Ducks Can’t Finish Strong

These are some dark days for the Mighty Ducks and the Dallas Stars only added to the somber mood Wednesday night.

Jason Arnott scored three goals, including two in the third period, to fuel a three-goal rally in a 4-2 victory at the Arrowhead Pond to send the Ducks to their sixth consecutive loss and second to the Stars in four days.

Playing their first game without center Sergei Fedorov, who was traded to Columbus on Tuesday, the Ducks got a goal and an assist from Scott Niedermayer but didn’t get the thing they needed most -- a victory.

“You just have to be better,” Niedermayer said. “We keep saying it, but it makes no sense in saying it. It has to be on the ice.”

This one looked promising at the start. Instead of playing from behind as they have during their losing streak, the Ducks finally worked with a lead.

Goalie Ilya Bryzgalov, making the start in place of injured Jean-Sebastien Giguere, made 34 saves and was strong in the second period as he stopped a number of point-blank shots.

But the last 20 minutes proved nightmarish. Arnott tied the score with a one-timer at 8:17 for a short-handed goal before Jere Lethinen put in the eventual game-winner a minute later on a rebound in front.

The Ducks killed nine of 10 penalties, but their undisciplined play, Duck Coach Randy Carlyle said, took its toll. Arnott got his sixth career hat trick when he ripped a slap shot past the stunned Bryzgalov.

“Those are situations that come back to haunt you,” Carlyle said. “We called upon our goaltender too many times.”

For the fourth consecutive game, the opponent got the first goal as Arnott punched in a power-play goal off a feed from Brenden Morrow.

But the Ducks’ Joffrey Lupul then led a rush and dropped a pass to Niedermayer, who forced Dallas goalie Marty Turco to make a save. Travis Moen pounced on the rebound and put in his second goal of the season at 10:15 of the first.

Niedermayer scored five minutes later when he swept a backhander past Turco on the stick side off a pass off the boards from his brother, Rob Niedermayer. The goal gave the Ducks a lead after the first period for the first time in eight games.

“The sun is going to come up tomorrow,” Carlyle said. “If it doesn’t, then we’re all in trouble.”

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Tyler Wright and Francois Beauchemin, who were acquired in the Fedorov deal, suited up for the Ducks. Wright had a shot on goal and Beauchemin was a healthy scratch.... Left wing Chris Kunitz was sent to minor-league Portland, Maine and Goalie Michael Wall was recalled.