Ducks Can’t Handle Canucks

As timetables go, the Mighty Ducks have a ways to go before having to deal with the Vancouver Canucks’ headaches.

Things like division-title races, home-ice advantage for the playoffs and banner-draping ceremonies seem another mighty decade away for the Ducks ... at least on Saturday.

“It’s taken [Vancouver] three years to get here,” Duck Coach Mike Babcock said before Saturday’s game. “We would like it not to take as long.”

Judging by the Canucks’ 7-3 romp, even a three-year plan seems a bit optimistic for the Ducks. This was a game between the NHL’s two most improved teams from last season. When it was over, everyone, from the 18,422 at General Motors Place to the guys wearing Duck uniforms, was clear on who topped that list.

This one was over after the Canucks’ first 11 shots, five of which were goals.

Trent Klatt and Todd Bertuzzi each scored two goals. Markus Naslund scored his league-high 24th goal and had two assists. The Canucks had a power-play goal and a short-handed goal.

“We played an ‘A’ team and we didn’t bring our ‘A’ game,” Babcock said.

The Ducks began the game already feeling down. They learned at the morning skate that Paul Kariya’s father, Tetsuhiko Kariya, died of a heart attack in Vancouver on Friday night. Kariya played, logging 20 minutes and had an assist.

“That just shows what kind of special player Paul is,” Duck center Matt Cullen said. “It shows his character and what kind of guy he is.

“Obviously tonight was tough on all of us. This was a tragedy. For Paul to come out and play was unbelievable.”

The Canucks were the Western Conference’s worst team in 1998-99, but improved each season since, slipping into the playoffs as the No. 8 team last season.

They started this season 3-4-4-0 but now sit atop the Northwest Division with a 22-10-5-0 record.

“They came out of relative obscurity,” Cullen said.

“That’s what we want to do and that’s definitely where we came from.”

To avoid a return trip, the Ducks need to get their act together.

They had won six of seven games and were in a playoff spot on Christmas.

They have been outscored, 11-4, in losses to San Jose and Vancouver since then.

The seven goals Saturday were the most the Ducks have given up since a 7-4 loss to San Jose on March 29, 2001.

“We need to stop this now,” Cullen said. “We have a defensive foundation that hasn’t been there the last two games. Fortunately, that’s an easy thing to get back. All it takes is hard work.”

Jean-Sebastien Giguere, the hottest goalie in the NHL a week ago, saw 11 shots on goal and gave up three goals in the first period before Babcock mercifully gave him the rest of the night off.

Martin Gerber, Giguere’s replacement, gave up two goals on the first two shots he saw.

“They had some pucks that had some eyes out there,” Babcock said.

“When that first goal went in at the start of the second period, I think we panicked.

“We started running around trying to get things back together, but we never did.”