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Bertuzzi helps Ducks double up Wild

Jan 19, 2008 - 5:59 AM ST. PAUL, Minnesota (Ticker) -- The Anaheim Ducks continue to embrace the new calendar year.

Todd Bertuzzi scored two goals and Corey Perry added a tally and two assists as the Ducks skated to a 4-2 triumph over the Minnesota Wild on Friday.

Captain Chris Pronger also netted a goal and All-Star Ryan Getzlaf collected three assists for Anaheim, which improved to 8-0-1 in 2008 - outscoring its opponents, 30-14, in that span. Overall, the Ducks are 12-2-2 in their last 16 games.

Bertuzzi opened the scoring - and extended his points streak to six games - just 4:13 into the first period.

Getzlaf carried the puck into the offensive zone, leading a 2-on-1 rush. The Saskatchewan native drew the attention of defenseman Kim Johnsson before flipping a pass to Bertuzzi, who cut in front of the net and backhanded the puck past goaltender Josh Harding.

"I'm having a blast," Bertuzzi said. "You go from feeling 33 years old to 23 playing with (Perry and Getzlaf)."

"We all bring different things to the table," Getzlaf said. "(Bertuzzi) is a big body who controls the puck like no one in the league."

Perry doubled the Ducks' advantage just over four minutes into the second period.

Bertuzzi left a drop pass for Perry before driving to the net to provide a screen. Perry blasted a slap shot from the top of the right faceoff circle past Harding at 4:02 for his 26th goal of the season.

"(Bertuzzi) takes two guys with him wherever he goes," Perry said. "It opens up a lot of room for the rest of us. It gets you a little extra time to make those plays."

Pronger, who left Thursday's victory over Nashville with a left knee contusion, increased Anaheim's lead just two minutes later with a 5-on-3 power-play goal. The former Hart and Norris Trophy winner blasted a slap shot from just inside the blue line by Harding for his 10th tally.

"It wasn't day-to-day, it was hour-to-hour this morning," Pronger said of his status. "(My knee) started to loosen up this afternoon. When I got to the rink, I was able to walk a lot better."

While Pronger felt better, Wild coach Jacques Lemaire did not see a great deal of energy from his team once the game started.

"We looked really good in the warmup. In the room, the guys looked ready to play," Lemaire said. "We go on the ice, we make one mistake at the start, first shift, then they stayed in our end. Second line was the same, (then the) third line, fourth line, until, I don't know, six, seven shifts, and then we started to come back."

The Wild rallied quickly, scoring twice in just 14 seconds to cut the deficit to 3-2.

With a sixth attacker on the ice due to a delayed penalty, Marian Gaborik fired a cross-crease pass to defenseman Nick Schultz, who deflected the puck past netminder Jonas Hiller at 10:33 for his first goal of the season.

Continuing his team's momentum, Mikko Koivu skated through the neutral zone and blasted a slap shot from just inside the blue line that handcuffed Hiller and trickled into the net.

The Wild were unable to keep up the pace, however, and Bertuzzi capped the scoring midway through the third period.

"We knew the Wild weren't going to quit," Getzlaf said. "We needed that goal to get some momentum back."

After Perry absorbed a check behind the net, Bertuzzi gained possession of the puck and fired it off the skate of Harding and into the net for his fifth goal in as many games.

"I was fortunate to get it back and get that goal," Bertuzzi said.

Minnesota defenseman Keith Carney would like to see his team get more opportunities.

"We obviously have to find a way to create more chances at the net, more second chances," said Carney, a former Duck. "We had good entries (in the second), we were playing a lot in their end and we were on the puck. We just need to be more consistent with it."