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The Ducks won three of four games on their homestand.
(Sports Network) - The Ducks don't want to make blowing third-period leads a habit, but so far it has only cost them one point over their last three games. Set to embark on a seven-game road trip in the coming week, Anaheim welcomes the Minnesota Wild this evening to the Honda Center. The Ducks have gone to a shootout in each of their last three games, winning twice after blowing two-goal leads in the third period in each contest. They rebounded to post a 3-2 triumph over the Flames on Friday thanks to shootout tallies from Corey Perry and Ryan Getzlaf.
Jonas Hiller, who made 37 saves, stopped two of the three skaters he faced in the breakaway session. "The good part is we won tonight," Hiller said. "The bad part is we had a two- goal lead and we gave it up again. It shouldn't have happened. In the end, we'll be happy with the two points. We have to do better in the third." Lubomir Visnovsky and Dan Sexton scored in regulation for the Ducks, who are 5-2-1 in their last eight games.
Forward Teemu Selanne has missed six of the Ducks' last 10 games with a lingering groin injury, including Friday's contest. The 40-year-old could sit out this game and has 10 goals and 18 assists on the season. Anaheim improved to 10-6-1 at home this season and kicks off its lengthy road trip on Wednesday in Washington. The first five games of that swing are all on the east coast. Minnesota is closing out a four-game road trip of its own and improved to 2-0-1 on the trek with last night's 3-2 overtime victory in Los Angeles.
Mikko Koivu and Cal Clutterbuck both scored regulation goals off stick- handling mistakes by Kings goaltender Jonathan Quick and Brent Burns got the game-winner 2:50 into overtime on the power play. With Los Angeles' Drew Doughty off for interference, Burns one-timed a feed from current teammate and former King Patrick O'Sullivan past Quick from the slot to give the Wild their second straight win following an 0-3-2 slide.
"It's nice to get a power-play goal against this team since they've only allowed one at home," Burns said. "So we knew it would be a tough job. We killed a lot of penalties. It was a gutsy effort by everybody, everyone blocking shots." Jose Theodore made 24 saves in the victory, which came without Matt Cullen (groin) and John Madden (undisclosed) in the lineup.
The Wild were also overtime winners the last time they faced the Ducks, posting a 2-1 win at home on Nov. 17 thanks to Antti Miettinen's game-winner. That victory was Minnesota's fifth in its last seven versus the Ducks, but it has lost two straight and three of its last four at the Honda Center.
For more Ducks news and analysis, be sure to read the SB Nation blog Anaheim Calling.
Ducks Vs. Wild: Corey Perry Hat Trick Leads Ducks To 6-2 Win
Anaheim, CA (Sports Network) - Corey Perry notched his first career hat trick, scoring three goals with two assists to lead the Anaheim Ducks to a 6-2 victory over Minnesota. Perry scored in all three periods, including his first penalty shot goal in the second, and the Ducks won for the third time in four games. Ryan Getzlaf and Bobby Ryan both had three points in the win, with Getzlaf scoring two goals and Ryan getting one. Jonas Hiller had 20 saves.
Marek Zidlicky and Brent Burns tallied for the Wild, who have dropped eight of their last 11 games. Niklas Backstrom was touched for all six goals on 36 shots. It was the first time in four games that the Ducks avoided a shootout. They won two of the previous three games after blowing two-goal leads in the third period. They didn't give the lead away in this one.
Perry scored his first goal just 19 seconds into the game, netting a one-timer from in front of the net moments after Backstrom misplayed a puck from behind it. Burns and Getzlaf also tallied in a busy 7:08 to open the game. Burns scored into a wide-open net on a one-timer from below the left circle, tying the game at 1-1, but Getzlaf gave Anaheim the lead for good with a wrister from the slot. The Anaheim captain scored the first of three Ducks goals in the second period, rifling a slap shot past Backstrom on the power play to make it 3-1.
Minnesota also tallied on the man advantage -- Zidlicky stuffed in a rebound -- but the Ducks scored three unanswered goals to end the game. Perry was awarded a penalty shot while Anaheim was shorthanded and beat Backstrom through the legs with a simple wrist shot, giving the Ducks a 4-2 lead.
Ryan beat an out-of-position Backstrom with 2:34 remaining in the second period, and Perry finished off his hat trick on a power play goal with 4:13 left in the third with a shot that was too quick for Backstrom's glove. Anaheim was 2-for-6 on the power play, while Minnesota went 1-for-4...The Wild had only four shots in the third period.
For more Ducks news and analysis, be sure to read the SB Nation blog Anaheim Calling.
Dec 12 8:21p by Eric Stephen - 0 comments