Ducks are sunk by Jonathan Toews’ goal in overtime

All that open ice in the NHL’s new three-on-three overtime suits Jonathan Toews and the Chicago Blackhawks quite nicely.

Toews scored 51 seconds into the extra period, Corey Crawford made 39 saves and the Blackhawks beat the Ducks, 1-0, Monday night in a rematch of last season’s Western Conference finals.

Crawford earned his second consecutive shutout and 14th of his career as the Blackhawks closed out a 4-0 homestand.

The Ducks were shut out for the second consecutive game and became the first NHL team since the New York Americans in 1930-31 to be shut out five times in their first eight games of a season. Frederik Andersen finished with 23 stops.

“It’s the best game we’ve played all year,” Ducks Coach Bruce Boudreau said.

Crawford denied Ryan Getzlaf before Toews got a pass from Patrick Kane and beat Frederik Andersen over his left shoulder, making Chicago three for three in overtime this season.

“It can go either way,” Toews said. “Huge stops by our goaltender, we get an opening, there’s one defensive mistake, and they’re easy to make three on three.”

Chicago became the first team to win consecutive games by a 1-0 score in overtime with the same goal scorer and goaltender.

The Blackhawks appeared to have the go-ahead goal with 5 minutes 35 seconds to play in the third period, but Artemi Panarin’s shot was waived off because Andersen knocked the net off its moorings before the puck crossed the goal line.

“That’s something every goalie does now. They use the posts to give them balance,” Andersen said. “The rubber thing inside the post just kind of gave away.”

The Ducks had only six goals in their first seven games, and four of those came in their only victory, at home against Minnesota on Oct. 18.

They had an opportunity to score early in the second period against Chicago but Corey Perry shot one off the inside of the left post. He also was stuffed by Crawford at the right post about a minute into the third period.

Chicago had similar problems generating offensive chances.

Andersen denied Toews at the end of the first period, and Ryan Garbutt whiffed on a potential rebound. Andersen also stopped Patrick Kane and then Andrew Shaw during one sequence while the Blackhawks had a power-play opportunity in the second period.