What we learned from the Ducks’ 3-0 loss to the Avalanche

The saying is that it is always darkest before the light. If that’s the case, then the Ducks need night-vision goggles.

The Ducks were shut out for the second straight game Friday in a 3-0 loss to the Colorado Avalanche and the third time in four games to start the season. Their scoreless streak is more than 163 minutes. They have one goal this season, by a defenseman.

Here’s what we learned from Friday’s loss:

1. It wasn’t for a lack of rubber. The Ducks put 35 shots on goal. An additional 41 were blocked by Colorado, an extraordinary number; 16 shots missed the net.

The Ducks have no choice but to keep hacking away.

“You can get mad as you want, but you got to go out there and you’ve got to do it,” Corey Perry said. “It’s going to be that one bounce. That’s all we need. It’s going to be a shot off somebody’s rear end or off one of their sticks or skate to really break this thing.”

2. They might have sustained more than a loss in the standings. Defenseman Simon Despres was knocked out of the game with a hit by Tyson Barrie in the corner. Barrie appeared to strike Despres in the head, which could result in discipline from the NHL.

The Ducks already are without Clayton Stoner because of injury and might have to recall a defenseman if Despres is out for an extended time.

3. This will take more time than most observers thought. It was easy to think that the Ducks would transition offensively with the additions of Carl Hagelin, Shawn Horcoff, Mike Santorelli and Chris Stewart expected to offset the losses of Matt Beleskey, Kyle Palmieri and Emerson Etem.

But none of the aforementioned new players got much time to assimilate in the preseason, and the result is a work in progress and the Ducks’ worst start since 2008-09.

“It’s not the start we wanted,” Hagelin said. “We can’t think back now. We’ve got to focus on the next game, stay positive. We have a lot of great players in here. We know we can make plays. We know we can score goals.”