BUFFALO, N.Y. – The question isn’t going to fade away as long as he doesn’t put the puck in the net.

What is going on with Corey Perry?

Fans ask it. Analysts. His coach. And another person he knows better than anyone else.

Himself.

“You’re only human if you don’t, right?” Perry said Wednesday. “You don’t obviously talk to yourself. But you know what’s going on. You’re just trying to figure out how to get back to what you were.

“It’s a matter of working harder. Doing extra. Whatever it may be. You got to try to find something.”

Perry is still on a search mission. The player the Ducks have counted on for 30 goals every season is in the midst of the worst offensive season of his accomplished 12-year career. At present, the winger has nine goals and he has dressed in all 55 games.

It’s a number that he’s been stuck on for the last six games. Long droughts are nothing new to a player who has balanced those by getting white hot over lengthy stretches. Except the droughts have been repeated in 2016-17. Eighteen games early on. Thirteen games midway through.

There has been failure on glorious chances that would have been buried other years. Shots going wide. Posts hit. Saves made that usually aren’t. And those are the games where Perry has had chances, which aren’t always the case.

Ducks coach Randy Carlyle has done different things to get his once-reliable scorer untracked. Leave him with longtime linemate Ryan Getzlaf. Put him with another center. Take him off the power play’s first unit. Put him back on it. Use him in overtime. Don’t use him.

Even smaller moves to build his confidence like putting him on the ice for an empty-net goal at Colorado or, most recently, having him keep a shootout going at Florida. Perry hit the post on his try and the Ducks lost. Carlyle joked he’s scratched his head so often that it’s the reason he’s balding.

“We’ve gotten together numerous times,” Carlyle said. “Not so much over the last 10 days or so but we’ve talked. We’ve had conversations. There’s been video presented and he’s been quite receptive to what we’ve shown him.

“We’ve asked him to do some things difference off ice after games to get more involved in participating. The extra shots, the extra work after practice. He’s done all of that. We feel that there is a time when things are going to go his way.”

Perry has reached out to those close to him. He said his parents stay up late to watch the Ducks games and he’s talked with his dad, Geoff, on occasion about his continued struggles. One thing he acknowledged is getting back to the “jerk on the ice” or “rat” that’s made him a hated player.

It is about being a presence. Playing at the edge that Perry has long said he has to be to maximize his effectiveness.

“I believe in myself 100 percent,” Perry said. “I just have to get back to doing what I do well and what got me here. The little things that can help a team in a bigger way. We’ve always talked about points, goals. They’re not a huge issue for me. Yeah, they’re great when they’re coming. But as long as the team wins, I can care less about it. If we’re really up front with it. Honestly.

“We’ve talked about it dating back to when I first started here. When the team’s struggling, it falls on your shoulders. It falls on Getzy’s (Ryan Getzlaf’s) shoulders. It’s the two of us. We’re the leaders. We’re the guys that wear the letters on our shoulder. That’s when you have to reach back and try to find something extra.”

To the prevailing “what’s wrong” question that’s often asked, Perry smiled weakly and said, “It’s not fun, what’s going on. I’ll tell you that right now. What do you think I’m going through?”

If his confidence is shaken, Perry is putting up a brave front. Carlyle sees where the lack of scoring is weighing heavily, especially when the winger is the Ducks’ highest-paid player.

“He’s not immune,” Carlyle said. “He’s a human being and he understands what’s going on. On the other side of it, he still got his 35 points or whatever. If he finished with 70 points, would we be talking about him in the same vein? Maybe.

“It’s the goal scoring and we need goals. That’s part of the responsibility that goes with a player that level.”

CHANGE IN AIR

With his team scoring just four goals in their three losses to open the road trip, Carlyle is contemplating some changes among his forward groupings.

Most notably, Rickard Rakell was back at center during practice with Perry and Nick Ritchie as his wings. The shutdown line was broken up as Getzlaf was working with Jakob Silfverberg instead of Ryan Kesler, although Kesler did not skate as he took a maintenance day.

Also, Andrew Cogliano was on a line with Ondrej Kase and Logan Shaw. It is possible that Carlyle returns to form for Thursday’s game against Buffalo but different options are under consideration.

“You’re always looking and trying to find things that will be stimulating when you’re not creating the offense you think you’re capable of,” Carlyle said. “So that’s the prerogative of the coaching staff, to put people in different situations. We tested it today. Simple as that.”

SLOW RECOVERY

Sami Vatanen did some off-ice workouts Wednesday but the defenseman has yet to resume skating since getting injured Friday in their game at Florida. A knee issue will almost assuredly keep him out a third straight game and his availability for Saturday’s contest at Washington is also in question.

Carlyle has said he doesn’t Vatanen being out long term but it’s clear his return isn’t imminent.

“I was expecting Sami to be skating right now so we’re status quo,” he said. “I’m somewhat surprised.”

Contact the writer: estephens@scng.com

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