• Preview
• Recap
• Bleachers

Ducks strike quickly, sink Rangers

Feb 8, 2008 - 4:23 AM By Larry Fleisher PA SportsTicker Contributing Writer

NEW YORK (Ticker) -- After enjoying a day at the White House, the Anaheim Ducks continued their fun in the New York metropolitan area.

Corey Perry and Chris Kunitz scored 87 seconds apart in the second period to lift the Ducks to a 4-1 victory over the New York Rangers on Thursday night.

Making its first visit to Madison Square Garden since October 28, 2003, Anaheim improved to 2-2-1 on its nine-game road trip.

The Ducks also have posted consecutive victories after a six-game losing streak (0-5-1) in which they had scored just five goals.

"When you lose six in row - we lost one in a shootout," Ducks coach Randy Carlyle said. "But they all felt like losses and we were able to turn the tables by getting the win on the Island (on Tuesday). It wasn't pretty tonight, but it was effective."

"There was a tough stretch where we didn't score any goals," Perry said. "It was a little drought. The ketchup bottle opened, and that's our saying - when it opens, it flows."

All-Star defenseman Scott Niedermayer knew it was just a matter of time.

"You know that's going to turn around eventually," he said. "If you look around the room, there's some talent to move the puck around and score some goals. But when it finally does (happen), it does feel good."

Former Rangers defenseman Mathieu Schneider had a goal and an assist while Jean-Sebastien Giguere made 32 saves for the Ducks.

Teemu Selanne also had an assist in his second game back, registering his 668th point with Anaheim - one shy of Paul Kariya's franchise record.

The win came after the Ducks participated in the tradition of championship teams meeting with the President of the United States. After picking up a 3-0 victory over the New York Islanders on Tuesday, the Ducks traveled to Washington to meet with President George W. Bush.

"Yesterday was a day that the guys that were part of the team last year, it's something that we're pretty proud of," Giguere said. "Not everybody gets to meet the President and go to the White House. When you win the Cup, it gives you that privilege.

"And I, personally, was pretty happy and proud to represent this organization and the NHL, to be able to meet the President and have a day that you really don't have to think about hockey."

On Thursday, the Ducks took command of the game midway through the second period.

"It was nice for us," Perry said. "It's been a busy few days, a lot of stuff jam-packed. It was nice to come out here and play a solid game, especially on the road and get a win."

"We've had a lot stuff going on on this trip," fellow All-Star Ryan Getzlaf added. "It's been a long trip in general, and then to have all the extra stuff, it's been tough. But I think our guys did a great job tonight."

Perry netted the go-ahead goal with 7:55 remaining, doing so just moments after Giguere denied Sean Avery. After Perry beat Rangers goaltender Henrik Lundqvist with a slap shot from the left faceoff circle, Kunitz scored on Anaheim's first power play, when he put the rebound of blue-liner Chris Pronger's slap shot past Lundqvist.

Kunitz's tally came just 13 seconds after New York defenseman Fedor Tyutin was whistled for hooking.

Todd Bertuzzi scored Anaheim's final goal with 7:38 remaining in the third. His tally, which marked the first time the Ducks reached the four-goal mark since January 18 at Minnesota, also occurred after Rangers defenseman Michal Rozsival and captain Jaromir Jagr committed a turnover in the neutral zone that led to an odd-man rush.

"If you look at the goals they scored, we made the mental mistakes," Rangers All-Star center Scott Gomez said. "When mistakes were made, they capitalized on them. They're a patient team until the other team makes a mistake."

Ryan Callahan scored for the Rangers, who have dropped two straight and are winless against the Western Conference (0-7-2). It was Callahan's first goal since the season opener on October 4.

"They had poise," New York coach Tom Renney said. "We need to work on it, and we need to work on it in a hurry. We're not going to win games by just playing hard and having good emotions and all of those types of things. We have to win by having poise and composure, whether you're winning or losing."

Lundqvist finished with 15 saves for New York, which lost its second straight following a three-game winning streak.

"I wish I could tell you," Lundqvist said. "But there are a lot of teams we've struggled against. But at least we're not discriminating."

Anaheim opened the scoring on its first shot as Schneider used a screen by tough guy George Parros in front of the net to beat Lundqvist with a long shot from the right point 10:36 into the contest.

The game was tied when Callahan fired a shot from the right circle that sailed over Giguere's head at 7:42 of the second as teammate Blair Betts was lodged in the crease.

That was the lone highlight of the night for New York, which remained in seventh place in the Eastern Conference - one point ahead of idle Boston. The Rangers, who were 0-for-4 on the power play, have not scored on 33 opportunities with the man advantage in their last eight home games.