Roloson No Longer a Mystery

For two games and 40-plus minutes, the combination of Edmonton goaltender Dwayne Roloson and his shot-blocking defensemen had the Mighty Ducks’ number, limiting them to two goals.

But over the last 13 minutes of Game 3, the Ducks scored four goals in a 5-4 loss and they hope to carry that momentum into tonight’s make-or-break Game 4.

“We just started to play the way we were playing before the break,” forward Jeff Friesen said, referring to the seven days of rest the Ducks had after their four-game sweep of Colorado in the second round.

The Ducks’ inability to get the puck past Roloson seemed to become a mental block for the team. Instead of taking shots, they hesitated or passed, which played right into Edmonton’s game plan. Then, after they found themselves down by four goals on Tuesday, something clicked. The puck began to finally bounce their way and the Ducks scored four times, forcing Roloson to scramble.

“It shows when we play that way how good we can be,” Friesen said. “We make our own breaks. ... Once we get it going, we’re like a machine. We just roll and it’s a great feeling to be part of a team that plays that way.

“We were just a step late early in the series. It’s like we weren’t thinking, we just went and that’s when we are at our best.”

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Four letters best describe the Ducks’ power play in the series: U-G-L-Y. In 20 man-advantage opportunities against the Oilers, they have scored one goal.

Captain Scott Niedermayer, who has been a target of Edmonton’s forechecking, said the Ducks have to be ready to adjust on the fly.

“They are very aggressive on their penalty kill and we have to find the way to catch them,” Niedermayer said. “The key is that sometimes you’re not going to get the plays that you practice and draw up. You have to be able to adapt quickly and be ready to attack when you get your chance.”

The frustration behind their lack of special teams scoring has some Ducks looking for answers.

“We will have to change the power play because they’re blocking a lot of shots,” said defenseman Francois Beauchemin, who played a team-high 33 minutes Tuesday. “We’ll have to find a way to move the puck around and get it through.”

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The flu bug that kept two Oilers out of Game 2 and weakened several other players will probably keep forward Raffi Torres out of tonight’s game.... According to the Edmonton Sun, the Oilers’ playoff success has created a beer shortage in the city. Many bars and liquor stores have been struggling to keep up with the demand, according to the newspaper.