Ducks 3 - 0 Canucks
Final
  for this game

Gibson posts shutout in first game as Ducks blank Canucks

Apr 8, 2014 - 6:18 AM Vancouver, BC (SportsNetwork.com) - John Gibson posted an 18-save shutout in his first career NHL game and the Anaheim Ducks grabbed a 3-0 win over the Vancouver Canucks on Monday.

"The team played really well in front of me and made my job easier," said Gibson. "I only had to make regular saves and if there was any rebounds they cleared it out."

With 110 points, the Ducks hold a three-point advantage over the San Jose Sharks for first place in the Pacific Division, with both teams having three games left. Also, Anaheim is a point back of St. Louis for first overall in the Western Conference, but the Blues have a game in hand on Anaheim.

The Ducks host the Sharks on Wednesday.

Daniel Winnik, Kyle Palmieri and Matt Beleskey all scored for the Ducks, who stopped a two-game losing streak.

Vancouver, meanwhile, was eliminated from postseason contention with the loss as the club will miss the playoffs for the first time since the 2007-08 season.

The team had won five straight division titles during the run, and reached the Stanley Cup Finals in 2011 where they lost to Boston in seven games, but followed that with two straight first-round exits.

"It's been a while, we're disappointed for sure," Canucks defenseman Kevin Bieksa said. "The last few weeks have been very disappointing."

Eddie Lack was tagged for all three goals on 23 shots in the loss for the Canucks, who have dropped four of their last five games.

Skating shorthanded, the Ducks got the only goal they needed as Winnik stripped the puck from Henrik Sedin in the Vancouver zone and slipped a shot past Lack as 6:26 of the first period.

Late in the second period, Anaheim added to its advantage as a wrist shot from the right point by Ben Lovejoy was tipped in by Palmieri at the right side of the net with 2:57 left in the frame.

Anaheim came out of the second intermission all over Vancouver and it paid off at 1:20.

A turnover in the neutral zone was brought in by Ryan Getzlaf and he left a drop pass in the middle for Corey Perry, who fired the puck over to the left wing and Beleskey snapped it home for his seventh of the season.

Gibson polished off the shutout with nine saves in the final frame.

Game Notes

Anaheim won all five games against Vancouver this season ... Vancouver hosts Colorado on Thursday ... The Ducks failed to score on their only power play of the game, while the Canucks went 0-for-3.






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