [against Tampa Bay], we let them stay in the game.

“We have to make sure we play our way every game, it doesn’t matter who we’re playing.”