CHICAGO — Defenseman Simon Despres scored the tiebreaking goal to lift the Anaheim Ducks to a 2-1 win against the Chicago Blackhawks in Game 3 of the Western Conference finals on Thursday night.
Left winger Patrick Maroon added a goal for the Ducks, and center Ryan Getzlaf tallied two assists as Anaheim gained a 2-1 edge in the best-of-seven series.
Right winger Patrick Kane scored the lone goal for Chicago.
Anaheim goaltender Frederik Andersen stopped 28 of 29 shots to earn his 10th victory in 12 playoff games. He improved his save percentage during the series to .959 (117 of 122).
Chicago goaltender Corey Crawford turned aside 25 of 27 shots in the loss.
Chicago lost on home ice for the first time since April 7 against the Minnesota Wild, a span of six playoff games at the United Center.
The Blackhawks went 0-for-5 on the power play, including a double minor by right winger Jakob Silfverberg in the first period when he caught Chicago center Jonathan Toews in the face with a high stick, drawing blood.
A power-play goal by Maroon gave Anaheim a 1-0 lead with 7:05 remaining in the first period. Defenseman Hampus Lindholm ripped a shot from the blue line, and Maroon redirected the puck from the high slot as right winger Corey Perry screened Crawford in front of the net.
Chicago evened the score at 1 on a backhand shot by Kane with 56.1 seconds remaining in the first period. Kane collected a loose puck in the offensive zone and wheeled left before lifting the puck past Andersen for his eighth goal of the playoffs and his first of the series.
Anaheim got the eventual game-winner on a one-timer by Despres with 54.2 seconds to go in the second period. Getzlaf fed a pass to the right circle for Despres, who ripped a low slap shot past Crawford’s outstretched pad for his first-career playoff goal.