Ducks seek consistency on power play, despite recent surge

With the Ducks on a roll of five goals during their last 10 power plays, including Teemu Selanne’s game-winner on Thursday, does Coach Bruce Boudreau think the team has turned the corner in the devilish category in which they ranked 26th in the NHL through last weekend?

“No,” he said. “Power plays and penalty killing goes in fits and starts. You can kill 29 out of 29 to get numbers, then the next thing you know, you’ve been scored on eight of 20. Power play the same way.

“If anything, we’d like to be more consistent.”

Defenseman Cam Fowler said a one-for-34 scoring rut with a man advantage that stretched into this week has him hesitant to say the team has solved its past woes.

“It comes and goes, but we’re searching for consistency. ... You always need goals to get you jump-started and I hope we can keep that going,” Fowler said.

The Ducks’ puck retrieval skills, improving zone time and the odds of scoring, have been stronger of late.

“It’s good, and the other thing that adds to it is confidence,” Boudreau said.