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Getzlaf, Perry propel Ducks past Blackhawks

Dec 8, 2007 - 5:50 AM By Rory Spears PA Sportsticker Contributing Writer

CHICAGO (Ticker) -- The Anaheim Ducks are making the Windy City feel like home.

Ryan Getzlaf scored a goal and set up two others and Corey Perry added a tally and an assist as the Ducks won for the sixth straight time in Chicago by topping the Blackhawks, 5-3, on Friday night.

Chris Kunitz netted two tallies and defenseman Mathieu Schneider added another for Anaheim, which has defeated Chicago in eight of their last nine meetings.

"After the first period, we played a pretty good hockey game," Ducks coach Randy Carlyle said. "Our power play got us a big goal to get us back in the game. Our penalty-killers kept us in the game."

After Blackhawks rookie sensation Jonathan Toews scored just 67 seconds into the contest, the Ducks answered as Perry tallied a power-play goal off a rebound in the slot to tie the game at 1-1 with 6:06 left in the opening session.

Getzlaf fired an bad-angle shot and Perry was able to poke the loose puck between the pads of goaltender Nikolai Khabibulin. The Blackhawks and Khabibulin complained about interference by Todd Bertuzzi, but referee Kerry Fraser ignored the protest.

Chicago regained the lead early in the second period when Patrick Sharp netted his 13th goal of the season, which deflected off Kunitz's ankle, just 36 seconds into the session.

"We are taking strides to get to their level," Sharp said. "We just needed to take advantage of our other opportunities to score."

Kunitz got back the goal just under seven minutes later, racing in from the left wing boards and around Khabibulin before sliding the puck inside the right goalpost to knot the game at 2-2 at 7:15.

Schneider gave Anaheim its first lead of the night with 8:13 remaining in the second, when he launched a wrist shot from the left faceoff circle that beat Khabibulin for his fourth goal of the campaign and second in as many games.

"We played a strong road game, even though we came out slow," Schneider said. "Our club has a lot of character. We are still growing as a team. This is a good win for us and it's a good time for us to get hot."

Getzlaf provided some breathing room at 4:31 of the third period as he took a long outlet pass from blue-liner Francois Beauchemin that sprung him on a breakaway. Getzlaf deked and lifted a backhander over the right pad of Khabibulin to give the Ducks a 4-2 edge.

"There was a change and I went up trying to stretch their defense," Getzlaf said. "(Beauchemin) made a great pass to send me in."

Jean-Sebastien Giguere made 39 saves for Anaheim, which has won back-to-back contests since Scott Niedermayer announced he was postponing his retirement and returning to the team.

"Giguere had a great game for us," Beauchemin said. "He really kept us in the game all night long."

After Robert Lang drew Chicago within 4-3 with 1:50 remaining in the third, Kunitz put away the game with an empty-netter with just 28 seconds left.

"I just tried to get in (Blackhawks defenseman Dustin) Byfuglien's shooting lane to block his shot," Kunitz said. "For some reason, he then bobbled the puck and I was able to get around him and go in to score."

With Chicago coach Denis Savard critical of his team's first-period performance in Wednesday's 3-2 loss to Vancouver, the Blackhawks pressed the attack early and outshot the Ducks, 7-1, over the first 14 minutes of this one.

"I liked our start, we showed some grit," Savard said. "We are close to being a good team. If we play every night like we did tonight, we will be fine."

Toews notched his 11th goal of the campaign - the most among NHL rookies - early in the contest to give Chicago a quick 1-0 lead.

With Beauchemin in the penalty box, Byfuglien blasted a slap shot from the high slot that hit Giguere in the chest. The puck popped straight up and landed in the crease, where Toews backhanded it into the net.

"We came out better tonight," Toews said. "It was stronger than our last two games with St. Louis and Vancouver, but we need to look at some (video) tape and correct some things."