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Getzlaf helps Ducks douse red-hot Flames

Nov 3, 2008 - 4:53 AM By Craig Shultz PA SportsTicker Contributing Writer

ANAHEIM, California (Ticker) -- Ryan Getzlaf recorded a goal and an assist as the Anaheim Ducks snapped the six-game winning streak of the Calgary Flames with a 3-2 triumph on Sunday.

Ryan Carter and defenseman Chris Pronger also tallied and Jean-Sebastien Giguere finished with 34 saves for Anaheim, which posted its eighth straight regular-season home victory over the Flames - dating back to April 4, 2004.

Curtis Glencross and Todd Bertuzzi scored and captain Jarome Iginla notched two assists for Calgary, which suffered its first defeat since a 3-2 setback to the Edmonton Oilers on October 18.

Miikka Kiprusoff finished with 34 saves for the Flames.

"The puck's going in the net," Getzlaf said of both his and the team's recent success. "The puck is going in the net for everybody. It's not like we're doing a whole lot differently. It's just the way things go.

"When you're struggling a little bit, you're hitting posts, you're hitting this and that. I thought we worked through it well as a group and rebounded tremendously. That's the big thing that we're doing right now is everybody is rolling and contributing. We're a confident team right now, so we're playing like it."

Getzlaf opened the scoring 1:46 into the first period after depositing a rebound over the right shoulder of Kiprusoff. The goal was his fourth of the season and extended the center's scoring streak to six games.

After starting with four straight regulation losses, the Ducks have benefited from their top line of Getzlaf, Corey Perry and Chris Kunitz which has have helped them go 7-1-1 in their last nine games.

"They're getting inside and they're creating chances, and when you have the amount of skill that they have, those things will eventually turn the tide in their direction," Anaheim coach Randy Carlyle said.

Pronger and Carter scored 45 seconds apart to give the Ducks a three-goal advantage.

Pronger wristed a shot past Kiprusoff just 83 seconds into the second period and Carter scored from in close shortly thereafter.

Carter picked up a rebound in the crease following a nifty move by Brian Sutherby for his second goal of the season.

"We were up 3-0 and it seems that after that, we sat back on our heels and watched them play a little bit," Giguere said. "All around it was a good effort, but I think we need to get comfortable playing with that kind of lead."

Calgary coach Mike Keenan said the Flames didn't have the work ethic needed to start the game.

"The intensity level wasn't high enough for a team as good as the team we were playing," Keenan said.

"I thought we made a game of it, but we want to win the game," Iginla said. "They came out strong and got up 1-0 after the first. In the beginning of the second, they went bang, bang. We got our legs moving, skating and moving harder and we got on them. I thought we were going to pull that one out. It was tough to see our streak end, but we've got to be sharper off the start."

Calgary got on the scoreboard after Glencross accepted a feed in front and spun to his left to put it into a empty side at 10:28.

"We won the draw back to the point and (Adrian) Aucoin made a nice shot getting it through to the net," Glencross said. "(Iginla) made a nice tip, I was just in the goalie's face and the rebound was there, so I put it in the open net."

Bertuzzi, who spent last season with Anaheim before having his contract bought out, scored a power-play goal at 1:40 of the third, skated up the middle before deking Giguere for his seventh goal of the season.

"(Daymond) Langkow gave me a pass, I just ended up splitting the D, walked in on 'Jiggy' and slid it in backhand," Bertuzzi said.

Calgary defenseman Dion Phaneuf said the team played harder to finish the game.

"When you dig yourself a hole in this league against a team that is very good defensively, you can't expect to come out all the time," Phaneuf said. "Did we get better during the game? Yes, but we dug a hole and couldn't get out."

The Ducks didn't want to talk about their home success against the Flames.

"I don't believe in streaks," Getzlaf said. "Every team is different every year, so it's not like it's the same group every year. It's just the style we're playing right now."

"I don't talk about streaks or prosperity against certain teams because it will come back to haunt you," Carlyle said. "I've been involved with this game for a long time and we'll just take what we get and be thankful that we were able to have some success."