from Jeff Miller of the OC Register,

It’s as difficult as one, two, three.

Three Game 7 losses.

Three Game 7 losses at home.

Three Game 7 losses at home in succession.

For the third time in three years, the Ducks’ postseason ended in front of their own fans, as Honda Center emptied of bodies just in time to fill with another wave of lingering, biting disappointment.

“You know, we took another step this year, going a round farther,” said captain Ryan Getzlaf, after the Ducks’ 5-3 loss to Chicago in the Western Conference finals. “But, ultimately, with Game 7, we gotta be able to finish.”

Now 0 for 3 in these challenges, this core group of Ducks has turned Game 7 into a don’t-and-die. They have no choice now but to wear that distinction as proudly as they’d wear a tattoo with a typo.

They just had a chance to change their dreadful recent history but instead fell behind before the game was 21/2 minutes old, trailed as badly as 4-0 and watched the Blackhawks continue to improve while they stood still.

continued

from Helene Elliott of the LA Times,