ANAHEIM, Calif. — With a dash of persistence and a heavy pinch of penalty killing, the Anaheim Ducks earned a 3-2 win over the Boston Bruins at Honda Center on Monday night.
Ducks defenseman Sami Vatanen and center Devante Smith-Pelly each scored off plays they effectively started and finished. Left winger Matt Beleskey scored the game-winning goal for Anaheim (15-6-5), while left wingers Brad Marchand and Simon Gagne tallied for Boston.
Each team killed three penalties and surrendered no power-play goals, though the Bruins outshot the Ducks 11-1 with the extra skater.
Ducks goalie Frederik Andersen saved 32 of the 34 total pucks sent his way, while Bruins goaltender Tuukka Rask stopped 25 of 28 shots.
The Ducks extended their lead to 3-1 at 3:43 of the third period. Center Ryan Getzlaf won an offensive-zone faceoff back to Beleskey, who rifled in his career-high 12th goal of the season.
Boston (14-10-1) drew within a goal with 9:40 left to play. With center Gregory Campbell positioned at the far post, Gagne drifted behind him to receive a cross-ice pass from left winger Daniel Paille and finish the play from close range. The goal was Gagne’s second of the season.
Boston would draw no closer, as they seldom possessed the puck late and ultimately failed to score after pulling their goalie with 70 seconds remaining in the game.
Following the conclusion of their third power play of the evening, Boston opened the scoring at even strength, 10:40 into the second period. Andersen deflected the puck with his blocker, only to send it directly to Marchand, who scored high to the glove side for his sixth goal of the campaign.
The Ducks tied the score 57 seconds later on a superb individual effort from Vatanen. He weaved across three zones with the puck, dropped it to left winger Patrick Maroon and crashed the net to stuff the rebound into the back of the net. It was Vatanen’s sixth goal of the season, tying him for third among NHL defensemen.
Anaheim took a lead with 21 seconds remaining in the middle frame. Smith-Pelly’s rising shot was fought off by Rask, but the Ducks retained possession and sustained pressure. Smith-Pelly would give the Ducks a 2-1 advantage by deflecting defenseman Cam Fowler’s shot from just inside the blue line. The goal was Smith-Pelly’s fourth of the season.
NOTES: The Ducks recalled G Igor Bobkov from their AHL affiliate in Norfolk, Va., and he dressed as the backup goalie Monday since G Jason LaBarbera sustained an upper-body injury against San Jose Saturday. … D Clayton Stoner (mumps), D Francois Beauchemin (finger), D Ben Lovejoy (finger), G Josh Gibson (groin), LW Dany Heatley (groin) and D Mark Fistric (back) all missed Monday’s game for Anaheim. … Stoner and Fistric may be nearing their respective returns. Fistric has also been hindered by a facial injury sustained during a recent practice when a puck hit him in the face. … Bruins RW Matt Fraser dressed in place of C Seth Griffith. … D Zdeno Chara (knee), C David Krejci (groin), D David Warsofky (groin) and D Adam McQuaid (thumb) were all out of action for Boston.