"There was no Jonas Hiller on the ice when the Ducks practiced Monday and seemingly no end in sight for the team's ugliest defensive stretch this season.

It's quite obvious that goaltending is at the forefront of the team's issues, but the defense deserves just as much scrutiny after the Ducks allowed 21 goals the past three games.

Hiller had a second session with a physical therapist as he tries to solve lightheadedness and fatigue, but he remains day-to-day on injured reserve.

That leaves the team trying to work through this skid without any immediate answers on hand.

"It's unacceptable the number of goals that we've let in," Toni Lydman said. "I really don't have a lot of explanation to offer you. It happens sometimes."

A team whose success has been built on strong goaltending and a shot blocking defense suddenly has shown a penchant for egregious giveaways and an aversion to tying up opponents' sticks in front of the net.

Andy Sutton said it's not necessarily that they've abandoned their winning blueprint so much as overcompensated.

"Either we got away from (our game) or tried too hard to get a block," Sutton said. "In my mind there was a little bit too much individualism and not enough collective work being done."

Coach Randy Carlyle called his team's recent performances "unacceptable" and took the Ducks through a near two-hour session to go over special teams and coverages."