Ducks Learn Hard Way in 3-2 Loss to Buffalo

The Buffalo Sabres took the Mighty Ducks to the school of hard knocks Wednesday, defeating them, 3-2, in overtime before an announced crowd of 15,002 at the Arrowhead Pond.

What the Ducks learned in the wake of their third consecutive loss is that they must cover the front of their net better, stay out of the penalty box, get more offense from their second line and put together a better effort than Wednesday.

Sounds like a tall order.

Don’t bet on the Ducks solving all their troubles by Friday’s game against the Phoenix Coyotes at the Pond.

Fact is, merely recognizing their many shortcomings Wednesday was probably the first positive move in getting their game back together.

Actually, the Ducks’ skillful, aggressive forechecking game was there for brief flashes Wednesday.

But Buffalo’s Michal Grosek scored the game-tying goal with Duck center Travis Green in the penalty box for hooking early in the third period. Michael Peca then scored the game-winner while uncovered in the slot only 29 seconds into the five-minute overtime period.

“For the most part, I thought we played well,” Duck Coach Craig Hartsburg said. “We’re going through some tough times. It’s a learning experience for this team and we’ve got to fight through it. We are a good team.”

Indeed, the Ducks did play a steady game as bodies flailed and fell all around the ice. They managed to get two pucks by Buffalo goalie Dominik Hasek, but couldn’t produce a backbreaking goal after leading, 2-1, entering the third period.

More than any single flaw, perhaps that’s what the Ducks are missing most at the moment.

“With a 2-1 lead, that’s the time to put your foot on another team’s throat,” Duck captain Paul Kariya said. “We just don’t have that killer instinct yet.”

It’s a sign of the Ducks’ youth and inexperience, according to veteran defenseman Kevin Haller.

“We played them even in the first period, and in the second, we really took the momentum when we scored,” Haller said. “You could feel them relax or let down. Up, 2-1, going into the third period, there’s no reason we should give up the lead. A good team doesn’t give up the lead.

“It’s a learning process. It’s a sign we’re not a mature team yet.”

It might explain why the Ducks could hammer the Sabres and Hasek, 7-2, on New Year’s Day, but fail to produce the required offense to win two in a row over Buffalo.

Kariya, who failed to score a goal for the 10th consecutive game, shouldered some of the blame for the Ducks’ misfiring offense. Wednesday was the third consecutive game in which the Ducks could not score more than two goals.

“We’ve got to get three goals a game to win in this league,” Kariya said of the Ducks, who are averaging a less-than-remarkable 2.4 goals a game. “We’re missing that one goal. Part of that is my fault. We’ve also got to get more scoring from our other lines. They’re doing a good job of maintaining possession of the puck, but they’ve got to go to the net more.”

Steve Rucchin, at 16:58 of the first period, and Teemu Selanne, only 28 seconds into the second period, gave the Ducks a 2-1 lead. Vaclav Varada had the Sabres’ first goal.

Until Buffalo’s late goals, the highlight was a heavyweight fight between tough guys Stu Grimson of the Ducks and Rob Ray of Buffalo, who gave the fans what they really wanted: fisticuffs.

Ray had leveled Grimson in the closing moments of the Ducks’ 7-2 rout Friday at Buffalo, and seemed eager to rumble in the rematch Wednesday. They finally found each other at 14:28 of the second period.

Grimson earned a hard-fought decision over Ray, pleasing the crowd and his teammates. To be sure, Grimson’s victory was not reflected in the final score.

But at least it was a spark, one that was sadly missing at times during the Ducks’ just-completed 1-3-1 trip to Ottawa, Toronto, Buffalo, Boston and Nashville.