WASHINGTON – To be considered an elite team, beating from one from time to time helps boost the argument.
The Ducks have a high opinion of their ability and they’re still firmly in playoff position with less than one-third of the regular season left. But they’ve got just one win in five games on their trip and none of the victories compiled over the last two months raised an eyebrow.
The best wins since back-to-back December home triumphs over San Jose and Ottawa came later that month against Boston and Toronto – teams on the edge of postseason qualification. There hasn’t been a single victory over a team in a playoff spot since.
As they head toward home, the Ducks have another chance to make a statement at their final stop when they visit Western Conference-leading Minnesota. It comes right after a late goal ruined a stirring comeback against Eastern Conference-leading Washington.
At some point, do the Ducks (29-18-10) need to present some hard evidence that they’re truly a team above the league’s mass of mediocrity?
“We need a win,” Ducks coach Randy Carlyle said. “We don’t care who it is. The schedule, in our minds, you’re never afforded an easy one. Because we’re playing teams that are playing well, that’s just all that more of a challenge for our group.”
The Ducks have largely avoided talk of this most recent stretch of games against the New York Rangers, Washington and now Minnesota as something to measure themselves against quality teams. But there should be motivation in this third and final matchup against the Wild.
In his first season as Minnesota’s coach, Bruce Boudreau has the Wild on its way to the best season in franchise history. And the coach that helmed the Ducks to a record 54 wins and 116 points in 2013-14 would love to pocket a season sweep of his former team after getting wins on Jan. 8 and Jan. 21.
“I don’t look at it as a measuring stick,” Carlyle said. “I look at it as we got to play this hockey club. We got to find a way to garner some points here and get ourselves going in the right direction. We were playing fairly well. It just hasn’t come together here in the last little while.”
This won’t be a winning trip for the Ducks. But they can end it with quite a flourish.
“Personally, I know we can beat any team in the league so that doesn’t really (matter),” defenseman Hampus Lindholm said. “Of course you feel when you’ve really played hard and you felt like the other team played their best game and you still won, you want to have that feeling. Because then you know you’re beating them because you’ve been playing better.
“Any game is really important. Of course, it would be nice to come out with a win and coming home feeling good about ourselves.”
DISHING DIRT
Corey Perry has drawn the ire of opposing players around the league for years, but a couple of former Ducks teammates recently took issue with what they consider were dirty actions by the winger.
Washington left wing Daniel Winnik, who played with Perry from two seasons, took exception to a slew foot-type trip from behind. The two would scuffle, with both assessed roughing minors and Perry getting an additional penalty that Capitals winger T.J. Oshie would score on the ensuing power play.
“That's how that whole thing started,” Winnik said. “I thought it was a dirty play.”
Late last month, Winnipeg’s Mathieu Perreault was fuming after receiving a slash on his hand from Perry. Perreault, who suffered a broken thumb, and Perry were teammates in 2013-14 in Perreault’s only season in Anaheim.
“It was a little dirty,” Perreault told the Winnipeg Sun. “He turned his stick over and caught me with the hook of his blade, right under my glove. It's not like he was trying to make a play on the puck. He was just coming at my hand. So to me it was dirty
The veteran forward added, “It's not something I would do. I don't make dirty plays like that. I play hard on the puck. But I definitely don't appreciate it at all.”
Perry professed that he wasn’t aware of the critical comments from either player and had little to say.
“It’s just hockey,” he said. “I got nothing.”
ALSO
Sami Vatanen went through a full practice Monday and could be available to play against the Wild. Vatanen has missed the last five games because of a knee injury. “He’ll be an option for us tomorrow,” Carlyle said.
Defenseman Clayton Stoner may be off to San Diego (AHL) to begin a conditioning assignment as he looks to get back into action. Stoner, who hasn’t played since Nov. 15 and is on long-term injured reserve, underwent abdominal surgery in mid-December.
Contact the writer: estephens@scng.com
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