Richard Mackson-USA TODAY Sports
After Teemu Selanne‘s second period goal put the Anaheim Ducks up 2-1 in Game 3, things looked uncomfortably familiar.
In Game 1, Selanne scored midway through the third period to give the Ducks a 2-1 lead, but Anaheim couldn’t hold on and would eventually fall in overtime.
This time, despite an anxious final seconds, the Ducks would survive and get themselves right back into the best-of-seven series with their crosstown rivals Los Angeles Kings with a 3-2 victory at the Staples Center in Los Angeles in Game 3.
With the score knotted at 1-1, Nick Bonino slid a beautiful pass over to Selanne who tipped the rubber into the back of the net to put the Ducks ahead.
Anaheim would get another goal at the 17:05 mark of the third period that would prove to be a crucial goal later on.
After a nice defensive play on Drew Doughty, Ben Lovejoy came streaking into the Kings’ zone with Andrew Cogliano, who fed Lovejoy on the 2-on-1 break. Lovejoy flipped a wrist shot over the glove of Jonathan Quick to put the Ducks up 3-1.
Mike Richards would hit a home run with 30 seconds left to make things interesting in the final moments. The puck popped up in front of Jonas Hiller and Richards put a nice baseball swing on the puck that clanked off the post and in.
However, the Ducks wouldn’t let the nightmare of Game 1 happen again.
Hiller, who came in to replace starting netminder Frederik Andersen who left with a leg injury, stopped seven of the eight shots he faced. Andersen finished with 22 saves on 23 shots.
No word on the extent of Andersen’s injury.
After failing to solve Quick in Anaheim, the Ducks struck early as Corey Perry scored on the power play just 4:06 into the contest. His wrist shot past Quick was his third of the postseason.
Jeff Carter tied the game in the second period with his third of the postseason. After Devante Smith-Pelly was sent off for high-sticking, Carter’s wrist shot past Andersen brought the Staples Center crowd to its’ feet.
But Selanne’s goal would be the first of two unanswered goals for the Ducks that put Anaheim ahead for good.
Game 4 is Saturday night in Los Angeles.
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