Ducks Powerless on Five Attempts
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The Duck power-play unit, so powerful last season in scoring on 22% of its chances, has gone on the fritz to start this season.
The Ducks failed to score on five power-play chances in a 3-2 overtime loss Saturday to the Florida Panthers.
True, the Ducks haven’t spent much time on special teams during practice, but left wing Paul Kariya expects more from the power-play unit.
After all, the Ducks are scoreless in nine chances in the first three games of this five-game trip. They are 0 for 17 on the road on the power play.
“We have the personnel to make things happen,” Kariya said. “It’s a matter of simplifying things. We were still down, 2-1, to start the third period. We should have won the game on our power play.”
Instead, the Ducks went 0 for 3 in the pivotal third period. They fell to three for 25 after the first seven games.
“We’re looking for the home-run play instead of taking what the other team is giving us,” Kariya said.
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Defenseman Pascal Trepanier returned to the lineup after serving a five-game suspension for checking Dallas’ Joe Nieuwendyk into the glass Oct. 2. Trepanier replaced Fredrik Olausson, who suffered a sprained left ankle in Friday’s victory over Tampa Bay. Olausson’s status is day to day. Left wing Jim McKenzie returned from his four-game suspension Friday. Defenseman Ruslan Salei, out 10 games for his shove of Dallas’ Mike Modano, isn’t eligible to return until Oct. 29 against Washington.
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Center Steve Rucchin played his 334th game as a Duck and became the franchise’s leader in games played. . . . After playing three games in four nights, Coach Craig Hartsburg canceled today’s practice.
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