Ducks’ miscues too big a burden in 3-2 overtime loss to Rangers

With the Ducks so insistent on self-destructing — it’s one of the few areas of the game they’ve excelled at this season — opponents have learned to wait for and pounce on those inevitable mistakes.

The Ducks gave the New York Rangers two gift goals Tuesday, missing only glittery wrapping paper and a festive bow. Those defensive-zone mistakes, one by defenseman Josh Manson in the first period and one by forward Jiri Sekac early in the third, were too big a burden for a team that’s struggling to score. Mats Zuccarello’s power-play goal 2 minutes 37 seconds into overtime gave the Rangers a 3-2 victory at Madison Square Garden and sent the Ducks into the Christmas break pondering woes that show no hint of ending.

“Obviously, it’s not good enough and it’s something we hadn’t counted on or expected or wanted,” said forward Rickard Rakell, who set up Corey Perry for the Ducks’ first goal and scored the second off a fine pass from Ryan Getzlaf with 2:54 left in the third.

“It’s definitely some frustration on the team. Everybody wants to play as good as they can and be productive and help the team in any way and it just hasn’t worked. All we can do is go into this break and get some rest and think about what you can do different and make sure you come back and work for the guy next to you.”

It can be tough when that guy next to you is turning the puck over in a bad spot at a bad time, a pattern that has left the Ducks expecting the worst to happen — and, sometimes, making it happen.

Manson passed the puck up the middle and onto the stick of Derick Brassard, who brought the Rangers even at 1-1. Sekac, presented with four possible targets for a pass that likely would have gotten the puck out of the zone, picked the worst possible option and pretty much gave the puck to forechecker Zuccarello, who fed Brassard for a 2-1 Rangers lead.

With goals so precious, it’s understandable that the Ducks’ goaltenders would feel pressure to play a perfect game. John Gibson acquitted himself well in that regard Tuesday. Too many of his teammates did not.

“The mistakes we’re making, this is the NHL. This isn’t the Junior B [level] at 14 years old, when you expect that,” Coach Bruce Boudreau said. “This is the National Hockey League. Those guys gotta make better plays coming out of our zone.”

After their fourth loss in five games the Ducks (12-15-6) rank 29th among 30 teams in the NHL. Their power play is 0 for 8 games. They’re 0-5 in overtime.

They shouldn’t consider it progress to get a point against a team that was struggling even more mightily than they were and had won only one of its previous seven games, but they clung to that notion after a 1-2-1 trip.

“In the past, or at least in these last few games, we’d give up a goal to make it 2-1 and it’s been kind of our character to sink a little bit and let them dictate the play, but we fought hard,” said defenseman Cam Fowler, who was penalized for holding defenseman Ryan McDonagh 1:07 into overtime to prevent him from taking a stretch pass and getting a dangerous scoring chance on Gibson.

“We definitely had fight left, but a few too many mistakes led to us getting only one point out of two.”

Perry’s shot from the inside edge of the left circle, set up neatly by Rakell, gave the Ducks a 1-0 lead at 11:16 of a first period that both teams slogged through. Less than a minute after Gibson made a fine chest save on Dominic Moore, Manson committed his giveaway and Brassard took advantage at 17:50 of the first period.

Zuccarello put the Rangers ahead after he stepped in Sekac’s path to take the puck away and then fed Brassard, who scored on a one-timer from one knee at 2:44 of the third period. Rakell, one of the Ducks’ few bright spots Tuesday, brought them even but Dan Boyle fed Zuccarello for the winner while Fowler sat in the box.

For the Ducks, who don’t play again until Sunday, this seems a fine time to take a break.

“Maybe,” Rakell said. “Anyways, we’ve got to change this around.”

helene.elliott@latimes.com

Twitter: @helenenothelen