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 Jakob Silfverberg scored two goals, Corey Perry added his 32nd
goal and Ryan Kesler contributed a goal and three assists in the
Anaheim Ducks' 8-3 rout of the Calgary Flames on Wednesday night at
the Honda Center.
"That's a banged-up team," Kesler said of the Flames. "That's a team
that's depleted. They have young kids vying for a spot in the lineup
for next year, so you're going to have games like that."
The Ducks (43-23-10) used their third consecutive victory to move
into first place in the Pacific Division by one point over the idle
Los Angeles Kings. The Flames (32-39-6) sustained their fifth loss
in seven games after allowing three goals in the first seven
minutes.
"You're down 3-0 and the ice isn't even dry yet," Calgary coach Bob
Hartley said. "The players were struggling but they kept going. The
effort was there. The pushback was there. That's basically the only
thing we could do and we did it the right way."
Anaheim also equaled the league record of 23 successive home wins
over one opponent, set by the Philadelphia Flyers against the
Pittsburgh Penguins between 1980 and 1987. The Flames have not
beaten the Ducks in Anaheim since Jan. 19, 2004.
 "We want to make this building a tough place to come into," Kesler
said. "Tonight, it was a tough place to come into."
In scoring a season-high eight goals, the Ducks tied a team record
by having 15 different players record at least one point. Kesler
registered four points in a game for the first time in his career.
Goalies John Gibson and Frederik Andersen combined for the victory.
Gibson stopped 21 shots without allowing a goal despite missing 11
minutes, 32 seconds of the second period because of a collision.
"He was great," Anaheim coach Bruce Boudreau said about Gibson.
"When we were loose in our zone when it was 3-0, he came up with big
saves. He probably was the difference in the game."
The Ducks built a 3-0 lead and chased Calgary goalie Jonas Hiller
within the first seven minutes. Perry began the scoring 57 seconds
into the game with his 32nd goal.
Ryan Getzlaf secured a loose puck at the top of the slot and passed
to Perry in the crease. After the puck hit Perry, the right winger
maneuvered toward the right post and lifted a wrist shot over a
prone Hiller.
Four minutes into the game, Silfverberg scored his 17th goal. Kesler
sent a puck from the right boards that deflected off Hiller and
skidded behind him. Silfverberg retrieved the puck and deposited a
backhanded shot inside the left post.
Brandon Pirri added his 14th goal at 6:51 of the first period. Pirri
received Shawn Horcoff's pass from the left boards and dragged a low
wrist shot from the top of the slot inside the right post.
"It was the best thing that could've happened to us," Boudreau said
of the early outburst. "It was against a goalie who hadn't played in
a long time. To get to him early, we knew his confidence would be
shaken."
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Goalie Nicklas Backstrom immediately replaced Hiller, who permitted
three goals on five shots. But Anaheim continued the onslaught in
the second period.
Jamie McGinn added his 22nd goal 21 seconds into the period.
McGinn's wrist shot from the back of the left circle hit the left
leg of Flames defenseman Deryk Engelland and ricocheted to McGinn,
who swept a backhanded shot from the slot into the net. Defenseman
Shea Theodore followed with his third goal at 5:30 to give the Ducks
a 5-0 advantage.
Gibson left the game at 8:28, when teammate Hampus Lindholm slid
into him after Lindholm's check from behind forced Calgary center
Mikael Backlund to hit the goal post with his shot. Gibson stopped
13 shots before Andersen replaced him, but Gibson returned to the
net when the third period started.
Flames rookie Hunter Shinkaruk, who made his team debut Monday
night, used his first NHL goal to break the shutout at 13:47 by
deflecting Mark Giordano's slap shot from the blue line on a power
play.
Anaheim responded with Nate Thompson's first goal at 14:06 for a 6-1
lead. Giordano followed with his 20th at 15:25. Kesler recorded his
18th goal on a power play at 18:47 but 59 seconds later, Calgary's
T.J. Brodie scored his sixth. Silfverberg ended the scoring with
6:52 to play.
NOTES: Calgary scratched RW Michael Frolik, LW Johnny Gaudreau, D
Jyrki Jokipakka, G Joni Ortio and D Dennis Wideman. Frolik sustained
a lower-body injury Monday night against the Phoenix Coyotes. ...
Flames D Mark Giordano moved into eighth place on the club's
all-time list of games played. Giordano made his 587th appearance to
pass Jamie Macoun. ... Giordano and Anaheim LW Andrew Cogliano were
nominated for the Bill Masterton Trophy, which honors perseverance,
sportsmanship and commitment to hockey. ... Anaheim scratched C
Rickard Rakell, D Kevin Bieksa, D Simon Despres, D Josh Manson and
LW David Perron. Rakell was a late scratch because of flu-like
symptoms. ... Anaheim signed Massachusetts-Lowell G Kevin Boyle to a
one-year, entry-level contract and St. Cloud State C Kalle Kossila
to a two-year, entry-level contract. ... The Ducks sent LW Nick
Ritchie to their AHL affiliate in San Diego on Tuesday.
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