Ducks Still Waiting for Their Offense

PHILADELPHIA —  The Mighty Ducks didn’t give goaltender Guy Hebert much to work with Sunday, and now they are winless after two games and wondering why they can’t score.

Out of sync, sluggish and punchless were just a few ways to describe the misfiring Duck offense in a 4-1 loss to the Philadelphia Flyers before a sellout crowd of 19,519 at the First Union Center.

“We’ve got to have the effort every time we put on our skates,” said captain Paul Kariya, who scored the Ducks’ only goal. “We’re not a good enough team to take a night off. When we used our speed, we gave them some trouble. We didn’t use it enough, though.”

To be sure, the physical Flyers (2-0) played a big part in the Ducks’ lackluster showing. The Flyers shoved and the Ducks shoved back, but only for about 10 minutes. The rest of the game belonged to the Flyers.

Philadelphia center Eric Lindros checked Duck defenseman Jason Marshall in front of the net, clearing the way for John LeClair’s go-ahead goal late in the first period.

Lindros slammed defenseman Kevin Haller against the boards, triggering a sequence that produced Rod Brind’Amour’s power-play goal, which gave the Flyers a 3-1 lead in the second period.

Lindros and defenseman Luke Richardson squared off against enforcer Stu Grimson after a third-period collision in the corner. Grimson glanced at one, then the other before settling on a fight with Richardson.

And, oh by the way, Lindros had two goals and LeClair had one goal and three assists.

“They played awfully physical against us,” said Hebert, playing his first game since being sidelined March 8 by a right shoulder strain that later required surgery. “I think that sapped the energy out of us.”

The NHL schedule-makers certainly didn’t do the Ducks any favors by having them open the season with games on consecutive nights against the Washington Capitals and the Flyers.

Predictably, the Ducks were winless against the top two Eastern Conference Stanley Cup contenders.

Next up on Tuesday: the Montreal Canadiens, who routed the New York Rangers, 7-1, in their home opener Saturday at the Molson Center.

The Ducks now must figure out how to create more scoring chances, and squeeze a few shots past the opposing goalie.

They were shut out by Washington’s Olaf Kolzig, 1-0, managing 29 shots but failing to generate enough sustained pressure. Against the Flyers, they started well enough but got only one of 22 shots past goalie John Vanbiesbrouck.

Vanbiesbrouck’s only mistake came when he failed to cover up a point shot from defenseman Fredrik Olausson that trickled behind him in the first period. Kariya knocked the loose puck into the net for a power-play goal and a 1-1 tie 9:07 into the game.

LeClair then gave the Flyers the lead for good at 13:24.

The Ducks could not keep pace, the Flyers controlled play for long stretches in the second and third periods and Hebert paid the price--not that he was complaining later.

He was happy to be playing again after such a long layoff.

“I actually felt pretty good out there,” Hebert said.

Of the Flyers, Hebert added: “Their whole team looked full of life and that’s a big line [the LeClair-Lindros-Mike Maneluk line].”

Indeed, the Flyers seemed to keep the puck in the Duck zone every time Lindros’ line was on the ice. It was one reason why the Ducks were outshot, 32-22, including 9-3 in the pivotal second period.

“We had a decent start; we weren’t sluggish at the beginning,” Duck Coach Craig Hartsburg said. “They just kept coming at us. That’s why they’re one of the better teams in the league. They’re a big, strong team. They work hard to finish their checks. It’s not a vicious game. It’s not a dirty game. It’s just a hard game.”

It’s the type of game Hartsburg would like to see the Ducks play some day soon.