ANAHEIM — It’s that time of the NHL season, when the calendar turns to April and Stanley Cup playoff-bound teams begin to tighten up their play. No more frivolous play with the puck. No more players out of position defensively. No more unforced errors. No more missed chances.
The Ducks said Saturday they knew it was time to buckle down, time to avoid the kinds of mistakes that cost them during a 5-3 loss to the Calgary Flames at Honda Center, their fifth consecutive defeat. They must clean up their act with five regular-season games left.
The Ducks said the right things after doing only a handful of them during a game they dominated in so many ways, but still ended up losing. Their margin for error is slim. They are second in the Pacific Division with 87 points, the same number as the first-place Edmonton Oilers.
The Vegas Golden Knights are third with 86 points.
It’s possible the Ducks could regroup and claim the division title.
It’s also possible they could slip right out of the playoffs.
“Too sloppy,” Ducks center Leo Carlsson said. “We’ve got to figure it out.”
Carlsson, Beckett Sennecke and Mason McTavish (power play) scored for the Ducks, and Ville Husso made 15 saves. Morgan Frost scored twice for the Flames, including a game-clinching empty-net goal with 1:11 remaining, and Joel Farabee, Matvei Gridin and ex-Duck Ryan Strome also scored.
The Ducks outshot the Flames, 39-20, including by 13-5 in the third period when they rallied from a 4-1 deficit on goals from Carlsson and McTavish. But the Flames had converted four times on either odd-man rushes or breakaways, erasing the Ducks’ early 1-0 lead.
“The breakaways and the odd-man rushes were preventable by basically knowing that’s what they’re going to do,” Ducks coach Joel Quenneville said, referring to the Flames’ penchant for creating turnovers and heading in the other direction with a quick pass up the ice.
“Our first period wasn’t bad, then all of a sudden, they get breakaway after breakaway, and that was a big thing,” Quenneville added. “We got going in the third (period) with some possession and some zone time and opportunities. (But) they’re one of the top teams in the league off the rush.
“So, that was something we wanted to prevent.”
One night after looking defenseless during a 6-2 loss Friday to the St. Louis Blues, the Ducks hit the reset button and started with good intentions. Their best defense in the opening period Saturday was a relentless, sustained attack that resulted in a 1-0 lead midway through the first.
The game got away from them soon enough.
Calgary scored four consecutive goals before Carlsson countered.
At game’s end, Quenneville cautioned against looking too far ahead.
“We’ve got lots of time between now and (the playoffs) to figure it out,” he said. “Let’s not worry about the series. Let’s worry about the next five games.”
After a day off Sunday, the Ducks will return to their Irvine practice facility Monday for what Quenneville said would be their first actual practice in three weeks. The compacted schedule because of the Olympic break has taken a toll on all teams, including the leg-weary Ducks.
It’s a chance for the Ducks to sharpen their game and regain their mojo.
“Obviously, it’s frustrating,” Carlsson said of the Ducks’ losing streak.
Seeking a fresh look on defense, the Ducks recalled Tyson Hinds from the AHL’s San Diego Gulls and he made his NHL debut Saturday, paired at first with John Carlson, a veteran of 1,154 games and later with Jacob Trouba. Hinds did not have a goal or an assist, but had four shots in 23:22 of ice time.
“Just enjoying every minute,” he said. “I’m glad I got the first shift out of the way quickly, and the nerves went out right away. So, it was a lot of fun. For young guys like me, it’s nice to be paired with (veterans like Carlson and Trouba) and see how they make plays and see the details.”