Fowler nets OT winner Ducks defeat Canucks

[December 29, 2014]  ANAHEIM, Calif. -- As they've done all season, the Anaheim Ducks find a way to win close games. Overcoming a strong performance from a perennial All-Star goaltender in the opposing net, they extended their Pacific Division lead with a dramatic victory.

Defenseman Cam Fowler scored at 2:32 of overtime and goaltender Frederik Andersen made 13 saves as the Anaheim Ducks defeated the Vancouver Canucks 2-1 on Sunday night.

The victory prevented Anaheim (24-8-6) from losing consecutive games for the first time since Nov. 28-29 and extended their Pacific division lead to 11 points over the Canucks as well as Los Angeles and San Jose. They lead the NHL with 54 points and are tied with the Chicago Blackhawks with 24 victories.

Despite outshooting the Canucks by a two-on-one margin through 60 minutes, the Ducks were extended to overtime for a second consecutive night by a strong effort by Vancouver netminder Ryan Miller.

The game-winning sequence was started by Ducks right winger Devante Smith-Pelly, who carried the puck across the blue line and fed it to center Ryan Getzlaf. Getzlaf's return pass glanced off Smith-Pelly and forced Miller to make a toe save but he could not control the rebound. Fowler cashed in at the goalmouth for his fifth of the season and third career overtime goal.
 

"Staying the course was part of the reason we won tonight, as well as shooting the puck and not looking for pretty plays. We really pressed them in the last period and a half. It was nice justice for our guys to get rewarded with the win," said Ducks coach Bruce Boudreau.

Vancouver showed the effects of not playing a game since last Monday due to the NHL's Holiday Break. They were beaten to the puck consistently in the game's second half and made uncharacteristic errors. Left winger Daniel Sedin had a golden opportunity to win the game prior to Fowler's goal when he was sent in on a breakaway but he lost control of the puck as he approached Andersen and never got a shot off.

"It's pretty simple, we have to be better. If we want to win in this league we have to take the puck to the net. We can't rely on our goaltender," said Canucks coach Willie Desjardins.

The Canucks will take the point knowing they need to raise the level of play to equal Miller's. Over the past three games, he's stopped 93 of 98 shots and is demonstrating the form needed for the Canucks to return to the playoffs after missing them last season.

"I thought for a game coming off a break, the compete was there. We'll clean things up. It's been three tight games with Anaheim and we'll keep working to get the better of it next time," Miller said.

Trailing 1-0 entering the third period, the Ducks evened the game on defenseman Francois Beauchemin's first goal of the season at 6:52. Getzlaf won a faceoff and got the puck back to the point for a slap shot that beat Miller from 52 feet. The assist extended Getzlaf's consecutive point streak to eight games.

The Ducks pressed to win the game in regulation but could not dent Miller again through 60 minutes. Ducks right winger Andrew Cogliano had the best opportunity but his attempt off an odd-man rush with 2:30 left hit the post to Miller's left and bounded away.

Vancouver opened the scoring on defenseman Yannick Weber's third goal of the season at 2:04 of the second period. His soft snap shot from the right point was perfectly placed just inside the right post to beat a screened Andersen with wingers Jannik Hansen and Alex Burrows drawing assists.

Miller made 29 saves and kept the lead intact through two periods with 10 saves in the middle frame including stops on close-in shots by wingers Emerson Etem and Pat Maroon with less than five minutes remaining in the middle frame.

The loss marked only the second time this season Vancouver (20-11-3) has lost when leading after two periods.

NOTES: The Canucks recalled D Bobby Sanguinetti from Utica of the AHL on Saturday. ... Vancouver scratched Sanguinetti and LW Tom Sestito. ... Anaheim did not dress RW Tim Jackman (injured), D Mark Fistric, D Coby Robak and LW Dany Heatley. ... The Ducks recalled LW Max Friberg from Norfolk of the AHL and he made his NHL debut. ... The Ducks are getting generous home cooking from this stretch of the schedule. They will remain in Southern California until Jan. 25 with their only road game over the next 10 matches coming in Los Angeles on Jan. 17.

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