What we learned from the Ducks’ 3-2 victory over the Boston Bruins

It wasn’t that the Ducks transformed from horrid to perfect in one night.

They allowed the Boston Bruins to take 34 shots, had 14 giveaways and were beaten in the faceoff battle.

But they won, 3-2, ending a grisly two-game stretch in which they surrendered 10 goals to the Chicago Blackhawks and San Jose Sharks and gave off indications more bad things would happen to a team missing three of the defensemen it started the season with.

Takeaway No. 1: They can adjust.

When Anaheim managed only seven first-period shots on the returning President’s Trophy winners, it responded in the second period by sending more bodies at Bruins goalie Tuukka Rask.

Defenseman Sami Vatanen, now with six goals, was there to follow a Patrick Maroon shot 57 seconds after Boston took a 1-0 lead, calmly sliding the puck off his skate to the net.

In the final minute, new center Devante Smith-Pelly delivered a one-handed deflection of a Cam Fowler shot to take a 2-1 advantage.

“It’s huge, that’s a really good team. We played a full 60 minutes tonight,” said forward Matt Beleskey, who notched his career-high 12^th goal in the third period.

Takeaway No. 2: Memorable seasons require career years.

Beleskey’s in the midst of his. The forward who scored 11 goals in 2009-10 is adding “scorer” to his past play descriptors of “energetic” and “grinder.”

His 12^th goal came off a faceoff won by first-line mate Ryan Getzlaf, with Beleskey rifling the puck between two Bruins and out of Rask’s reach.

“I’m getting lots of good looks, just trying to get shots off,” Beleskey said.

Someone asked Ducks Coach Bruce Boudreau if Beleskey is making a home with Getzlaf and Corey Perry on the line.

“On our team? There’s never a home,” Boudreau said. “A couple tents are up, but I don’t know if it’s a home.”

Takeaway No. 3: Stop if you’ve heard this before, but some defensemen may be banged up.

Boudreau said after the game he’ll get updates Tuesday on Vatanen and Eric Brewer, who were left with “bumps and bruises.”

“We blocked a lot of shots [28] and it was a hard-fought game,” Boudreau said. “A lot of guys at the end were sore.”

Takeaway No. 4: Enough’s enough.

No one felt the sting of the recent barrage of goals like goalie Frederik Andersen, who not only is missing his scheduled platoon mate John Gibson, but found out Sunday that backup Jason LaBarbera was hurt.

No relief was coming -- the Bruins would be Andersen’s 12^th consecutive game – and none was sought.

“It’s fun,” Andersen said after the 32-save showing that featured three penalty kills and three breakaway denials.