• Preview
• Recap
• Bleachers
• Game Tracker

Ducks outlast Canucks, halt six-game skid

Nov 12, 2011 - 6:58 AM Anaheim, CA (Sports Network) - Peter Holland potted his first career NHL goal and it proved to be the game-winner, as the Anaheim Ducks snapped a six-game losing streak with a 4-3 victory over the Vancouver Canucks at Honda Center.

At the time, Holland's tally punctuated a dominant second period by the Ducks, one in which Vancouver goalie Roberto Luongo permitted four goals.

Anaheim nearly frittered away the sizeable lead after Vancouver scored three times in the third, but wound up prevailing for only the second time in its last 11 games (2-6-3).

The Ducks carried what looked to be a secure cushion into the final 20 minutes. But the Canucks, who were wrapping up a six-game road trip, fought hard to create a thrilling finish.

Vancouver got on the board via the power play. A minor for too many men on the ice put Anaheim down a man and the visitors cashed in when Kevin Bieksa fired a shot from near the blue line past Anaheim netminder Jonas Hiller at the 4:32 mark.

Less than five minutes later, Jannik Hansen scored on a deflection in front to halve the deficit. Hansen lit the lamp again at 13:04. Hiller got bowled over during a scramble in front of the net and was flat on his stomach when the Canuck forward netted his second goal of the game.

The Canucks were on the power play for the final 59 seconds of regulation after Corey Perry went off for slashing. Cory Schneider, who replaced Luongo at the beginning of the third, was pulled to create a 6-on-4 advantage. Hiller stopped a backhand bid from Ryan Kesler with his glove, one of his 38 saves, to preserve the win.

"We gave them a little too much. They had lots of speed coming through the neutral zone and our defensemen had no chance to stand up or do anything," Hiller said. "At the end, we found a way. That's definitely something we can build on and get the confidence that we can win against one of the best teams in the league."

Anaheim scored early and often after a scoreless opening frame. A forechecking Teemu Selanne forced a turnover in the Vancouver zone and it led to Saku Koivu scoring off a pass from Andrew Cogliano 25 seconds into the second period.

At 11:04, Vancouver defenseman Aaron Rome caught Anaheim rookie Devante Smith- Pelly with an elbow near the Ducks bench. The former was assessed a five- minute major and a game misconduct.

The Ducks struck twice on the power play, as Cogliano and Perry beat Luongo.

Holland, Anaheim's first-round pick (15th overall) in 2009, took a feed from Toni Lydman and fired a shot from the left circle into the far top corner of the net with 2:38 remaining.

"We kind of shot ourselves in the foot a bit in the second period," Hansen said.

Game Notes

Anaheim forward Bobby Ryan collected his 100th career assist...Vancouver closed out its road swing at 3-3-0...Luongo made just 15 saves...The Canucks outshot Anaheim 22-2 in the third period...Hiller posted the fifth assist of his career.