Canucks frustrate Ducks, 4-0

VANCOUVER, Canada -- As they do for every game, the Ducks committed their affair with the Vancouver Canucks to videotape for review later, but their performance Tuesday night should warrant the burning of any and all copies.

The Ducks got frustrated as the night wore on and simply dissolved as a team from the second period on in what will go down as an unqualified mess in a 4-0 loss at General Motors Place.

The only question left was what time their flight departed for Calgary, where they play Thursday night.

“We got outplayed tonight,” Ducks center Ryan Getzlaf said.

Vancouver happily watched as the Ducks turned in an effort that they could only wish was not recorded. Ryan Kesler scored twice and Markus Naslund and Matt Cooke each added goals.

The Ducks? Well, they found the penalty box much more often than the net.

Going into the game next to last in the NHL with the most penalty minutes, they showed their dark, undisciplined side in racing up 51 more minutes to take the lead over Philadelphia.

To add further insult, the Canucks got a penalty shot with 49 seconds left in regulation when Ducks defenseman Shane Hnidy hooked Henrik Sedin as he went in on a breakaway. Sedin didn’t score, providing the Ducks’ only bright spot.

“We basically took ourselves out of the game and got frustrated,” Ducks Coach Randy Carlyle said.

In the Canucks’ case, it was a small slice of satisfaction in taking their first meeting against the Stanley Cup champions since losing in five tight games during last season’s Western Conference semifinals.

Goaltender Roberto Luongo’s performance in that series raised an argument that the Vezina Trophy finalist outshone Jean-Sebastien Giguere, his Anaheim counterpart. That may have been debated then, but there was nothing to debate Tuesday.

Luongo was certainly better on this night in making 26 saves for his third shutout, though he didn’t have to do much after the Ducks peppered him with 15 shots in the first period. The Canucks got their act together and watched a team discombobulate right in front of their eyes.

“We started well but that’s the only period we played,” Carlyle said. “And you can’t get away with playing 20 minutes of hockey in the NHL.”

Carlyle said the source of the team’s frustration were the calls of referees and that they put their focus on them rather than the game. Naslund, Kesler and Cooke all scored in the second period to blow the game open and further rile up the Ducks.

Getzlaf agreed with Carlyle’s postgame assertion.

“We need to control that in a different way and try to channel that into playing a little more aggressive and working a little harder rather than yelling and screaming at” the referees, Getzlaf said.

The turn of events eventually got to Giguere, who shoved Vancouver’s Daniel Sedin after the winger interfered with him. Soon after, Kesler scored for the second time.

Carlyle eventually pulled Giguere and sent in backup Jonas Hiller with 12:16 remaining.

All of it spoiled Todd Bertuzzi’s first appearance in the arena since he was traded by the Canucks to Florida for Luongo in the summer of 2006. There was a smattering of boos, but the sellout crowd of 18,630 largely cheered when he had the puck or each time his name was announced and his image was flashed on the video screen above center ice.

Bertuzzi said the reception was about what he expected, but there was nothing to celebrate.

“It’s out of the way and it’s time to move on,” he said.

No one could have said it any better.

eric.stephens@latimes.com

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RESULTS, SCHEDULE

at Detroit 5, Calgary 3: Pavel Datsyuk had two goals and an assist and Tomas Holmstrom added a goal and an assist for the Red Wings. Chris Osgood made 19 saves.

Montreal 4, at Toronto 3 (SO): Alex Kovalev scored two power-play goals, then found the net again in the shootout in the Canadiens’ win. The Maple Leafs outshot Montreal, 46-30, but failed to score on four power-play opportunities.

at Vancouver 4, Ducks 0: Ryan Kesler scored two power-play goals and Roberto Luongo made 26 saves.

From the Associated Press