What we learned from Ducks’ shootout win over the Detroit Red Wings

What looked like another distress signal in the Ducks’ quest to show mettle against a quality team turned into a beacon of a possible turnaround.

Down 2-0 and outshot 22-10 by the visiting Detroit Red Wings through two periods Monday night, the Ducks scored three goals in a 3-minute, 40-second span of the third period and emerged with a 4-3 shootout victory.

This wasn’t last-place Carolina or Edmonton — two of Anaheim’s three wins in eight games since Feb. 6.

On the heels of losses to playoff pursuers Chicago, Washington and Tampa Bay over the last few weeks, the Ducks stared at a real test.

Detroit entered Honda Center surging toward a division title and was 11-3-1 in its previous 15 games before Monday, showing the ability that motored that run in building the lead through 40 minutes.

Here are four takeaways from the Ducks’ comeback win:

1: Francois Beauchemin leads by word and example.

The Ducks’ defenseman has filled the absence of injured offensive-minded defenseman Sami Vatanen by matching his career-best goal streak of three games. He has points in five of six games.

“It’s not necessarily the goals, it’s the leadership he’s showing that’s really been inspiring the last three games,” Ducks Coach Bruce Boudreau said as Anaheim has escaped a 3-7 rut in which they gave up four goals in seven of 10 games.

Beauchemin delivered four hits and blocked three shots in addition to scoring with 7:03 left in the third period.

2: The Ducks’ best punches are thrown with Ryan Getzlaf and Corey Perry together on the first line.

Boudreau tinkered again with Perry, who’s goalless in four games and had no shots in Saturday’s victory in Edmonton.

This time Perry dropped to the third line with center Rickard Rakell and went shotless until Boudreau put him back on the first line with Getzlaf.

His energy picked up with a shot on goal and another wide as the Ducks outshot Detroit, 14-11, in the third, and Getzlaf skated hard to hang on to a puck he backhanded to Beauchemin for the lead.

“It gives them a different look, [Detroit] has to adapt,” Cogliano said.

3: John Gibson can win a shootout.

In his first career bonus session, the 21-year-old goalie let one of three shots past him.

“First career? I’m glad things worked out for him — good save on the third [shot]” by Detroit’s goals leader Tomas Tatar, Boudreau said.

4: Every Anaheim shootout needs to include a shot by Jakob Silfverberg.

The forward is now 9-for-13 on shots after overtime, and his goal after Perry’s on Monday proved decisive.

The Ducks, in addition to being 26-0-7 in one-goal games, are 13-2-6 in overtime/shootout contests.

Follow Lance Pugmire on Twitter @latimespugmire