Power Play Continues to Let Down Anaheim

The Mighty Ducks have had 44 power-play opportunities in their first eight games, the second-highest total in the league before Friday night’s games.

Of those man-advantage situations, only five were converted into goals, a key reason for Anaheim’s 2-5-1-0 record.

“To win in this league you have to have a power play,” said Coach Bryan Murray, whose team has the NHL’s sixth-worst power play at 11.4%. “It doesn’t have to score every night, but it has to have a chance. We’re not getting enough chances.”

The Mighty Ducks have not scored a power-play goal in three games, a drought of 18 consecutive man-advantages. In their 4-1 loss to the Kings on Thursday, Anaheim’s power play was 0 for 4, including two four-minute man-advantage situations.

“It has a lot to do with our passing and the position we put ourselves in,” Murray said. “Getting into the [opponent’s] zone at times has been real difficult. For example, on our last four-minute power play [against the Kings], we had seven faceoffs and we lost five of them.”

Because the Mighty Ducks play only twice over the next week, Murray is hoping added practice time will smooth the offense. After Friday’s practice, Murray had a lengthy conversation with defenseman Oleg Tverdovsky and said the two reached a better understanding about the player’s role on the power play.

Murray wants the Mighty Ducks’ best defenseman to take more control and run the point on the team’s power play. Tverdovsky agreed but said he needs to play longer shifts when the team is on a power play.

“We need someone who can take his time and take the puck down the ice and get it into the zone,” Murray said. “Oleg should be the guy helping us because of his skating ability.... He has the ability to make the pass or make the shot. Larry Murphy may be slow and all that, but he was excellent at this.... Making one play and being able to make defenders do something they don’t want to do.”

Too many times this season, the Mighty Ducks have not had good spacing on their power plays and their lack of traffic in front of the net has made it difficult for captain Paul Kariya, who has not scored a power-play goal this season.

“Paul has the big gun, the big shot,” Murray said. “Allowing him to shoot the puck is important for us.”

Murray believes the Mighty Ducks have to be more physical in front of the net. That’s why he is planning to give more power-play ice time to left wing Kevin Sawyer, who leads Anaheim in penalty minutes with 39.

Defenseman Ruslan Salei did not practice Friday because of a left knee bruise.

Salei, who is expected to practice today, suffered his injury in Thursday’s game when he blocked a shot by the Kings’ Jaroslav Modry.