ST. PAUL, Minn. _ There were signs of progress, like the Wild not giving up a first-period goal and shortening their usual parade to the penalty box.
But these strides still weren't enough to recalibrate the Wild, as they dropped their fifth straight in a 4-0 letdown Tuesday in front of 18,533 at Xcel Energy Center that extended their February slide to 1-6-3.
Anaheim goalie Ryan Miller, coming off his 375th career victory Sunday to rank tops among U.S. born goalies, stopped all 31 shots he faced for his first shutout of the season _ the second netminder in as many games to blank the Wild, who hasn't scored in 156 minutes.
Winger Jakob Silfverberg scored the decisive goal on the power play, burying a loose puck in the crease 4:22 into the second period after it bounced off the post.
It was the 15th power play tally surrendered by the Wild over their last 13 games, an untimely rut for a unit that had been a strength of the team's before then. Overall, the Ducks went 1-for-3.
A neutral-zone hook by center Joel Eriksson Ek set up that Ducks advantage and was the first blatant mistake by the Wild, unlike the 4-0 drubbing by the St. Louis Blues on Sunday where they fell behind in the first and commited a string of penalties.
But the team still wasn't sharp enough to get a lead _ which looks necessary to grow the group's confidence.
Twice the Wild threw away scoring chances by passing instead of shooting.
Center Mikael Granlund's attack into Anaheim's zone in the first fizzled when he centered the puck into a pack of Ducks players instead of aiming it toward the net.
And later in the frame, center Eric Staal created open ice when he split two Ducks defenders. But the puck didn't reach the net. That's because Staal pulled up for a drop pass that didn't connect with winger Jason Zucker.
Players also couldn't get to a puck sitting in the crease behind Miller before the whistle sounded, and Eriksson Ek rang a shot off the post short-handed _ close calls that illustrate just how slim the margin of error has become for a lethargic offense.
At the other end, goalie Devan Dubnyk was back between the pipes for his first action since giving up 10 goals in two starts last week _ a rough showing that kept him on the bench against the Blues.
He racked up 20 saves, keeping the Ducks close until the third.
That was when the Wild received their first look on the power play _ which also sputtered in that loss to the Blues by going 0-for-5.
But the team couldn't capitalize on the chances, blanking on five shots on net during three consecutive opportunities.
Before the second power play, Granlund did poke the puck in the net but it came after a quick whistle and was waved off.
And that ineffective stretch by the Wild's special teams was costly because the Ducks added a pair of insurance goals, from winger Corey Perry at 14:16 and center Ryan Kesler at 15:59, before defenseman Hampus Lindholm dumped in an empty-netter with 1:09 to go.
Despite the result, the Wild remained in the second wild-card spot in the Western Conference but could be on the brink of a fall since two of the teams a point behind it in the standings _ the Chicago Blackhawks and Colorado Avalanche _ are in action Wednesday when the Wild are idle.
