|
 At the same time, the Ducks' 4-0 win over the Maple Leafs at
Honda Center prompted that much more frustration for a Toronto team
that didn't play nearly as poorly as the margin might indicate.
"It's nice to finally play a game that's not a one-goal game,"
Anaheim coach Bruce Boudreau said after Ducks right winger Corey
Perry scored three goals and goalie Frederik Andersen made 28 saves
for his second career shutout.
"You can roll the lines out there a little bit," Boudreau added,
"and you're calmer behind the bench. The players are calm on the
bench, too. They know what they want to do."
The Ducks (28-10-6) had won an NHL-record 11 consecutive home games
by one-goal margins before breaking out against the Leafs. The other
long streak that went by the boards was Toronto's six-game winning
streak against Anaheim. The Leafs' last previous loss to the Ducks
came in a shootout on Oct. 21, 2008. Toronto last lost to the Ducks
in regulation on Jan. 9, 2008.
 The Maple Leafs (22-19-3) fell to 1-3 under interim coach Peter
Horachek, who replaced Randy Carlyle on Jan. 7 and is emphasizing a
shots-limiting, defensive system.
"I thought we played great," said Leafs goal Jonathan Bernier, who
made 21 saves. "They got one (goal) on a five-on-three, and then
they got a lucky one in the second.
"I have to find a way to make more saves. We have to find ways to
score goals, too. (Defense) has been a big positive in our game. We
have to stick with it and believe that's the way we have to play,
and we'll start winning more."
Perry, who scored twice in the second period, completed his eighth
career hat trick into an empty net at 18:53 of the third period for
his 18th goal.
"Every game that we've won has felt like it's been by one goal, so
it's nice to get a few goals, get a lead and play with a lead for a
while," Perry said. "It's a better feeling than chasing a game."
The first goal of the game, by Ducks right winger Kyle Palmieri on a
first-period power play, was a strange one -- in that the Ducks
needed to score twice to get one to count.
"I was 99.9 percent sure it was in," Palmieri said of his eighth
goal, which came with Anaheim enjoying a two-man advantage at 12:41
of the first -- only the officials didn't recognize it.
The puck bounced back into play, and Ducks defenseman Hampus
Lindholm scored from the top of the slot five seconds later --
prompting the video review of Palmieri's shot, which then counted.
Game time reverted back to the Palmieri goal, so Lindholm's goal
didn't count.
"When they didn't blow the whistle and sound the horn, I was
worried," Palmieri said. "Luckily, Hampus put it in to make sure.
I'm just glad they counted one of them."
[to top of second column] |
Toronto left winger Daniel Winnik said: "I knew the shot went in,
even when the play kept going."
The Maple Leafs, also shut out Monday at Los Angeles, 2-0, would've
liked to have had a goal for their efforts, which included limiting
the Ducks to 25 shots.
"We've won games when we've given up 40 shots," Winnik said. "It
just seems other teams have been more opportunistic than we have
been lately.
"I think tonight, a lot of our problems were in the neutral zone.
They have a great 1-2-2 trap, and we had a hard time breaking it."
In the second period, the Ducks began to pull away, with Perry
pulling the trigger.
Perry gave the Ducks a 2-0 lead at 5:32 of the second when he scored
on a shot from the left-wing circle with left winger Patrick Maroon
screening Bernier.
Nine minutes later, Anaheim center Ryan Getzlaf's outlet pass sent
Perry in on a breakaway against Bernier, and Perry beat Bernier
glove-side.
NOTES: Toronto LW Daniel Winnik, who played for Anaheim the previous
two seasons, is a Maple Leafs-best plus-14. Winnik also leads all
NHL forwards in penalty-killing ice time at 3 minutes, 32 seconds
per game. ... Leafs LW Leo Komorov (shoulder), who was hurt Monday
in Los Angeles, was scratched. RW Troy Bodie replaced him in the
lineup. ... C Rickard Rakell's four-point game (two goals, two
assists) Sunday against Winnipeg tied the Ducks' franchise rookie
record (Stanislav Chistov 2002, Ryan Getzlaf 2006). ... Anaheim has
two slumping forwards in LW Patrick Maroon (17 games without a goal)
and RW Jakob Silfvererg (12 games without a point). ... Ducks LW
Matt Beleskey (a team-leading 17 goals) was a surprise scratch. LW
Rene Bourque took Beleskey's place on the No. 2 line with C Ryan
Kesler and RW Kyle Palmeiri.
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