Anaheim Ducks Stave Off Boston Bruins, Earn 3-2 Victory

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December 1, 2014; Anaheim, CA, USA; Anaheim Ducks defenseman Cam Fowler (4), goalie Frederik Andersen (31) and defenseman Josh Manson (42) celebrate the 3-2 victory against the Boston Bruins following the third period at Honda Center. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports

Next up for the Ducks is a bout with another Eastern Conference foe to wrap up their six game California swing. On Wednesday, the Philadelphia Flyers will come to visit Honda Center. The Flyers are just 8-12-3 on the season, good for 6th in the Metropolitan Division and 13th in the Eastern Conference. They have allowed 74 goals on the season, which is the third worst mark in the Eastern Conference and seventh worst mark in the entire NHL. The Ducks will face the Flyers when Philadelphia is coming off a back-to-back, as the team will face the San Jose Sharks on Tuesday, as part of their “California road trip”. The Flyers embarked on a five-game road trip, and the California swing will make up the middle three games of that trip (they lost 5-2 to the Rangers on Saturday and have the Columbus Blue Jackets next Tuesday to finish the trip).

Claude Giroux is the franchise cornerstone in Philadelphia, and he finished third in the Hart Trophy voting last season (behind Sidney Crosby and Getzlaf), but it is winger Jakub Voracek who is leading the Flyers in scoring with nine goals, 23 assists, and 32 points, all of which lead the team. Voracek is second in the league in scoring behind Crosby. The Flyers, despite those gaudy point totals, do not have a single player who has scored ten goals (Voracek has nine, Wayne Simmonds has eight, and Giroux and Brayden Schenn each have seven). The Flyers have been searching for defensive help, as veteran Kimmo Timonen is suffering from life-threatening blood clots. Philadelphia signed Michael Del Zotto in the offseason, extended Andrew MacDonald last season, and signed Carlo Colaiacovo during this season. Mark Streit leads the team in ice time, playing 22:55 per game, while Giroux, Del Zotto, and MacDonald fall just behind. Goalies Steve Mason and Ray Emery each have four wins apiece. Mason has a 4-8-2 record with a 2.76 GAA and .916 SV%, while Emery has a 4-4-1 record with a 3.28 GAA and .896 SV%.

Point Streaks, General Notes:

For the first time this season, the Ducks did not have a different player score the game-winning goal. The Ducks had 11 different game-winning goal scorers until Beleskey scored his second game-winning goal of the season (his other came on October 19th against the St. Louis Blues).

Beleskey also has goals in two consecutive games and three of the past four. He scored six goals in November and is picking up right where he left off. Getzlaf also scored for the second consecutive game, pushing his team-lead in scoring to 23.

Whenever possible, Bruce Boudreau tried to match up Kesler with Bergeron in the faceoff circle. It worked: Kesler won six of seven faceoffs against Bergeron. In contrast, Boudreau put Getzlaf against Soderberg, where he won four of five draws. Getzlaf won just one of three draws against Bergeron, and Kesler won just one of three draws against Soderberg.

Schedule