|
 In another sense, the difference between then and now seems like
decades.
Perry scored three goals and added an assist as the Ducks rallied
for a 4-2 victory over the Los Angeles Kings on Sunday night in
front of a sellout crowd of 17,174 at the Honda Center.
Anaheim has compiled the NHL's best record since the Christmas
break, 22-4-2, after losing nine of the season's first 10 games and
ranking last in the league. Perry did not score until the Ducks'
12th game, while center Ryan Getzlaf had only an empty-net goal in
the first 29 contests.
"In big games, he's a good player -- a great player," Anaheim coach
Bruce Boudreau said about Perry. "You have to believe guys like
Corey and Getzlaf are going to turn it around. Their body of work
over the last 10 years has proved that they're going to be that
good."
Left winger David Perron added his 11th goal and goalie John Gibson
stopped 27 shots as the Ducks (34-19-8) earned their eighth
consecutive victory and moved within two points of the first-place
Kings in the Pacific Division.
"It's getting closer," Perry said about the possibility of a
division championship. "We can see it in our sights now. It's right
there. These points mean everything down the stretch. At the same
time, we've got to play our style and keep working hard."
Defenseman Alec Martinez and left winger Tanner Pearson scored for
Los Angeles, which saw its four-game winning streak end despite 25
saves from goalie Jonathan Quick.
"We made some tired mistakes," said Kings coach Darryl Sutter, whose
team played the second of two successive games. "I think guys looked
a little gassed. It's going to happen when you get caught in a
turnaround against a good team like that."
Perry's third goal of the game and 26th of the season broke a 2-2
tie just 1 minute, 27 seconds into the final period. After receiving
a pass from defenseman Sami Vatanen, Perry fired a low wrist shot
that Quick blocked with his skate. However, as Quick tried to grab
the puck, it popped loose. Perry pounced on it and jammed it inside
the right post.
"I got some good bounces," Perry said. "You need those kind of
bounces to succeed."
The hat trick was the ninth of Perry's career and his first since
Jan. 14, 2015, against the Toronto Maple Leafs.
At 5:53 of the third, Perry helped Perron extend the lead with the
Ducks' third power-play goal. Perry used his stick to block a pass
from Kings center Nick Shore and backhanded the puck to Perron, who
sent a wrist shot under the crossbar six seconds after Los Angeles
center Tyler Toffoli went to the penalty box.
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"It's the same old thing," Kings defenseman Drew Doughty said about
his team's problems with penalty killing. "It's about getting pucks
out, blocking shots and not letting them bend goals in and around
the net. They were able to do that."
The Kings (37-21-4) used Pearson's 11th goal to take a 2-1 lead at
9:52 of the second period on an unusual play that began when Gibson
backhanded the puck from behind the net to defenseman Simon Despres
in the left corner. Despres tried to pass the puck to Vatanen behind
the net, but it took an awkward bounce off the boards. Gibson lost
sight of the puck, which fell in front of the crease to Pearson, who
whacked it inside the left post.
With 2:03 left in the middle period, Perry scored his second
power-play goal to tie the score. Defenseman Cam Fowler's shot
ricocheted off the glass behind the net to Perry, who stuffed the
puck inside the left post.
The Ducks used Perry's first power-play goal to take a 1-0 lead at
16:48 of the first period, 26 seconds after Shore was called for
interference.
Vatanen played a pivotal role by faking a shot from the top of the
slot, forcing Kings right winger Dustin Brown to commit to a block
with his stick. Vatanen then passed to Perry, who skated from the
right circle and sent a wrist shot under the crossbar.
Los Angeles responded with its own power-play goal less than three
minutes later, when Martinez fired a slap shot from edge if the left
circle 24 seconds after Despres went to the penalty box for tripping
Brown. Doughty set up Martinez's goal by faking a slap shot that
froze Anaheim right winger Jakob Silfverberg before passing to
Martinez.
NOTES: RW Kris Versteeg was acquired by the Kings from the Carolina
Hurricanes in exchange for RW Valentin Zykov and a conditional
fifth-round pick in 2016 on Sunday night. Versteeg, 29, has played
in 63 games with the Hurricanes this season, scoring 11 goals while
adding 33 assists. ... Los Angeles scratched LW Andy Andreoff and D
Jamie McBain. ... The Kings placed C Jordan Nolan on injured reserve
due to an undisclosed injury. ... Anaheim scratched D Korbinian
Holzer, D Clayton Stoner and C Harry Zolnierczyk.
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