ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — Ryan Getzlaf had a goal and an assist, John Gibson made 25 saves and the Anaheim Ducks snapped a three-game losing streak with a 4-3 victory over the skidding Vancouver Canucks on Wednesday night.
Ondrej Kase, Adam Henrique and Kalle Kossila also scored for the Ducks, who had lost 12 of 15 since the last time they scored four goals in a game back on Oct. 17.
Bo Horvat, Derrick Pouliot and Jake Virtanen scored in the Canucks' seventh consecutive loss. Jacob Markstrom stopped 32 shots as Vancouver failed to rally from a late two-goal deficit and remained winless since Nov. 8.
Anaheim has been struggling through the past injury-plagued month, but still collecting enough points to stay in the Pacific Division race. This win pushed the Ducks past Vancouver and into third place in the Pacific, just three points off the lead.
Getzlaf put the Ducks ahead in the first period with an unassisted backhand goal created by his own nifty puck-handling. The captain is Anaheim's leading scorer this season despite missing six games due to injury.
Pouliot evened it early in the second period with a one-timer on a slick cross-ice pass from Sam Gagner, who got his first point since returning to the Canucks. After scoring 31 points for Vancouver last season, Gagner was waived Oct. 1 and eventually sent to the AHL, only to be recalled last weekend when injuries decimated the Canucks' forward lines.
Kase scored on a pass by defenseman Josh Mahura, who earned his first NHL point in his second game.
The Ducks are playing without injured defensemen Hampus Lindholm and Cam Fowler, forcing them to use four rookie blueliners — including Mahura — who have all played in fewer than 50 career games. Anaheim hadn't used four rookie defensemen in the same game since the 1994-95 season, but coach Randy Carlyle must improvise in the absence of his two team leaders in minutes played.
Kossila put the Ducks up 4-2 midway through the third period when he converted a pass in the slot from Brian Gibbons for his first goal of the season and second of his NHL career. Gibbons' assist was his first point in 17 games with Anaheim.
Horvat scored his 11th goal on a deflection with 4:44 left to keep Vancouver in it.
NOTES: The Canucks are without five injured regulars, including star Brock Boeser, who missed his ninth straight game with a groin injury. ... Lindholm missed his second straight game with a lower-body injury. Fowler is out indefinitely with broken bones in his face after getting hit by a puck. ... Gibson was back after missing last Sunday's game against Colorado with an apparent case of the flu.
UP NEXT
Ducks: Host Edmonton on Friday.
Canucks: At San Jose on Friday.
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