Pat Verbeek stressed the need for evaluating everyone and everything when he was hired as the Ducks’ new general manager on Feb. 3, getting to know everyone and everything about his new organization. He certainly got an eyeful during the first two games of their three-game trip.

The Ducks couldn’t keep up with the opposition for the second night in a row, couldn’t play the sort of complete game they had played in the season’s first half and couldn’t build on early momentum created by two power-play goals in the first period against the Edmonton Oilers on Thursday.

Verbeek watched the Ducks squander a two-goal lead, giving up five consecutive goals en route to a 7-3 loss, their third consecutive defeat to a Pacific Division team since he was named GM, and their fourth overall. The Ducks were thumped, 6-2, one night earlier by the Calgary Flames.

In each game, the Ducks failed to dictate the terms of the game despite credible starts. Their play was sound in the first period of Wednesday’s loss to the Flames, but they couldn’t score. They started well again Thursday, but the lead and the game slipped away in short order.

Adam Henrique and Sonny Milano scored power-play goals in the first period, giving the Ducks a 2-0 lead over the Oilers. Evander Kane (power play), Derek Ryan, Jesse Puljujarvi, Leon Draisaitl and Warren Foegele scored for Edmonton, which built a commanding 5-2 lead.

Ducks rookie Trevor Zegras stopped the Oilers’ scoring binge by banking a shot from a sharp angle off Edmonton goaltender Mike Smith to cut the deficit to 5-3 at 9:17 of the third period. Draisaitl and Zach Hyman scored moments later, however, and the Oilers’ lead ballooned to 7-3.

The Ducks played without team captain Ryan Getzlaf, who sat out because of an unspecified lower body injury. Sam Steel took Getzlaf’s place on the Ducks’ top line, skating between Henrique and Troy Terry. Max Comtois returned to the lineup, playing on the Ducks’ third line.

FLAMES’ RUZICKA FINED

The NHL fined Adam Ruzicka of the Flames $2,004.17, the maximum allowable under the collective bargaining agreement, for elbowing Kevin Shattenkirk in the first period on Wednesday in Calgary. Ruzicka was penalized for elbowing, opening a gash on Shattenkirk’s nose.

PROSPECT WATCH

Lukas Dostal made 24 saves in the San Diego Gulls’ victory over the San Jose Barracuda on Wednesday, tying Anthony Stolarz for second on the AHL team’s all-time wins list with 24. Dostal is 4-1-0 with a 1.87 goals-against average and a .944 save percentage in his last six games.

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