Playoff dreams are still slipping away

The chances of the Anaheim Ducks making the Stanley Cup playoffs are getting slimmer and slimmer. After losing two of three games over the past week, the Orange County team ­­– after a brief visit to sixth place – slipped back into seventh in the NHL Pacific Division.

That division has a logjam at the top, with five teams within two points of each other in a range of 70 to 68 points. But the Ducks are 24-28-7 with 55 points.

Last Thursday the Anaheimers were spanked by the Calgary Flames 6-0, but bounced back to defeat the Vancouver Canucks 5-1 on Sunday.

Then on Monday, they blew a two-goal lead and yielded five third period goals to lose 6-4 to the Calgary Flames in Alberta.

“We played a decent game,” said Nicholas Deslauriers, who scored his third goal of the season in the third period. “They capitalized on what we gave them. Every little misplay we did, they capitalized. It’s on us. No excuse,” he said.

The other goals were scored by Adam Henrique and Jakob Silfverberg.

Goalkeeper Ryan Miller had 37 saves on 42 shots.

The Ducks are next in action on Wednesday hosting the Florida Panthers at Honda Center. On Friday the Colorado Avalanche are in town, and then the Las Vegas Golden Knights on Sunday.

DUCKS STAT LEADERS

Scoring: Ryan Getzlaf 38, Jakob Silfverberg 34, Rickard Rakell 34.

Goals: Adam Henrique 21, Silfverberg 18, Derek Grant 14.

Assists: Getzlaf 26, Cam Fowler 20, Hampus Lindholm 20.

Goaltending (based on goals-against average):  John Gibson 2.99, Ryan Miller 3.06.