Whose Puck Is It Anyway? : Ducks Running Out of Excuses for Their Anemic Power Play

ANAHEIM — The following scene is from Friday night, but it could have been almost any game in the Mighty Ducks’ existence:

There goes the puck, traveling from one corner of the rink to another to another to another. Five Ducks give chase, but the four defenders appear to have the upper hand. The Ducks shoot the puck into the attacking zone, but the opposition gains control and rifles it in the other direction.

The crowd grows restless, booing as the seconds tick past. Who has the advantage here, anyway? Forget scoring a goal, will the Ducks survive the next two minutes without being scored upon?

Good questions.

Last season’s bugaboo was going winless in six games against the San Jose Sharks. Will a powerless power play keep the Ducks out of the playoffs this year?

Last among the 26 NHL teams in 1993-94, the Ducks are near the bottom again this season. When Anatoli Semenov scored a first-period power-play goal against the Sharks Saturday, it broke a 0-for-31 drought. And by game’s end the Ducks’ conversion rate was a still-pitiful five for 54 (9.3%). Worse, the Ducks have given up more shorthanded goals, a league-high six, than they’ve scored on their power play.

Before Monday’s games, only the Sharks (five for 59, 8.5%) had a weaker power play. Chicago led the NHL, converting 21 of 70 chances (30%). The league average was 17.3%.

The Ducks made off-season trades, adding skill and experience, and worked relentlessly in practice to remedy the situation. But the bottom line is their power play is still punchless and all too often an advantage for opponents.

“It’s scary some of the chances we’re giving up,” defenseman Tom Kurvers said.

He should know because he’s been involved in more than his share, including all six short-handed goals. Acquired from the New York Islanders in a trade for Troy Loney, Kurvers was supposed to help cease jokes about the Duck power play. After 14 games, it seems the deal has failed.

“It’s disappointing because Tom Kurvers just can’t do it right now,” Coach Ron Wilson said. “We expected him to do the job. I’m at a loss there. We’ve tried all kinds of different things, shown him different things. Tommy’s just got to fight his way out of this one.”

With his patience at a breaking point, Wilson benched Kurvers, 32, who had five goals and 21 assists on the Islander power play last season. Kurvers was replaced by rookie Oleg Tverdovsky against San Jose Saturday.

“Even with Tom Kurvers it hasn’t worked,” said Wilson, who gave no indication of when he might play Kurvers again.

“Most of our defensemen are defensive-minded. The first week our power play was fine. As long as we were moving the puck we were fine. But we still haven’t got all the ingredients there.”

General Manager Jack Ferreira hoped he would solve some of last season’s problems with the Kurvers trade and the signing of talented rookies Paul Kariya and Valeri Karpov. But he seems at a loss to explain continued failures.

“I don’t know, maybe we need better players,” Ferreira said. “It’s frustrating right now, yeah.”

What’s wrong? Why is the power play ineffective?

The most common explanation has the Ducks standing around the perimeter, afraid or unable to shoot the puck. Phrases like “lack of confidence” and “tentative play” find their way into conversations too.

* “No one is sure what the other guy is doing, that’s the start of it,” Kurvers said.

* “We have guys who don’t want to shoot,” Wilson said.

* “We don’t have that confidence level right now,” Ferreira said.

* “We’ve been very passive the last few games,” defenseman Bobby Dollas said.

* “The least we can do is get in front of the net,” center Bob Corkum said.

Ideally, a strong power play unit consists of one defenseman with a hard, accurate shot and another with sharp passing skills. The center should be a sniper, strong, with good hands and moves in front of the net. The wingers should be able to anticipate rebounds, buzzing the net with shots or passes to open teammates.

The Ducks aren’t lacking players who fit these categories, but they still can’t seem to click.

Wilson, trying any and all angles, on Friday placed center Patrik Carnback in a defensive position along the blue line, hoping for more offensive skills but leaving only one defenseman on the ice during power plays. Wilson is likely to continue that approach.

When the Ducks finally broke their scoreless power play streak Saturday, Carnback passed the puck back to Kariya at the right point. Kariya slipped the puck to Semenov in the right circle. Semenov, attempting to feed the puck into the slot, scored when his shot hit a skate and bounced into the net.

Garry Valk, stationed in front of the net, was initially credited with the goal. But it didn’t matter who scored, it was the type of goal the Ducks had been hoping to get.

“You can call them garbage goals,” Corkum said, “but those are the kinds of goals you get on the power play.”

Said Dollas: “We’ve got to concentrate on guys driving to the net. We’ve been playing perimeter hockey, on the outside, comfortable. We’ve got to get to the middle of the ice and put the puck on net.”

Loney was particularly effective in camping out in front of the net last season. As teams collapsed their defense to contain him, the Ducks had more room to roam free. But the Ducks still converted on a meager 54 of 376 power plays (14.4%). The league average was 18.6%.

Without Loney, the Ducks are struggling to be as effective as last season. Corkum, who has one assist on the power play this season, and Semenov (two goals) have been the ones attempting to replace him. Kariya, with two goals and one assist, leads the Duck power play. Kurvers has only one assist.

“We have to have more control,” said Corkum, sidelined the past two games after suffering a concussion last week at Edmonton. “Maybe we’ve been too passive.”

Said Dollas: “The better power plays take it to you. They say, ‘You figure out a way to stop us.’ The puck just hasn’t gone in for us. What we really want is to go down swinging. It’s not pretty hockey, but it can be successful.

“We’re on the verge of being a good hockey team. We have to want to do it.”

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Powerless

One of the Mighty Ducks’ off-season goals was to improve the NHL’s weakest power play. But instead of getting better, the Ducks are near the bottom of th epack again. Here are the league’s best and worst power plays (through Sunday):

TOP 5

Chicago 30.0%, Power Plays: 70, Goals: 21 Quebec 24.5%, Power Plays: 49, Goals: 12

Toronto 23.3%, Power Plays: 73, Goals: 17

Kings 23.2%, Power Plays: 69, Goals: 16

Vancouver 23.1%, Power Plays: 65, Goals: 15

BOTTOM 5

Hartford 11.3%, Power Plays: 53, Goals: 6

Edmonton 11.0%, Power Plays: 73, Goals: 8

Tampa Bay 9.7%, Power Plays: 62, Goals: 6

Mighty Ducks 9.3%, Power Plays: 54, Goals: 5

San Jose 8.5%, Power Plays: 59, Goals: 5

Sources: National Hockey League