Ducks Claim Victory of Sorts in 3-2 Defeat

WASHINGTON —  They lost in the final minute of regulation, gave up the winning goal on a breakaway after an unfortunate bounce, squandered a two-goal lead and lost their third consecutive game.

So why did the Mighty Ducks sound so upbeat after a 3-2 loss to former coach Ron Wilson and the Washington Capitals in front of 19,011 Thursday at MCI Center?

Did they party too hearty on New Year’s Eve?

“I think we’re playing better and you’ve got to use this as a building block for us,” Coach Pierre Page said. “You’ve got to look for building blocks anywhere. I know we’re doing some things better. It’s not adding up right now, but sooner or later it will.”

It looked as if the Ducks might escape with nothing less than a hard-earned 2-2 tie as the final seconds of the third period ticked away.

They buzzed Washington goaltender Olaf Kolzig, looking for the game-winner. Winger Warren Rychel skated to the right point to cover for defenseman Bobby Dollas, who moved along the boards to keep the puck in the Capitals’ zone.

When Rychel turned to fire a loose puck on net, it struck Washington’s Adam Oates and kicked out into the neutral zone. Suddenly, Oates was alone on a breakaway against goalie Guy Hebert.

Oates zoomed in and sent a fluttering shot toward the net that sneaked between Hebert’s legs with 32 seconds left.

“A lot of guys would have tried to pick out a corner and missed the net, but he went [between Hebert’s pads] with a little floater,” Page said.

Oates gave credit for the goal exactly where it belonged: to dumb luck. “The puck hit me and bounced straight ahead, which was lucky,” he said.

Moments earlier, the Capitals appeared to have taken a 3-2 lead on Peter Bondra’s power-play goal with 2:54 left. But Steve Konowalchuk’s left skate was in the crease and video-replay official John Robinson washed out the goal.

It wasn’t the only late scoring chance as the teams traded breakaways in the third period. First, Kolzig denied Teemu Selanne with a blocker save with 6:40 to play. Then, a moment later, Konowalchuk whistled a shot on goal that Hebert tipped wide with his glove.

“It’s a game of inches and we’re an inch short right now,” Duck center Mark Janssens said. “The effort is encouraging, but the results are discouraging. We’ve got to find that extra inch.”

The Ducks seemed to find their game from the start. They outhit the Capitals and skated harder and played smarter than in the first three games on this six-game trip.

They clamped down on Bondra, Konowalchuk and Michal Pivonka--the Capitals’ top offensive players. Hebert was sharp for the third consecutive game. Plus, there was a new wrinkle. Neither Selanne nor Paul Kariya scored goals, but others did.

Rookie defenseman Pavel Trnka scored his first NHL goal with a shot from the high slot through traffic 6:46 into the game. Wilson wailed for a replay review because Selanne, who assisted on the goal, and Kariya were near Kolzig. But Wilson never got one.

Janssens then scored his second goal of the season 6:50 into the second period, on a one-timer in the high slot on a pass from the left wing from Ted Drury.

The lead didn’t last long.

Goals by Andrew Brunette and Bondra less than 10 minutes apart enabled the Capitals to tie the score by the end of the second period.

The third period was evenly played. Both teams missed breakaways. Both teams missed on power-play chances.

But a funny bounce, a floating shot and the Ducks ushered in the new year with their 21st loss. Somehow things didn’t seem all that bleak in the Duck dressing room, though.

“We did a lot of good things out there,” Selanne said. “If I had scored on that breakaway it might have been the difference. I think we played too good to lose this game.”

Added Kariya: “We had a lot of energy on the ice, so that was good. We just couldn’t hold on. We’re right on a plateau and we’ve got to pump it up a little bit more. All the pieces to the puzzle are in place. We’ve just got to get them to fit together.”