Losses Prompt Post-Practice Talks

The Ducks met on the ice for about 15 minutes after practice Tuesday, as Coach Ron Wilson, captain Paul Kariya and winger Warren Rychel addressed the team after two consecutive bad losses.

“We’ve got to get back to basics and play our game,” Wilson said afterward. “It’s sort of slipped away. We’re turning the puck over, trying to do too much. That comes back to haunt you, when you think you’re better than you are.”

Said Kariya: “Ever since that 7-0 win over Calgary, we got a little too big for our britches.”

Kariya also said it’s important that the team not splinter into factions. “The big thing is just acceptance, not saying, ‘We need a centerman,’ or ‘We need a defenseman.’ That’s counter-productive.”