CHICAGO – Viktor Fasth made two stops in the shootout to remain perfect in six starts and the Anaheim Ducks beat the Blackhawks 3-2 on Tuesday night in a matchup of the top two teams in the Western Conference.
After Jonathan Toews converted the first shootout attempt for the Hawks, Fasth stopped Patrick Kane’s backhander and denied Brandon Saad on the right side of the goal to become the first goalie to win his first six NHL starts since Dan Ellis with Dallas and Nashville from Feb. 18, 2004, to Nov. 29, 2007.
Nick Bonino and Corey Perry scored in the tiebreaker for Anaheim, which improved to 3-1 on its season-high, six-game road trip. Ryan Getzlaf and Andrew Cogliano scored in regulation.
Brandon Saad and Nick Leddy had the goals for the Hawks, which remained the only NHL team without a regulation loss. Corey Crawford made 29 saves in the first home game for the Blackhawks in two weeks.
The Hawks were in front 2-1 before Cogliano sent a deflected shot into the left side of the net with 2:40 left in the third after he had his helmet knocked off. It was the second goal in the last two games for Cogliano, and his second on the year.
The Blackhawks were on the power play for almost four minutes in overtime but couldn’t get the winning goal. Fasth made a nice stop on Patrick Sharp’s slap shot and a glove save on Marian Hossa to send it to the shootout.
Getzlaf put the Ducks in front with a power-play goal in the second, but the momentum shifted after Hawks forward Bryan Bickell leveled Getzlaf midway through the period. Brad Staubitz immediately jumped on Bickell to defend his teammate.
He got a few punches in before Bickell took him to the ice, and the Blackhawks quickly jumped on Fasth for a pair of goals in their first home game since a 2-1 victory over Detroit on Jan. 27.
With Staubitz in the box serving an instigating penalty, Leddy sent a slap shot off the right post and into the goal for his second of the season at 10:17.
Saad then came down and sent a leaping wrister toward Fasth as he was going to the ice.
The puck went off Fasth’s left shoulder and started trickling down his back. Luca Sbisa went to the ice to try to stop it from crossing the line as players from both teams flocked into the goalmouth.
After a lengthy replay review, the officials announced the puck had crossed the line before the goal was knocked off its posts. As the Blackhawks celebrated Saad’s second of the year, Ducks coach Bruce Boudreau listened to an explanation from the referees.
It looked as if that goal would be the difference until Cogliano tied it up in the third. He also scored in Anaheim’s 6-5 shootout win at St. Louis on Saturday.
Notes: F Daniel Carcillo skated again Tuesday morning, and coach Joel Quenneville said he might able to practice with the Blackhawks this week. Carcillo hasn’t played since he injured his right knee in the season opener against the Kings ... Ducks G Jonas Hiller also skated Tuesday and remains day to day with a lower-body injury. ... Chicago won three of four meetings with Anaheim last season, including both games at home.
