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Ducks blow 3-0 lead, lose to Stars, Boudreau hot seat goes nuclear

Greg Wyshynski
Anaheim Ducks' Tim Jackman (18) skates past Dallas Stars' John Klingberg (3), of Sweden, as Klingberg is congratulated by the bench on his goal against the Ducks in the second period of an NHL hockey game Tuesday, Oct. 27, 2015, in Dallas. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)
Anaheim Ducks' Tim Jackman (18) skates past Dallas Stars' John Klingberg (3), of Sweden, as Klingberg is congratulated by the bench on his goal against the Ducks in the second period of an NHL hockey game Tuesday, Oct. 27, 2015, in Dallas. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)

The end of the Anaheim Ducks’ first period against the Dallas Stars on Tuesday night might have been the first time coach Bruce Boudreau could go into the locker room this season without reaching for the aspirin and the Rolaids.

Their offense, the worst in the NHL, produced three goals in a 4-minute and 26-second span. Their power play, limping around at a 4.5-percent clip, produced the first of them by Mike Santorelli. And they did it without Ryan Getzlaf in the lineup, back in California with appendicitis.

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Then Patrick Sharp scored on the power play at 7:30, his first with Dallas. Then Cody Eakin victimized that Ducks power play with a shorthanded goal at 15:27. Then John Kilngberg tied the game at 17:01. Jamie Benn, who took two penalties in the period, assisted on all three goals.

Then, in the third period, Antoine Roussel sent the Ducks to yet another defeat:

Anaheim drops to an incomprehensible 1-6-2 on the season. Their goal differential now stands at a minus-16.

This one hurt. The offense came to life in the first period; it was comatose in the third period, as the Ducks were outshot 17-2 by Dallas. The foundation of good feelings being built in the overtime loss to the Chicago Blackhawks and a great opening 20 minutes circled the toilet at the end of the game.

"It's a 3-0 lead. You should not lost a game like that. We won't sugarcoat it - it's demoralizing,” said Boudreau after the game. "I'm at a loss right now. We fell asleep [in the second], lost composure [in the third]. We can't say we ran out of gas."

The Ducks have one more game left on this road trip, at the St. Louis Blues on Thursday. The talk was that GM Bob Murray wanted to see how things went on this road trip before making any changes. Does the Getzlaf injury change this? Would the move start with the coach? Or is firing Boudreau truly the last resort and we’ll see a trade made before it?

Something has to give. This Dallas game might be the Ducks’ nadir just nine games into the season.

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