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 Jakob Silfverberg had three goals and an assist in leading the
Ducks to a 7-1 rout of the New Jersey Devils on Monday night at the
Honda Center.
Silfverberg accomplished the first hat trick and the first
four-point game of his career. Linemates Ryan Kesler and Andrew
Cogliano each contributed a goal and two assists.
"We're a great checking line but we have the skill to score goals,
too," Silfverberg said. "It's great for the confidence, for all
three of us."
The Ducks combined size and speed to overwhelm the Devils
defensemen.
"We knew we had to get in front of them and go to the net," Kesler
said. "We watched film and we thought they were a little weak back
there. We got behind them and work them. That's how we generated
most of our goals."
Corey Perry added his 29th goal, Nick Ritchie scored the first of
his NHL career, and goalie Frederik Andersen stopped 24 shots for
the Ducks, who broke a three-game losing streak.
 Anaheim (38-21-9) remained two points behind the first-place Los
Angeles Kings in the Pacific Division and extended its lead over the
third-place San Jose Sharks to three points.
Devonte Smith-Pelly scored his fourth goal in six games for the
Devils (33-30-7), who allowed a season-high goal total. New Jersey
had lost eight of 10 games before defeating the Kings and Sharks on
the road.
"The first two games, we played well enough to beat two playoff
teams," Devils right winger Kyle Palmieri said. "Tonight, every
single breakdown ended up in the back of our net."
New Jersey goalie Keith Kinkaid stopped 18 of 24 shots before
getting pulled. Kinkaid made his fourth successive start for Cory
Schneider, who has a sprained medial collateral ligament in his
right knee.
"I thought they had a great net presence," Kinkaid said of the
Ducks. "They've got some pretty big bodies. I had to fight either
down low or over them to find those shots."
After Perry and Ritchie scored in the third period, Silfverberg
completed his career night with his 12th goal, a slap shot from the
right point inside the right post on a power play against reserve
goalie Yann Danis with 12:47 to play.
Danis replaced Kinkaid at 6:16 of the final period, when Ritchie
scored on a wrist shot from the right circle into the upper-left
corner of the net. Danis stopped two of the three shots he faced.
Silfverberg began his offensive eruption by scoring twice in a
period of 4 minutes, 26 seconds in the second period.
The right winger scored his first goal of the game by sweeping the
rebound of Josh Manson's shot from the right circle between
Kinkaid's outstretched stick and the left post to give the Ducks a
3-1 lead at 5:30 of the period.
Kinkaid, who permitted only one goal in his previous two games,
allowed three on the Ducks' first seven shots of the second period.
[to top of second column] |
Then, at 9:56, Silfverberg scored his 11th goal of the season to
extend the hosts' advantage to 4-1. Kesler passed from near the
right post to Silfverberg, who converted a wrist shot off Kinkaid's
stick in front of the crease.
"They didn't have a letdown," Devils coach John Hynes said of the
Ducks. "We had to get some traction back in our game and while that
was going on, they wound up scoring some goals."
Kesler had broken a 1-1 tie at 3:44 of the second period. Manson
faked a wrist shot from the right circle before passing to Kesler,
who scored his 15th goal on a wrist shot from the circle.
Cogliano recorded the game's first goal 32 seconds into the second
period. Cogliano scored his eighth goal by tapping the rebound of
Silfverberg's slap shot from the right point past Kinkaid's right
skate.
Just 37 seconds later, Smith-Pelly tied the score. Devils left
winger Tyler Kennedy began the scoring play by receiving a pass from
defenseman John Moore and stickhandled from the left boards through
the neutral zone to the right corner.
Before skating behind the net, Kennedy sent the puck to Smith-Pelly,
who shot it between Andersen's legs for his 10th goal.
NOTES: New Jersey scratched C Jacob Josefson, D Jon Merrill, G Cory
Schneider, D Damon Severson and RW Jordin Tootoo. ... Devils RW Kyle
Palmieri, who spent his first five seasons with the Ducks, played
his first game in Anaheim since being traded to New Jersey in June.
... Devils D Andy Greene played in his 299th consecutive game Monday
night. ... Anaheim scratched D Kevin Bieksa, C Nate Thompson and D
Sami Vatanen. ... Ducks C Shawn Horcoff played his first game since
Jan. 23 on Monday night. The NHL suspended Horcoff 20 games for
using a performance-enhancing drug. ... Ducks LW Andrew Cogliano
played in his 690th consecutive game, the sixth longest such streak
in NHL history. ... Ducks C Brandon Pirri practiced for the first
time with his new team Sunday. Pirri, acquired from the Florida
Panthers on Feb. 28, injured an ankle Feb. 13 against the Nashville
Predators. ... Ducks D Cam Fowler played in his 400th NHL game.
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