Lifeless Ducks are no match for the Stars

DALLAS —  Minutes into addressing his team after an aimless 4-1 loss to the Dallas Stars, Ducks Coach Randy Carlyle abruptly walked outside the team’s dressing room at American Airlines Center and took a brief stroll to collect his thoughts.

Along the way, Carlyle scratched his head and wore a pained look before disappearing back inside.

It was a fitting reaction to an abysmal performance in a critical Pacific Division game Friday night that was confounding to all involved.

“That’s as flat as we’ve been all year,” Carlyle said in a downcast tone. “I don’t know. I just don’t know. In this situation, the importance of the game, the ability to [get] some rest.... this was a stinker.”

After four consecutive overtime games, the Ducks (35-17-10) for once didn’t need to work extra. In fact, they hardly worked at all.

Instead, they suffered their third consecutive defeat with an ambivalence that has rarely been seen in the Carlyle era.

Corey Perry’s goal with 4 minutes 45 seconds left in the third period only spared them an embarrassment of a fourth shutout this month.

The Ducks, 8-13-4 since Dec. 20, find themselves looking for answers as they cling to a three-point lead in the division. Dallas closed to within five points.

“To come into a game as big as this one was for us and obviously them right behind us -- a four-point game -- it should have been a playoff-style atmosphere,” defenseman Chris Pronger said. “It wasn’t in that first period, that’s for sure.

“I don’t really have an answer as to why or how. Obviously it’s unacceptable. We can’t come into games that are this big in our division with them chasing us and play the way we did.”

The Ducks trailed, 2-0, after the first. At the 6:57 mark, Ladislav Nagy scored his first goal with Dallas since coming from Phoenix in a trade Feb. 12.

Rookie Krys Barch scored his second NHL goal later in the first and assisted on Jussi Jokinen’s second-period goal.

Meanwhile, the Ducks again came up empty against goalie Mike Smith, another rookie who shut them out on Feb. 10. They failed to score on five power plays, including three in a row in the second period.

“It’s great we got some good opportunities and that’s a positive,” Pronger said. “But when you don’t hit the back of the net, it doesn’t matter. You’re just moving the puck around.”

Smith made 24 saves, but the Ducks didn’t test him in the manner they did two weeks ago.

“We just didn’t compete like we need to,” Ducks captain Scott Niedermayer said. “We knew it was an important game for both teams and we knew they would come out and play their game, which they did. They played well and we didn’t respond to it. It’s upsetting for sure.”

The Ducks are taking a hard look at themselves as they enter Sunday’s home game against Colorado, a team they haven’t beaten this season, before traveling Monday to face second-place San Jose.

“It’s not that we’re not working hard enough,” Pronger said. “We need to work smart. We need to show more composure and not get out of sync.

“If you miss a pass, you miss a pass. It happens. Nobody’s perfect. You’re going to make mistakes. It’s how the group handles it.”

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eric.stephens@latimes.com