Production of goals continues to be scarce

A familiar scene is playing out among the Ducks and it’s leaving them with a disconcerting feeling ahead of the playoffs.

They’re not scoring again. Because of their stout defense, the lack of goals isn’t keeping them from winning games.

But the Ducks have scored seven goals during regulation in their last five games. The key factor in this latest scoring rut is that three crucial cogs in their offensive attack -- Ryan Getzlaf, Corey Perry and Chris Pronger -- remain on the sidelines.

Not that Coach Randy Carlyle is going to use that as a ready-made excuse.

“We’ve struggled with offense with those three players in the lineup previously,” Carlyle said Saturday. “So I don’t buy that.”

Carlyle has a point. The Ducks are one of five teams that have yet to reach 200 goals, a far cry from their club-record total of 258 last season.

Even with the absence of the injured Getzlaf and Perry, their top two scorers, and the suspended Pronger, their highest-scoring defenseman, Carlyle said there are things the current group can do better.

Avoiding turnovers is one. Other than a surprising lack of emotion, Carlyle said the mistakes in the neutral zone were the single biggest factor in the Ducks’ 3-1 loss to San Jose on Friday night.

“Individuals try to maybe do too much,” Carlyle said. “They try to correct it themselves. And that’s where the frustration level seems to build even higher.”

The missing trio was all together in the dressing room Saturday, with Getzlaf and Pronger sweating through a full practice and Perry in casual attire after an off-ice workout as he rehabilitates his torn right quadriceps.

Pronger still has two more games to serve in his suspension. Getzlaf, however, said he is “pretty much 100%” and is hopeful that he’ll test his sore right shoulder today against Dallas after sitting the last three games.

The final question appears to be how Getzlaf will factor into his decision the five days off the Ducks will have after today’s game.

“That’s what we’ve got to weigh out,” he said. “We’re going to talk about it and figure out whether it’s beneficial for me to wait or if it’s to play and have those five days to recover if something does go wrong.”

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TONIGHT

vs. Dallas, 5, FSN Prime Ticket

Site -- Honda Center.

Radio -- 830.

Records -- Ducks 44-27-8; Stars 43-29-6.

Record vs. Stars -- 2-5-0.

Update -- Dallas stopped its 1-7-1 slide by routing the last-place Kings on Saturday as it tries to fend off Calgary and Colorado for the No. 5 spot in the Western Conference.

Tickets -- (877) 945-3946.

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eric.stephens@latimes.com