The Ducks flew east and landed in a rut, losing both ends of a straight set that pitted them against two of three New York area teams before sending them onward to a showdown with the Islanders Tuesday.

They managed to tread water in a competitive 2-1 game against the contending Rangers, but went down quickly in the second half of a lopsided 6-2 affair in New Jersey the following night. In total, they have lost three of their last four games in regulation and have scored just four goals in those defeats.

“We’re just struggling to score goals right now,” Ducks coach Greg Cronin told reporters after the loss to the Rangers. “You get energy in a game and you get chances that don’t come to fruition, we’re at that stage now. I think the guys are starting to put pressure on. We have to find a way to score blue-collar goals.

An even-strength attack was worked for much of the 120 minutes against the Rangers and Devils, with the Rangers getting higher quality chances and the Devils also generating a noticeably higher volume of opportunities. Against New Jersey, there were also some unusual defensive breakdowns.

One area that seemed reinvigorated was the power play, with new directions and progressions that looked more dangerous on three scoreless chances in two games. The chemistry between Leo Carlsson and Troy Terry seemed particularly promising.

“When he starts, he’s our best player, (he’s) super special to watch,” Ducks forward Ryan Strome told the Daily Faceoff. “You don’t see a lot of guys with that (Jack) Eichel style who are 6-foot-4 and run through the neutral zone – super shifty, super dynamic and a really good guy.”

Terry, who is on a seven-game point streak and has 99 career goals, has hit the net three times with the man advantage in consecutive losses. Terry and Carlsson have already scored the Ducks’ only two power play goals this season.