|
 Andersen stopped 38 shots in his second shutout of the season to
lead the Ducks to a 4-0 rout of the Boston Bruins on Friday night in
front of 16,707 at the Honda Center.
"Their goaltender really stood tall when he had to," Boston coach
Claude Julien said. "We played well enough that we should have had a
chance tonight. We had as many opportunities as they did."
Ryan Kesler, Rickard Rakell, Hampus Lindholm and Jamie McGinn scored
for the Ducks (39-22-9), who moved within four points of the
first-place Los Angeles Kings and three ahead of the San Jose Sharks
in the Pacific Division.
"We had a lot of time in their zone," Lindholm said. "We know
they're a trapping team and they're really good in the neutral zone.
We wanted to be really strong on the puck and always get it deep."
Goalie Jonas Gustavsson made 22 saves in his 17th start for the
Bruins (39-25-8), who lost only their ninth road game of the season
and their fourth in the past 15 away from TD Garden.
 "They're a big team and they have a lot of skill," Bruins left
winger Brad Marchand said of the Ducks. "They hold on to the puck
and they cycle really well. When you have big guys like that with
that kind of skill, it's sometimes hard to take the puck away from
them."
Boston remains three points behind the first-place Florida Panthers
and one ahead of the Tampa Bay Lightning in the Atlantic Division.
Andersen and Gibson, both among the top five in goals-against
average, have been alternating every two games since mid-January. On
that schedule, Gibson would have started against Boston.
But the rookie did not practice Thursday because of the stomach flu,
so Andersen replaced him in the net.
"I was told this morning to get ready for the game," Andersen said.
"I didn't feel my best in the warm-ups but I got it done. We came
out hot and got it going right away."
Anaheim took a 2-0 lead before five minutes elapsed. McGinn scored
his 18th goal of the season in unusual fashion 2:51 into the game.
Right winger Corey Perry unleashed a slap shot from the left point
that deflected off Bruins defenseman Adam McQuaid and McGinn before
trickling into the net.
Then 1:16 later, Kesler exploited another deflection. Jakob
Silfverberg began the scoring sequence by stealing the puck from Lee
Stempniak at the left boards and freeing Andrew Cogliano for a run
down the wing.
Cogliano's wrist shot from the left circle ricocheted off
Gustavsson's glove and bounced behind him. Boston defenseman Dennis
Seidenberg lunged toward the right post to try to keep the puck out
of the net, but Kesler beat Seidenberg to it and tapped it in for
his 16th goal of the season.
The Bruins generated three good chances to break the shutout in the
second period. With 5:30 gone in the period, Loui Eriksson dragged a
rising wrist shot from the top of the slot that Andersen deflected
over the net with his glove.
[to top of second column] |
Boston had a two-on-one rush with 5:30 left in the second period,
but Andersen stopped Patrice Bergeron's attempt to redirect
Marchand's pass from the left wing into the net before Bergeron slid
into the net.
"You really knew when he stopped that two-on-one that he was really
feeling it," Ducks coach Bruce Boudreau said about Andersen. "He was
outstanding tonight with the chances they had."
Then with about one minute remaining, Andersen sprawled over the
puck at the left post to keep Eriksson from converting the rebound
of David Krejci's tip-in.
"That made it easier on us," Lindholm said about Andersen's
performance in the second period. "Then we could go out and get some
more goals."
Lindholm used his ninth goal 58 seconds into the third period to
give Anaheim a 3-0 lead. Ryan Getzlaf stole the puck from
John-Michael Liles at the boards behind the net and passed to
Lindholm, who flicked a quick wrist shot from the left circle.
Rakell ended the scoring with 5:32 left by sending a wrist shot from
the right circle inside the left post.
Bruins left winger Matt Beleskey went to the dressing room with 3:44
left in the first period after taking a stick in the face from Ducks
defenseman Simon Despres. Beleskey was bent at the waist and needed
help leaving the ice but returned for the second period.
NOTES: Boston scratched RW Jimmy Hayes, D Joe Morrow and D Zach
Trotman. ... Bruins G Tuukka Rask needs one shutout to tie G Tim
Thomas for third place on the club's all-time list. ... Bruins LW
Matt Beleskey, who spent his first six seasons with the Ducks,
played his first game in Anaheim since signing as a free-agent
contract in July. ... Bruins C Chris Kelly skated with teammates for
the first time Tuesday during an optional practice. Kelly broke his
left femur Nov. 3 against the Dallas Stars. ... Anaheim scratched D
Korbinian Holzer, C Mike Santorelli, C Nate Thompson and D Sami
Vatanen. ... Ducks C Ryan Kesler began the day leading the NHL by
winning 58.9 percent of his faceoffs.
[© 2016 Thomson Reuters. All rights
reserved.]
Copyright 2016 Reuters. All rights reserved. This material may not be published,
broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. |
