Penalties are taking a toll

Frustrated by repeated penalties either real or imagined by the Ducks in the last two games, Coach Randy Carlyle issued a directive to his team Thursday. The message: stop taking them.

“I think the situation with us is overall, we take too many,” he said. “Simple.”

The facts bear that out. The Ducks are 27th in the NHL in averaging 22.2 penalty minutes a game -- nearly double what the Colorado Avalanche is averaging, 11.3, the league’s fewest. The Ducks’ 288 total penalty minutes is next-to-last, sitting only in front of tonight’s opponent, the Phoenix Coyotes. In games this week against the St. Louis Blues and New York Rangers, the Ducks took 18 minors, resulting in nine power plays in each.

“The penalties take away from our team game,” forward Rob Niedermayer said. “It’s tiring out some players, and some other players aren’t playing because they aren’t getting out there. We’re a much more effective team when we have control of the blue line and we’re rolling four lines out there.

“There’s always going to be some penalties. But you can’t keep doing that.”

The number isn’t Carlyle’s only concern. In their 4-3 loss to the Rangers, the Ducks twice were caught with retaliatory penalties that resulted in goals. Jaromir Jagr’s game winner in overtime came on a power play after Francois Beauchemin roughed up the Rangers’ Aaron Ward.

“Because an infraction does not get called against a player, the retaliation is being called and we have to do a better job in self-discipline,” Carlyle said. “Do we think two guys should have been sent off at the same time? Maybe so. But we committed an infraction and you get caught. That’s about it.”

Niedermayer said it was up to the players. “We know the referees aren’t going to change,” he said. “You can’t let that control your game. You have to be mentally strong enough to not let anything deter you from going out and playing your game.”

*

Forward Stanislav Chistov and defenseman Ian Moran played their first games for the team’s American Hockey League affiliate in Portland, Maine, Wednesday after both accepted conditioning assignments. Chistov scored a goal in a 4-3 loss to Hartford and Moran was a plus-one on his shifts. Neither has played a game for the Ducks this season. The same is true for forward Travis Green, who remained in Anaheim.

“Obviously when players don’t play, it makes a lot of sense to have them in a situation where they do play,” Carlyle said.

TONIGHT

vs. Phoenix, 7, FSN Prime Ticket

Site -- Honda Center.

Radio -- 830.

Records -- Ducks 9-0-4; Coyotes 3-9-0.

Record vs. Coyotes (2005-06) -- 7-0-1.

Update -- The Ducks have won 17 of the last 25 meetings, including a 2-1 victory in Glendale, Ariz., on Oct. 7. The Coyotes have scored only 22 goals in the last 11 games.

Tickets -- (877) 945-3946.

eric.stephens@latimes.com