It’s so hard to stay positive after watching the Ducks take one point out of a possible eight on their recent road trip.

Watching them suffer through 60 minutes against Pittsburgh Monday night was like watching a train wreck.

For the hundredth time.

The Ducks now have a few days off before they return to the Honda Center for a seven game home-stand.  Between now and then, fans will likely keep their eyes and ears open to the possibility of a trade.

No matter what happens, the need a change.  Something to get this team on track.

It’s been said before, but a team with this much talent shouldn’t be this bad.  Sure, a bad night here and there would be understandable, excusable.  However, watching this team spiral out of control only to find themselves firmly on the bottom of the pile, the bottom of the Western Conference standings (6-10-3), that is not understandable.

So now the questions remain.  What is the problem?  We’re not just talking about a despicable power play anymore.  We’ve moved beyond discussions of terrible defense, confused penalty kills, and inconsistent goaltending.

There is something deeper here.

I’ve already given tough love in my open letter to the team.  I think we’re seeing individuals trying to be superstars.  We’re seeing auditions for Team Canada in the form of 11 and 12 game point streaks.  We’re watching goaltenders try to out perform one another.

This is a team, divided.

I can honestly imagine them sitting in small cliques, like in high school, talking about one another behind their backs.

“He was out of position.”

“He missed the net…again!”

“He thinks he’s better than the rest of us.”

Of course they aren’t playing like a team.  Can you imagine wanting to help co-workers finish a project when they take the credit for your success and point the finger when there is fault?  Or when you work overtime, while everyone else sits around and watches?

The top line is scoring, but they’re not playing defense.  Watching Ryan Getzlaf give up the puck to everyone not wearing a Ducks jersey is tiring. Seeing Bobby Ryan and Corey Perry waiting for the puck to find their stick is frustrating.   No one should be rewarded for playing half a game.

It’s time to send a message.  Take a stance.

Sit Getzlaf, Perry, or Ryan for a game.  Why not?  Let those guys see that just because they score the goals doesn’t mean they run the room.  Switch up the lines.  Let Ryan Carter (when he returns) center the top line.  Give that guy some minutes for playing hard.  Carter and Mike Brown have shown some chemistry together, a team spirit, let them have 20 minutes for the next game.  Todd Marchant, he’s got a shorthanded goal, let him run the next power play, our big names can’t seem to get it done, give someone else a chance.

Throw Petteri Nokelainen into a top 6 slot just because he’s working hard.

Hey Teemu Selanne, you don’t want to play defense?  Next game, 5 minutes of ice time, tops.

Sheldon Brookbank has been completely neglected and scratched (or playing minimal minutes), during the next game, he takes Ryan Whitney‘s spot and Whitney takes in the view from the press box.

Forget the battle in the net.  Give it to JS Giguere with a clean slate.  Remember when you were in school and the teacher said, “Everyone has an A at the beginning of this class, it’s yours to keep if you work for it.”  So give him the goaltending A, and let him work to keep it.  If he can’t manage that, something tells me Jonas Hiller will be much better prepared to step in and take over if necessary.

If all of these ideas sound completely crazy, absolutely absurd, certifiably whack-o…who cares?  This team is already suffering.  Who’s to say this isn’t going to wake up Joffrey Lupul and force him to take a few more shots?  This might make James Wisniewski fire the puck at the net, instead of three feet wide every time.  Maybe Giguere needs confidence from his teammates without having to ask for it.

Right now, the obvious things aren’t working, so why not try something extreme?

Does anyone have any better ideas?

GO DUCKS!!!  GO GET YOUR ACT TOGETHER!