Gibson notches third shutout as Ducks blank Canucks

[March 15, 2018]  John Gibson made 32 saves for his third shutout of the season as the Anaheim Ducks blanked the visiting Vancouver Canucks 3-0 on Wednesday night.

Gibson posted his 15th career shutout as the Ducks moved into a tie for third place in the Pacific Division with the Los Angeles Kings. Both Southern California clubs have 82 points. The Ducks also moved into a tie for the second wild-card berth in the Western conference with Colorado.

Gibson helped the Ducks end their losing streak at three games.

Brandon Montour scored two goals for the Ducks, while Jason Chimera scored once and added an assist.

The Canucks, who were eliminated from playoff contention, were shut out for the third straight game. They have not won in the five games since rookie sensation and top scorer Brock Boeser was sidelined with a season-ending back injury. Vancouver also was missing other key players due to health woes.

The Canucks have now gone scoreless for 212 minutes and nine seconds.

Vancouver defenseman Erik Gudbranson became the latest addition to the casualty list earlier Wednesday as he was shut down for the season due to a shoulder injury that has dogged him for weeks while he continued to play. He will undergo surgery and is expected to return in time for training camp next fall.

Canucks goaltender Jacob Markstrom bore the loss while stopping 34 of 37 shots.

 

Ducks defenseman Brandon Montour (26) scores a goal on Vancouver Canucks goalie Jacob Markstrom (25) during the third period at Honda Center. Mandatory Credit: Kelvin Kuo-USA TODAY Sports

Montour opened the scoring just 2:26 into the game as he worked a give-and-go with Chimera. After passing to Chimera behind the net, Montour cut through the right faceoff circle, received the puck back and beat Markstrom with a high shot on the stick side while the goaltender was screened.

Chimera gave the Ducks a 2-0 lead at 13:44 of the second period after Chris Kelly forced a turnover in the Vancouver zone and fed him the puck. Markstrom allowed the puck to get between himself and the post on the short side.

Montour closed out the scoring in the game's final minute as he put in a back-door pass from Nick Ritchie during a power play.

The Ducks converted one of six power plays, while the Canucks had two unsuccessful man-advantage opportunities.

--Field Level Media

[© 2018 Thomson Reuters. All rights reserved.]

Copyright 2018 Reuters. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.  Thompson Reuters is solely responsible for this content.