St. Paul, MN (SportsNetwork.com) – Ryan Kesler had two goals and an assist as
the Anaheim Ducks nabbed a 5-4 win over the Minnesota Wild on Friday.
Tim Jackman posted a goal and an assist while Jakob Silfverberg and Matt
Beleskey each scored for the Ducks, who have won their past three. Frederik
Andersen allowed four goals on 25 shots.
Mikko Koivu, Zach Parise, Justin Fontaine and Jonas Brodin all scored for the
Wild, who were coming off a win over Montreal on Wednesday. Darcy Kuemper
allowed all five goals on 18 shots.
Minnesota went up 4-3 on Fontaine’s goal at 2:07 in the final period, a slap
shot from the right wing for his second of the year.
Anaheim, though, tied the game just 90 seconds later as Jackman’s shot from
the low left circle snuck past Kuemper.
Just under five minutes later, the Ducks took the lead for good as Ryan
Getzlaf sent a backhand pass from the left side of the net to the low left
circle where Beleskey’s one-timer found the back of the net for a 5-4 lead.
Minnesota pulled Kuemper from the net after the goal and Niklas Backstrom held
the fort, stopping three shots the rest of the way.
The Wild, though, were unable to net the equalizer as the Ducks escaped with
the victory.
Anaheim scored just 1:31 in as Kesler buried a wrister on a short break, and
it was a 2-0 game at 11:44 of the first as Andrew Cogliano swept the puck on
net from the right side and Silfverberg snapped home the rebound.
The Ducks took a 3-0 lead at 2:28 of the second when Kesler came down the
middle and drifted to the right where he beat Kuemper with a wrister under the
glove.
Minnesota, though, scored a pair of power-play goals separated by 11 seconds
as Koivu scored on a 5-on-3, when his shot from a sharp angle at the right
side hit off the skate of a Duck and went in. Parise then scored shortly after
the faceoff when he skated down the left wing and snapped a wrister between
the legs of Andersen.
Brodin tied the game with 2:11 to play in the second as his heavy wrister from
the slot went through a screen and into the right corner for his first of the
season.
Game Notes
Anaheim forward Corey Perry left the game with a lower-body injury halfway
through the first period … Minnesota defenseman Ryan Suter missed a second
straight game with the mumps … Anaheim plays at Winnipeg on Sunday …
Anaheim took a 2-1 win at home against Minnesota on Oct. 17.
