ANAHEIM – The Anaheim Ducks, who struggled mightily over a four-game losing streak, possibly never looked better while smashing it to smithereens tonight at Honda Center.
Ryan and Perry's two goals apiece were part of a seven-goal barrage for the Ducks.
Corey Perry and Bobby Ryan each had two goals, and the Ducks got two mildly surprising ones from its workhorse fourth line to crush the visiting Vancouver Canucks, 7-2. The Ducks, who trailed 2-0 just five minutes into the contest, scored seven unanswered on their way to a long-awaited victory. And on a night when the Ducks found the net every which way, they capped it with one of the more bizarre goals of the season from Joffrey Lupul with just more than a minute left.
Following a dominating second period, the Ducks all but put the game away in the third when Ryan scored twice in a span of 2:40 to make it 6-2 Anaheim. Ryan connected on the power play 3:32 into the period, going to one knee to one-time a Ryan Getzlaf pass from the left wing circle. And Ryan did it again at 6:12, when James Wisniewski threw the puck on net and Perry tapped the rebound to Ryan, who slung it high and popped the water bottle.
That put the Ducks in command and they added a crazy one when Lupul sent the puck off the glass from the red line and it caromed off the glass toward the net. Goalie Cory Schneider (inserted at the beginning of the third) had left his position to start chasing the puck and could only watch as it darted into the net.
That put the exclamation point on a Ducks victory that came off a mostly disappointing six-game homestand. "There is a collective sigh of relief, that is for sure," Ryan said. "A lot of games we’ve gotten down and then we’ve gotten out. Tonight, we just found a way to stick with it and battle through. We did the things that we need to do to score goals and it was a nice night for it. Guys came out and answered the bell when we needed it."
And it certainly wasn’t what many had envisioned after the Ducks found themselves in an early hole when they allowed two Vancouver goals in the first five minutes. Steve Bernier scored just 1:06 into the contest, redirecting a Willie Mitchell pass through Jonas Hiller. And Mason Raymond made it 2-0 on the power play at 4:39, getting the puck in front with only Hiller to beat and sending it off the lunging goal and over the stripe.
"They got a two-goal lead on us and we were wondering what the heck was going on," said Ducks coach Randy Carlyle. "We stayed with it. We changed our mindset, got better going through the neutral ice and recovered more pucks on the dumps."
Anaheim cut the lead in half with the first of Perry’s two tallies with 3:29 left in the period. Joffrey Lupul weaved through two Canucks and dropped the puck to Perry on his left, and the Ducks team-leader in goals sent it under goalie Andrew Raycroft. The veteran Raycroft replaced the injured Roberto Luongo, currently on the shelf with a rib injury.
Perry’s goal provided some momentum to the Ducks, who came out and completely dominated the second period. They outshot the Canucks 12-6 and got goals from Perry and fourth-line partners George Parros and Mike Brown.
Parros got his first goal of the year 2:29 into the period, after linemate Ryan Carter put the puck on net and Parros was there to pounce on the rebound and force it through just before being pushed to the ice.
"It was a good line goal," Parros said. "Mike Brown got in hard on the forecheck. I followed up with a hit, causing the puck to get to Carter. He just put it to the net, the puck bounced to my stick and I was able to put it in."
With 4:45 left in the session, Mike Brown got his first of the year, and first career shorthanded, taking a slick Carter pass on an odd-man rush and slipping it under Raycroft. It was the second assist for Carter, playing his first game after missing three straight with a bone bruise in his foot.
"Any time that your energy line can make a contribution on the offensive side plus play their normal energy game, it’s a huge boost for your group" Carlyle said. "They played with energy most of the night. They were our best line early in staying with the structure that we’re trying to create."
Less than two minutes after the Brown goal, Perry struck for the second time, gathering in a rebound after Ryan poked it on net and darting around Raycroft before scoring it. Scott Niedermayer, who got the play going by tossing the puck in front, earned an assist for his 700th career point.
Jonas Hiller was very solid in net on a night where the Ducks didn’t have to lean on him, recording 36 saves, including all 22 Vancouver shots in the third period.
The Ducks turn around and play again tomorrow night in Phoenix before returning to Orange County for three more in a row at Honda Center.
"The most important thing for our mental psyche going forward," Carlyle said, "is it’s a starting point for our group."
GAME NOTES
The Ducks have won three straight games vs. Vancouver and are 3-0-1 in their last four HOME games against the Canucks.
Anaheim has scored at least one power play goal in each of the last three games, going five-for-seven overall (71.4%).
The club’s seven goals tonight is a season high and the first seven-goal game since Mar. 25, 2009 at Colorado (7-2).
Corey Perry has a four-game point streak (3-4=7) and has points in five of his last six contests (5-4=9). Tonight marked his third multi-goal game of the season (2-1=3 points tonight) and the 11th of his career. He has seven goals so far this season through 11 games (he had two goals through the first 11 games last season).
Bobby Ryan recorded his first multi-goal game of the season and the sixth of his career. He also tied a career high with 2-1=3 points tonight (fifth time, last: Apr. 2, 2009 at Vancouver, 2-1=3).
Ryan Getzlaf is riding a four-game point streak (1-6=7), which includes two assists this evening.
James Wisniewski collected three assists tonight (0-3=3), tying his career high for both assists (third time) and points (fourth time) in a game. His last three-point game was Mar. 25, 2009 at Colorado (0-3=3).
Scott Niedermayer became the 24th defenseman in NHL history to reach the 700-point milestone. Niedermayer also has a three-game point streak (1-4=5).
Ryan Carter established a career high for assists (0-2=2) and matched a career high for points in a game. His only other two-point game came on Feb. 8, 2008 at New Jersey (2-0=2).
Joffrey Lupul has earned points in three of the last four games (4-1=5) including a goal and an assist tonight.
George Parros scored his first goal since Mar. 22, 2009 vs. Phoenix.
Tonight’s attendance was 14,756.
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