Ducks Are Working on Their Self-Esteem

The Mighty Ducks are doing their best to end this season well, even if it’s nowhere near as good as last season.

Vaclav Prospal, Sandis Ozolinsh, Petr Sykora and Sergei Fedorov all had goals as the Ducks beat the Nashville Predators, 4-1, Tuesday night for their fourth victory in five games.

With the win, the defending Western Conference champions avoided being eliminated from the playoffs -- for at least one more game.

“Unfortunately, it’s a little too late,” said Duck captain Steve Rucchin, who had two assists. “We want to play, but it’s pretty disappointing. We’re happy about the win, but it’s tough to go out here knowing we’re out of the hunt. We’re playing for pride right now.”

The Predators could take a lesson from the Ducks in their quest for the sixth-year franchise’s first playoff berth. Nashville remained tied with idle Edmonton for seventh in the West and needed a win Tuesday with only four home games left. But the Predators, who tied the franchise record with their 34th victory at Calgary on Saturday, couldn’t have come out flatter.

“That’s not the team we’re accustomed to seeing,” Rucchin said. “They’re a fast and a skilled team.”

But the Ducks scored on two of their first three power plays and outshot Nashville, 18-7, in the second period alone in taking a 3-1 lead. Nashville goaltender Tomas Vokoun, who stopped 25 shots, couldn’t explain the lack of emotion.

“I wish I knew. We were sorely mistaken if we thought they were just going to pack it in and let us win, because nobody’s going to do that,” he said.

Coach Barry Trotz tried to liven up his Predators by shortening shifts and giving rookie Jordin Tootoo, who leads the team in penalty minutes, extra shifts. But he isn’t ready to worry yet.

“Our margin of error is nothing. It’s a six-game sprint right now. That’s what it amounted to,” he said of the loss.

The Predators had plenty of chances, but went one for nine on the power play and 0 for 5 in the third period, which included a five-on-three in the final seconds. Duck goalie Martin Gerber stopped Nashville’s best chance when he used his left leg to stop Steve Sullivan’s shot midway through the period.

Duck Coach Mike Babcock had some advice for the Predators.

“They’ve done a great job to get themselves in this situation, and they’ve just got to allow themselves to play and they’ll be fine,” Babcock said.

Prospal put the Ducks ahead when he scored a power-play goal on the first shot of the game at 2:28 of the first period. His 19th this season came as he put back a rebound of Rucchin’s long shot.

Nashville tied the score, 1-1, when Scott Walker got his 24th goal and 100th of his career on a nearly textbook power-play goal off passes from Marek Zidlicky and Sullivan.

But Ozolinsh broke the tie with his fifth goal this season on a one-timer in the high slot near the blue line midway in the second period for a 2-1 lead. Sykora padded the lead as he took advantage of Vokoun’s being pulled away from the net with 23 seconds left in the period and scored into the open cage.

Fedorov finished the scoring with an empty-netter late in the third period while the Ducks were short-handed.

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