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Ducks, Canucks clash in Anaheim

Mar 6, 2011 - 4:25 PM (Sports Network) - After turning in a thrilling overtime win in their last trip to the ice, the Anaheim Ducks will shoot for a fourth straight victory when they host the Vancouver Canucks tonight at the Honda Center.

Anaheim won its second straight overtime decision and third consecutive game overall with Friday's 4-3 triumph over the visiting Dallas Stars. The Ducks picked up the important two points despite trailing by two goals heading into the third period.

The Ducks are tied with Nashville for ninth in the Western Conference standings and they are just one in back of idle Los Angeles for the conference's eighth and final playoff seed. Nashville is also playing tonight against Calgary.

Vancouver, meanwhile, is first in the West with 91 points and is five ahead of Detroit for that distinction.

Lubomir Visnovsky was the hero for Anaheim in Friday's victory over the Stars, as he completed a hat trick by scoring the game-winner with just 3.8 seconds left in overtime.

In the extra session, Ryan Getzlaf, who finished the game with three assists, drew a left circle faceoff back to Visnovsky. The blueliner then took a stride to the high slot before unleashing a bomb into the back of the net for the win.

Visnovsky became the first defenseman in team history to record a hat trick while Teemu Selanne's 400th goal with the team late in the third tied the game for the Ducks. The tally was also the 627th of Selanne's storied NHL career.

"We need every point right now," said Visnovsky. "It's very important for our team. We were down by two goals and the team showed character. The confidence is going up for everybody."

Dan Ellis stopped 23 shots in the win for Anaheim. Ellis is 3-0-1 with a 2.14 goals-against average since joining the Ducks after a trade with Tampa. Ellis is expected to get the start again tonight and J.P. Levasseur, who was recently recalled from Syracuse of the AHL, will serve as the backup.

Anaheim is 3-1-1 so far on a seven-game homestand and will complete the residency Wednesday against the New York Rangers. The Ducks are 20-10-2 as the host this season.

Ducks forward Jason Blake missed Friday's game with a lacerated right hand and is questionable for tonight's tilt.

The Canucks picked up a win Saturday afternoon in Los Angeles and Vancouver is now 6-6-0 over its last 12 games. Vancouver has alternated wins and losses over that stretch and hasn't recorded consecutive victories since a six-game winning streak from Jan. 24-Feb. 7.

Daniel Sedin scored the game-winner in the third period as the Canucks handed the Kings a 3-1 setback at Staples Center.

"I thought it was a real good hockey game from both teams," said Vancouver head coach Alain Vigneault. "There was a lot of energy on the ice, a lot of competes from both teams and at the end of the day we played a good game."

Alexandre Burrows and Jannik Hansen both scored for the Canucks, while Roberto Luongo made 21 stops in the win. It was the 300th career victory for Luongo, who is expected to get a rest tonight from backup goaltender Cory Schneider.

The Canucks are playing the second test of a five-game road trip this evening and will next head to Phoenix for Tuesday's meeting with the Coyotes. Vancouver is 18-9-4 as the visiting team this season.

Anaheim has taken two of three from the Canucks this year and can win the season series tonight. The Ducks have won six of nine overall in this series and Vancouver has lost three of its last four tilts in Orange County.