The Ducks got back to their winning ways when they defeated the Minnesota Wild by a score of 3-2. They snapped a 2 game losing streak, in which both games were rough losses. The Ducks RPG line was in top notch form, scoring all 3 goals and cumulating 5 points. Teemu Selanne also added helpers on each goal.
Game Recap:
First Period: Midway through the period, Darroll Powe was called for holding. 53 seconds into the PP, Getzlaf sent a smooth pass to Perry who tapped it in (ANA-1, MIN-0). Toni Lydman took an interference penalty, which the Ducks seemed to kill it off with ease.
Second Period: The second period started off much like the first, some back and forth play with few shots on goal. Heatley made a bad turnover which led to a Ducks 2-on-1 rush, but could not convert. However, they could not clear and the Lydman took a shot from the point. Selanne pried the puck out of Backstrom’s glove, Ryan came flying in to slam the rebound into the net (ANA-2, MIN-0). The Ducks continued with their bad penalty taking, when Bobby Ryan was called for roughing. Spurgeon received a rebound from Setoguchi’s one timer and blasted one in (ANA-2, MIN-1).
Third Period: Kyle Brodziak gets called for tripping just 3 minutes into the period. 18 seconds into the PP, Getzlaf picked up a Selanne rebound and buried one in the wide open net (ANA-3, MIN-1). The Wild put up few shots in attempt to start a come back. With 6 minutes remaining, Matt Cullen scored a tip-in (ANA-3, MIN-2).
Stats:
- The Wild have given up 10 goals to Perry and Ryan over the past four seasons
- The Ducks entered the game 25th in the league on the power play
- Getzlaf has scored 4 goals in the last 3 games
- Jonas Hiller stopped 23/25 shots, Niklas Backstrom stopped 13/16 shots
- Francois Beauchemin led all blue liners in ice-time with 25:37
- Corey Perry led all forwards in ice-time with 20:58
The Ducks looked great tonight. Their top line was on fire and showed up when needed. Their powerplay improved and they made less sloppy plays.