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 Center Ryan Getzlaf scored the winning goal in a shootout to give
the Ducks a 4-3 win over the St. Louis Blues on Friday night in
front of 16,250 at the Honda Center.
Center Ryan Kesler scored twice and right winger Corey Perry added
his 15th goal for the Ducks (17-16-7), who saw goalie John Gibson
return to action. Gibson left Wednesday night's game against the
Toronto Maple Leafs 41 seconds into the third period after colliding
with Leafs center Nazem Kadri in the crease. Gibson stopped 25
shots.
Anaheim earned its fifth victory in seven games after the Leafs
routed them Wednesday night, 4-0.
"We just got out-worked in the Toronto game," right winger Jakob
Silfverberg said. "We didn't skate enough. We didn't finish checks.
We knew tonight was going to be a tough game and we told ourselves
that if we want to be in the playoffs, we've got to play better."
The Blues (23-15-6), who lost for the fifth successive time, played
most of the game without three regulars. Center Paul Stastny, who
registered an assist in each of his previous five games, and
defenseman Jay Bouwmester left after the first period with
upper-body injuries. Starting goalie Jake Allen also had to leave 7
minutes, 3 seconds into the second period with an undisclosed
injury.
"We ran out of bodies," Blues coach Ken Hitchcock said. "But it was
one of the grittiest efforts by our team all year. We pushed them so
hard that we almost pushed them right out of the building in the
second period. This was a playoff game. This was a sudden-death,
elimination playoff game."
All five of St. Louis's losses came after the Blues had held leads.
The previous three losses occurred either in overtime or a shootout.
"When we get a lead, I think we start feeling a little too
comfortable," said right winger Ryan Reaves, who scored one of the
Blues' three goals. "We're finding ways to shoot ourselves in the
foot. It's going to take a really dirty bounce or a really greasy
game for us to pull one out. But we've got to find a way to get that
done."
Silfverberg and Blues left winger Alexander Steen began the shootout
by scoring for their respective teams. Getzlaf put Anaheim ahead
with a backhanded shot underneath the crossbar. Gibson then ensured
the win by using his leg pad to stop defenseman Kevin Shattenkirk's
shot.
Anaheim rallied from a 3-1 deficit to force a 3-3 tie. Perry
narrowed the deficit to one goal by dragging a wrist shot from the
right circle past Elliott for his 15th goal at 16:56 of the second
period.
"The big thing was getting that goal at the end of the second
period," Ducks coach Bruce Boudreau said. "When the players came
into the locker room, they weren't with their heads down. They were
angry, and they were defiant and determined."
Kesler then tied the score on a power play 4:32 into the third
period. Kesler fired another wrist shot from the right circle for
fourth in four games and his eighth of the season.
The Ducks outshot St. Louis in the third period, 19-2.
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"When we've been behind by more than a goal, we've really sagged,"
Boudreau said. "Tonight, we didn't sag. Let's hope it's a sign of
things to come."
Kesler gave the Ducks a 1-0 lead three minutes into the game.
Silfverberg began the scoring play by backhanding the puck from the
left corner to Kesler behind the Blues' net. Kesler then skated
behind the left circle, moved to the slot and fired a wrist shot
under Allen's left pad for his seventh goal of the season and his
third in four games.
St. Louis responded in the second period by holding the Ducks
without a shot on goal for the first 11:25 and by scoring three
goals to move ahead, 3-1.
Reaves tied the score 2:36 into the period by dragging a wrist shot
from the right circle underneath Gibson's right pad for his second
goal. Fellow right winger Troy Brouwer put the Blues ahead at 7:03
with his eighth goal. Brouwer skated along the left boards, eluded
defenseman Korbinian Holzer's sweep check and flicked a wrist shot
from the left circle.
After Brouwer scored, Elliott relieved Allen, who made 11 saves.
Rookie center Robby Fabbri then used his 10th goal to extend the
lead at 16:25. St. Louis defenseman Alex Pietrangelo used a
backhanded pass from his own end to free Fabbri for a breakaway.
Fabbri beat two defensemen, faked to his backhand and scored.
NOTES: The Ducks have now beaten the Blues in Anaheim 10 consecutive
times since 2009. ... St. Louis scratched D Robert Bortuzzo and RW
Scottie Upshall. ... Blues C David Backes needs four goals to reach
200 in his career and 14 points to pass Hall of Famer Al MacInnis
for sixth place on the team's career points list. MacInnis
accumulated 452 points during his 10 seasons in St. Louis. ... Blues
coach Ken Hitchcock needs two wins for 200 with the club. Hitchcock
would be the second coach in Blues history to reach 200 victories,
following Joel Quenneville (307). ... Anaheim scratched D Clayton
Stoner and C Mike Santorelli, who received a hard cross-check from
behind by Toronto Maple Leafs D Roman Polak in the first period on
Wednesday night. Santorelli hit the glass headfirst, but Ducks coach
Bruce Boudreau said Santorelli suffered no ill effects. ... Ducks RW
Andrew Cogliano needs one goal to pass Matt Cullen and take over
ninth place on the team's career scoring list. ... LW Nick Ritchie,
who played 11 games for the Ducks this season, received a spot on
the Pacific Division roster for the AHL All-Star Game on Feb. 1 in
Syracuse, N.Y.
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