Ducks Win Again While Getzlaf Sits

Preview: Vancouver Canucks (11-6-2) at Anaheim Ducks (14-3-1) The Vancouver Canucks are in town for the first meeting of the season and as new Pacific Division rivals for the Anaheim Ducks. It will be the first of five matchups between the Ducks and Canucks this season with three taking place at Honda Center. Last season the Ducks won two of the three meetings with Vancouver including a 3-1 win in the most recent contest on Apr. 25 in Toronto. The Ducks enter the game tonight riding a four-game win streak, and a streak of eight consecutive games earning a point. Anaheim looks to remain the only team without a loss at home (7-0-0). Despite how well the Ducks have played, Coach Bruce Boudreau is still not completely satisfied. “We can be a lot better,” Boudreau said. We showed 14 clips this morning of us not doing the right things in our own zone.” The Canucks come in losing two of their first three games on their current four game road trip, including a 5-1 rout by the Los Angeles Kings on Saturday night. Tonight will mark the end of the Ducks short three game home stand as they will head back out on the road for a four game road trip following the game. In a last second move Ducks captain Ryan Getzlaf will be scratched from the game due to an upper-body injury. Center Mathieu Perreault will get the opportunity to start on the Ducks top line in place of Getzlaf.   Injury report: Anaheim: Saku Koivu (head) out Jakob Silfverberg (hand) out Matt Beleskey (finger) out Sheldon Souray (wrist) out Viktor Fasth (lower body) out   Vancouver: Dale Weise (lower body) out Jannik Hansen (upper body) out Jordan Schroeder (ankle surgery) out David Booth (lower-body) out   Game: The Ducks did not look as stout as they have this season in the early going against Vancouver, but were much more physical and stayed discipline throughout the first period. Anaheim also had a power play opportunity but they were unable to score. The Canucks would outshoot the Ducks 13-5 in the first period, but Ducks goaltender Frederik Andersen continues to play well in net for Anaheim to keep the game scoreless at the first intermission. The second period started with Vancouver going on the power play just 30 seconds into the second period when Cam Fowler committed a slashing penalty. The Canucks would get a few good looks including a point blank opportunity that slid through the feet of Francois Beauchemin right in front of Andersen who made a great save to keep the game scoreless. The scoreboard looked very empty to what Ducks fans have become accustomed to until midway through the second period. Corey Perry would score at 8:30 when a shot from Beauchemin bounced up in the air off of goaltender Eddie Lack. Perry would grab the puck out of mid-air and drop it to the ice before squeezing his stick in behind Lack to tap the puck the rest of the way into the net to give the Ducks a 1-0 lead. Tom Sestito would score at 14:09 on a perfect far side ice pass from Brad Richardson. Sestito would beat Andersen far side by knocking the puck off the post and into the net, tying the game at one. Beauchemin was called for high sticking at 15:54 to give the Canucks another power play opportunity before the end of the second. The Ducks would kill the penalty once again. The Ducks would not wait to answer the Canucks goal that tied the game. Nick Bonino scored at 19:01 off a perfect pass from Emerson Etem that gave Bonino an easy tip in goal in front of a nearly wide open net. The Ducks may be fortunate to hold a 2-1 lead over the Canucks heading to the third. Andersen has been forced to make 28 saves through two periods as the Canucks have outshot the Ducks 29-16. Anaheim will need to play better defense to keep the pressure off of Andersen despite his brilliance in net if they want to hold on to the win. The third period started with a Vancouver penalty when Chris Tanev shot a puck over the glass earning a delay of game penalty. The Ducks power play was unable to expand their lead however as both teams have tightened up their defense and have limited shots on goal in the third. The entire third period was a defensive battle and the Canucks were unable to tie the game. The Canucks were forced to pull their goalie in an effort to tie the game, but the Ducks would ice it with an empty net goal by Andrew Cogliano at 19:39 of the third to win the game 3-1. Both teams struggled on the power play going 0-2 in the game. Andersen carried the Ducks on his back to the win tonight. It’s not often the Ducks were outshot in a game this year but Vancouver was able to put pressure on Anaheim that they have not been accustomed to. Andersen’ 35 saves allowed the Ducks to seal the win with the late goal.   The Ducks will fly out to begin another road trip that starts Tuesday night Nov. 12 against the Carolina Panthers.   Fred McCarthy @FMcSocalsports