Blackhawks defeat Ducks, 3-2

The Ducks, fresh off a season-high seven goals, welcomed back Teemu Selanne, who had sat out five weeks because of a thigh injury. So the offensive problems should be taken care of, right?

In goal, they started Jonas Hiller, who for the last month has clearly been their best goalie. Those problems solved, correct?

Instead, it was the same old story for the Ducks, who played just well enough to lose to Chicago, 3-2, in front of a sellout crowd at the Honda Center.

For large swaths, the Ducks moved the puck crisply and creatively, they forechecked with energy and defended diligently. And then, for moments, they looked like sitting Ducks.

Coach Randy Carlyle praised the effort, but at some point, the praise counts for only so much. Anaheim lost for the seventh time in 10 games and sits in sixth place in the Western Conference.

But there are four teams within two points of the Ducks, who have played two, three or four more games than their closest pursuers. And looming next month is a season-long six-game road swing.

“We probably made a couple of mistakes, too many in critical areas that cost us,” Carlyle said. “But I thought our work ethic was strong. Playing in a back-to-back situation, we were able to carry a lot of that same type of energy into the game. I don’t think we were rewarded for the hard work we put in.”

Carlyle was asked whether he was concerned that, because the Ducks have lost so many games like they did Wednesday, playing just well enough to lose, that the message of encouragement might get lost.

“The message can’t get lost because it’s their responsibility,” Carlyle said. “Hockey players are not non-intelligent human beings. They know when they play poorly and they know when they play well. They know when they make mistakes. If for whatever reason they don’t, then that’s what coaches are there for. Sometimes it’s not popular, but sometimes those are the things you have to point out.”

One of those unpopular points appears to be the relegation of goaltender Jean-Sebastien Giguere to backup.

For the second consecutive night, Hiller started in goal ahead of Giguere since he returned from starting in the All-Star game in his hometown. Hiller’s 2.10 goals-against average is nearly one goal better than that of Giguere, who has twice been pulled from games this month.

Carlyle, though, was in no mood to discuss it.

Asked who the No. 1 goalie was, Carlyle said, “We have 1-A and 1-B. They’re both number ones.”

So, which one is A and which one is B?

“That’s for you to figure out,” he said.

Asked if Giguere was healthy, Carlyle said, “I chose Jonas Hiller to play. Write it.”

Producing a happy ending wasn’t so easy. Trailing, 3-1, Travis Moen delivered a momentum-boosting short-handed goal with 1:10 left in the second period. But it meant little.

Despite peppering the Blackhawks in the third period, they couldn’t find an equalizer.

The Ducks called timeout with 1:31 left and when they returned to the ice, Hiller stayed on the bench, replaced by an extra skater. Almost immediately, Corey Perry was alone at the side of the net, but tipped a pass wide. Samuel Pahlsson was also free outside the crease, but he couldn’t redirect Chris Pronger’s soft shot, which was a fraction behind him.

During another scramble, Chicago defenseman Duncan Keith knocked the goal off its moorings, but the officials huddled and ruled it unintentional. In the end, the Ducks were left without an answer.

--

billywitz@yahoo.com