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Tired Ducks Drop Back-to-Back Games....Is History Repeating Itself?

March 1, 2012, 11:30 AM ET [18 Comments]
Steve Palumbo
San Jose Sharks Blogger • RSSArchiveCONTACT
The Anaheim Ducks yawned their way through Wednesday nights 2-0 loss to the Buffalo Sabres. It was the most lackluster 43 shot performance I think I've ever seen. Ryan Miller was good when he had to be especially in the third period when the Ducks flicked 20 shots on net. The shutout was the 26th of Miller's career.

The 2010 Vezina Trophy winner is having a down year by his standards but he looked all the part against Anaheim. Miller hasn't been great during his current stretch of 18 consecutive games started, allowing fewer than three goals in 10 of them. Too bad for the Ducks it was vintage Miller time and he shut them down cold.

It wasn't all about Miller though. Anaheim had a few bad breaks in the third period. Bobby Ryan fired a point blank shot that had Miller beat but luckily for the Sabres it caught a piece of their netminder. Later. a Francois Beauchemin shot beat Miller clean but caught the far post and deflected out of harms way.

Jonas Hiller made 22 saves for the Ducks in his 23rd consecutive start. Anaheim has now lost consecutive games for the first time in eight weeks and are seven points out of a playoff spot with 18 games remaining. The defeat also marked the fifth time this season they have been shutout, and first time at home.

The Ducks frustration boiled over at the end of the night, as the game got out of hand and the final minute of the third period turned into Fight Night as the Honda Center.

It was obvious to me the rigorous schedule and the emotion of playing for your life every night is finally catching us with the Ducks. They played three games in four night and are in the midst of a 15 games in 28 day stretch. The legs must be getting fatigued. It's the same thing that happened to the New Jersey Devils last year. Eventually the exhaustion catches up with you.

I'm hoping the Ducks pull through this quickly. Another loss and it could be lights out.

Key points on the game......

* Ryan Getzlaf was good last night and even had a fight but that doesn't change the fact that he's only scored four goals in his last 55 games. Oh captain....Oh brother!

* Hiller's 23rd consecutive start tied him with J.S. Giguere and Guy Hebert for the franchise record.

* Jason Blake failed to collect a point in his sixth consecutive game and has just a goal and an assist in 14 games since returning to the lineup after missing two games with a bum foot. Maybe Blake should have been traded...doh!

* The Sabres are 9-3-3 in the last 15 and are now just five points out of a playoff spot.

* Dallas earned a point in a 4-3 SO loss to Pittsburgh to push the Ducks seven Points back.

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