With just six goals allowed in the last five games, the Ducks are suddenly in defensive mode.
In winning their sixth consecutive game Tuesday, 4-0 in Vancouver, Anaheim let just 17 shots reach goalie Frederik Andersen.
Andersen stopped each of them to tie Montreal’s Bill Durnan (1944) for the winningest start by a goalie in NHL history (47 wins in 63 decisions).
Defenseman Clayton Stoner launched his body forward to make a shutout-clinching diving takeaway of a puck in front of Andersen and Anaheim blocked 14 shots while performing precisely on the back end.
Takeaway No. 1: This was something to aspire to repeat.
The victory wasn’t against a team staggering through a back-to-back or a long road trip.
The Canucks were opening the second half from a lengthy break and sought to begin a six-game homestand impressively.
They took shots at the Ducks, at Ryan Getzlaf, Corey Perry, even Andersen, but nothing stuck, and Kyle Palmieri’s goal on a delayed penalty after Jannik Hansen decked Andersen from behind epitomized the visitors’ sturdy showing.
“When they hit [defenseman Hampus] Lindholm -- it didn’t matter who it was – Corey Perry was coming to help,” Ducks Coach Bruce Boudreau said. “The person who gets hit appreciates it and the rest of the bench stands up, they appreciate it too.
“Liking each other, they want to take care of each other and help each other.”
Takeaway No. 2: Ryan Kesler might be in some trouble for his team-building stand.
The Ducks center was convincing that he was just making a hockey play when he planted an elbow to the chin of Vancouver forward Derek Dorsett.
Kesler said nothing was malicious, and Boudreau added a new dimension to the oft-repeated, never-saw-it refrain when controversy strikes, saying he couldn’t watch the replay because the team’s “video guy had a baby yesterday."
“Can’t comment because I didn’t see it.”
Takeaway No. 3: Being multiple lines deep has rich benefits.
Kesler said he was impressed that center Rickard Rakell was able to show off his power-shooting ability on a third-period goal that beat Vancouver goalie Ryan Miller and clinched the outcome.
The Kesler line also had goals from Palmieri and Matt Beleskey.
“I’m a firm believer in you can’t have three guys and rely on them to win,” Boudreau said. “When you have secondary scoring, it makes it very difficult for the other team to put the defense pairing they want out against. All four lines had really good chances to score.”
Takeaway No. 4: All in all, the hot streak continues.
Forward Patrick Maroon half-kiddingly said earlier Tuesday that being on the first line with Getzlaf and Perry means all you have to do is “go to the net and get your stick down on the ice.”
Well, Maroon did so and still ruined two golden scoring chances by missing shots badly.
Maroon nevertheless has three goals and six points in the last four games after getting a third-period steal and flipping the puck to an empty net for the deciding margin.
Follow Lance Pugmire on Twitter @latimespugmire