A Kings-Ducks playoff matchup is becoming a longshot

That second-round playoff series the Ducks and the Kings seemed on a collision course for this spring, a matchup so many local hockey fans have anticipated since the Ducks edged out the Kings for first place in the Pacific Division on the last day of the regular season … what if neither team gets that far?

Meeting on the golf course next week instead of in the Western Conference semifinals has become a real possibility for both teams. That playoff matchup might have to wait till next year because each team has lost its first two games, at home, to an underdog opponent that seems intent on reversing a history of playoff failure.

The Ducks, unaccountably missing the defensive discipline and resilience that fueled their comeback from a terrible start to the regular season, lost to Nashville, 3-2, Sunday at Honda Center. They lost countless board battles, failed to generate consistent pressure against goaltender Pekka Rinne, and couldn’t sort out their defensive zone coverage. The Predators, often skating along the fine line between chippy and dirty, will take a 2-0 series lead with them back to Bridgestone Arena for Game 3 on Tuesday.

“In the playoffs anything can happen, but of course I wouldn’t want to be in this position,” Ducks defenseman Hampus Lindholm said. “But they have to win four and we have to win four. We just have less games to win those four games. We know we have to really step up our game.”

They also have to stay out of the penalty box, an old and too-familiar bad habit that has returned. The Predators had five advantages and capitalized on one, late in the second period, to take a 3-1 lead.

“We were just stupid out there. The penalties we take sometimes are just so selfish and so dumb,” Ducks Coach Bruce Boudreau said. “We’re doing stupid stuff and [the Predators are] just smiling and having a good old time.”

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Predators teammates rally around goalie Pekka Rinne after beating the Ducks, 3-2, in Game 2 of their first-round playoff matchup.

  (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

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Ducks center Ryan Garbutt battles Predators defender Filip Forsberg, left, and Roman Josi for control of the puck in the first period of Game 2.

  (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

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Ducks fans rally after left wing Andrew Cogliano scored the first goal of Game 2 past Predators goalie Pekka Rinne.

  (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

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Ducks left wing Andrew Cogliano celebrates his first period goal during Game 2 of the first round playoff series against the Predators.

  (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

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Ducks center Ryan Garbutt battles Nashville Predators defenders for control of the puck in the first period of Game 2.

  (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

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Ducks right wing Corey Perry (10) passes the puck between the legs of Predators right wing Craig Smith during a first-round playoff game at Honda Center on April 17.

  (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

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Ducks center Ryan Kesler (15) passes the puck past Predators left wing Viktor Arvidsson in the first period of Game 2.

  (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

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Ducks goalie John Gibson looks at the puck as Predators left wing Filip Forsberg celebrates Craig Smith’s second period goal during Game 2.

  (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

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Ducks defender Cam Fowler skates back to the locker room with his head hung low after being defeated by the Nashville Predators, 3-2, during Game 2.

  (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

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Ducks left wing Andrew Cogliano celebrates his first period goal past Predators goalie Pekka Rinne during Game 2.

  (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

Change the names and a few details and it’s the same story for the Kings, who lost the first two games of their series to the San Jose Sharks at home. That the Kings rallied to erase a 3-0 San Jose series lead in 2014 doesn’t matter much: the Sharks, once easily rattled by physical teams, are taking the Kings’ hits and giving them back. The Sharks also are using their speed to dissect the Kings’ slow defense. At this rate, Joe Pavelski will appear in the Kings’ nightmares for months to come.

The Ducks on Sunday looked more like the flawed team they were in the first half of the season than the juggernaut they became after Christmas while surging to a fourth straight division title. Corey Perry was invisible except for taking two needless penalties in the first period. The line of Andrew Cogliano, Ryan Kesler and Jakob Silfverberg was the only trio that generated many chances.

“They played two pretty strong games. You’ve got to give them credit,” center Nate Thompson said of the Predators. “They capitalized on their chances. They’ve done a lot of good little things against us so they deserved the two games. Now we have to go earn the next one.”

The Predators made the playoffs as a wild-card team out of the Central Division and earned their place with a strong defense that’s led by standouts Shea Weber and Roman Josi. Their depth on defense allowed them to trade Seth Jones to Columbus in January for Ryan Johansen, giving them the No. 1 center they had long lacked.

They’ve never been past the second round of the playoffs, but appear well-stocked to change that this spring. They stayed disciplined, taking only two penalties and giving the Ducks only one power play.

It is part of the fabric of the Ducks’ past failures that when they lose their composure, they lose games. It happened again Sunday.

“You need all the guys to work hard,” Lindholm said. “We want to be the team that outworked them and they have to take penalties like that on us, and it’s the other way around now. You can’t sit in the box as much as we did.”

That will be the focus of Boudreau’s message to his players between now and Tuesday. But he probably will drop some references to their never-say-die attitude during the season, when they seemed to hit bottom in December.

“The one thing about this team is the resiliency,” he said. “We’ve gone through some really tough times this year. This is no different right now.”

helene.elliott@latimes.com

Twitter: @helenenothelen