Anaheim, CA (SportsNetwork.com) – Corey Perry scored the game-winning goal
with 8:25 to play in the third period to lift the Anaheim Ducks to a 2-1 win
over the Minnesota Wild in their home opener on Friday.
Andrew Cogliano scored a short-handed goal to tie the game early in the third
and Frederik Andersen stopped 27-of-28 shots for Anaheim, which won its
fourth straight game.
Jason Zucker netted Minnesota’s lone marker and Darcy Kuemper, who posted
back-to-back shutouts against Colorado to start the season, had his shutout
streak end at 163:46 after allowing two goals on 26 shots.
Perry pounced on a Wild turnover in the high slot and had his initial
offering turned aside by Kuemper. Nate Thompson gathered the rebound at the
side of the net and dished the puck across the crease to Perry, who deposited
it into the open net.
The Wild pulled the goalie with over a minute left in regulation, but failed
to find the back of the net.
After a scoreless first period, Zucker’s wrist shot from the left circle beat
the glove of Andersen just inside the far post to give the Wild a 1-0 lead
2:08 into the second.
Thomas Vanek took a pass from Jared Spurgeon and crashed the net, but was
stopped by the toe of Andersen on a Minnesota power play to keep it a one-goal
game early in the third.
Moments later, Cogliano took the puck off the boards in the neutral zone,
raced in on a breakaway from the left side and backhanded a shot over the
glove of Kuemper for a short-handed equalizer 4:02 into the third.
Game Notes
Kuemper’s shutout streak set the franchise record, passing Niklas Backstrom’s
mark of 157:44 in 2011 … Perry extended his point streak to five games,
totaling five goals and two assists to start the season … Anaheim has won
six of the last seven games dating back to the start of the 2012-13 season.
