ANAHEIM, Calif._All Andrew Cogliano could do was shake his head in dismay.
The Anaheim Ducks have now lost six consecutive games, and this one is going to be particularly hard to swallow.
Anaheim finally found the equalizer with 2:12 remaining in the contest after Pontus Aberg redirected Cam Fowler's man-advantage wrist shot. The lead was short-lived.
The Philadelphia Flyers responded just 21 seconds later to regain the lead for good in a 3-2 victory over the Ducks on Tuesday before 16,450 at Honda Center.
As those fans headed for the exit at the final horn, they let out a chorus of boos. It's not just the faithful in the stands that are growing increasingly frustrated with the product on the ice.
"It's unacceptable and the guys who were on the ice are at fault for that," Cogliano said. "Five-game losing streak and to give up a goal like that, it's just a joke."
A blown assignment led to the deciding marker. The Ducks double-teamed the point, and left 2018 No. 2 overall pick Nolan Patrick all alone in front of backup goalie Ryan Miller. Patrick was ready and waiting in the high slot when Oskar Lindblom fed him the puck for the game-winner to end the Flyers' three-game losing streak.
The Ducks once again were forced to chase the game after allowing an early lead. Top-line center Sean Couturier opened the scoring with a power-play deflection just 3:07 into the contest.
Aberg tied it 1:45 into the second period with a wrist shot from just above the right face-off dot, and his play is one of the lone positive developments for the Ducks.
He was picked up off waivers from the Edmonton Oilers two days before the season began, and now that's he receiving regular ice time, he's been a difference-maker. Aberg's second consecutive multi-goal game is the first for a Ducks player since Daniel Winnik accomplished the same feat on Jan. 21, 2013.
The Ducks need more than a step in the right direction as the season begins to slip away from them. They need wins, pronto.
Ivan Provorov's tip-in goal 8:57 into the second ensured the Ducks would play catch-up during the final period, a familiar spot.
"It's brutal. That's as high and as low as you get in a matter of 15 seconds," said Ducks captain Ryan Getzlaf, who called the team's play embarrassing in a road loss to the Dallas Stars last week.
"Pucks aren't bouncing the way we want them to all the time. That's what happens when you play through these spells."
Ducks coach Randy Carlyle sure hopes it's just that _ a bad spell. The squad endured two four-game losing streaks a season ago, one that culminated with a playoff berth.
They never lost so much as five consecutive games during that campaign, and now find themselves on a six-contest skid. Something has to give if the Ducks are going to turn this ship around any time soon.
"It's very disheartening. You can't put an emphasis on how much (a last-minute goal defeat) hurts your group. ... In our minds, we self-destructed. We've been in a pretty low period in our life."
