The Anaheim Ducks beat the visiting Vancouver Canucks 3-1 on Sunday night and it wasn't pretty or easy, but it happened anyway. Playing without the services of the teams leading scorer and best overall player, Ryan Getzlaf, the Ducks made the most of their opportunities and stretched their winning streak to five games.
Anaheim was outplayed and over matched for the majority of the game. Vancouver out shot them 36-23 and carried the play for long stretches and still lost. The Ducks improved to a franchise best 8-0-0 at home to start the season and have equaled last season's team record for best start through 19 games at an NHL-leading 15-3-1 (31 points).
How it went down...
- Getzlaf was not in the line-up. He suffered a mysterious upper-body injury prior to his hat trick game the other night. Apparently he was too sore to practice on Saturday or play on Sunday night. Let's hope this was more of a precautionary thing than a potential worsening or a minor injury.
- Corey Perry continued his personal torrid scoring pace by picking up his 11th goal of the season. Perry is tied for fourth in the NHL in goals scored behind Steven Stamkos (14), Alexander Steen (14) and Alex Ovechkin (13).
In addition, No. 10 has eight points ( 5g 3a) during his current five-game point scoring streak. Perry also two game-winning goals over that stretch and is tied with Getzlaf for the team lead with four GWG's this season.
- Jonas Hiller was expected to make his team-leading 12th start in net but came down with a bug and rookie Frederik Andersen stepped in and made his fifth start.
- Speaking of Andersen...the rookie made 35 saves for the win and improved to 6-0-0 with 1.41 goals against average and a .952 save percentage this season. According to the stat mongers Andersen became the first goalie to win his first six NHL games (6-0-0) since Damian Rhodes did it for the Toronto Maple Leafs between 1991-1993. I give Andersen the leg up on that record. He pulled it off in less than 1/4 of one season.
- Nick Bonino scored his fifth goal of the season, ending a goalless drought that stretched back nine games and began all the way back in a 4-2 loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs on Oct. 22.
- Andrew Cogliano scored his fith goal of the year with another slick empty net goal. Really, does anybody score prettier ENG's? Sunday's goal gives him goals in three straight.
- In the category of
"what have you done for me lately?" Teemu Selanne has one point in his last seven games and no goals over that same stretch. Selanne is s streaky scorer and could catch fire at any moment. All three of his goals this season game in four-day span from Oct. 16-20. Hang in there Selanne fans.
- Viktor Fasth is set to return any day from his stint on the IR. Anaheim's goalie logjam will once again take center stage. This situation
has no windows and no doors, which offers you this chilling challenge: to find a way out!
- The power play cooled off. Anaheim failed to score on its two chances with the man advantage. On the bright side, the quacked crusaders killed off both of the Canucks power play opportunities. Advantage...PUSH.
The Anaheim Ducks keeping piling up the wins wins and point even when things are seemingly going against them. I really can't wait to see how thsi season unfolds for the Ducks. Several of the players have hinted that the feeling in the locker room is different...special, you could say. Scott Niedermayer, the first player to ever touch the Stanley Cup in a Ducks sweater enters the Hall of Fame this year. Another Cup runs seems like a good way to end this story.
Anaheim hits the road for the next nine days with stops in Florida, Tampa, Carolina and Pittsburgh before returning home to face Jaromir Jagr and the suddenly
super awesome New Jersey Devils on Nov. 20.
Thanks to the Canucks YouTube account for the game highlights!
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