Errorless Ducks Win Third Game in a Row

The Mighty Ducks got it right this time.

Six times they had a two-game winning streak. Five times they were denied a three-game streak. Four times they embarrassed themselves with dismal showings.

But the Ducks made no mistakes in winning their third in a row Friday--a 2-0 victory over the oafish Chicago Blackhawks before an announced crowd of 12,632 at the Arrowhead Pond.

The Ducks last won three in a row during a franchise-record seven-game streak from last Feb. 20 through March 7. They last were three games above .500 on April 11, when they were 35-32-12.

Suddenly, but not all that surprisingly, the last-place Ducks are within striking distance of the Pacific Division leaders.

Dusting off the Blackhawks, last in the Central Division, wasn’t much of a feat, but it was the Ducks’ 16th victory and 37th point.

The Ducks (16-13-4-1) are three points behind division-leading San Jose, two behind Phoenix and the Kings and tied with Dallas in the NHL’s most-competitive division.

Goalie Guy Hebert stopped 21 shots and earned his third shutout, the 25th of his career. Defensemen Niclas Havelid and Ruslan Salei scored second-period goals for the Ducks.

Meanwhile, Chicago gave itself another black eye while attempting to give the Ducks one. Or five.

The Blackhawks lived up to their reputation as one of the league’s roughest teams.

But their latest actions worthy of review by NHL punishment czar Colin Campbell came from one of their few skillful players. In fact, Bryan Lewis, the league’s supervisor of officials, witnessed the game from the Pond press box.

Duck defenseman Pascal Trepanier hit Chicago winger Tony Amonte with a tough, but clean check in open ice midway through the second period. Both players fell heavily to the ice.

Amonte got to his skates first, then cross-checked a prone Trepanier in the head. Trepanier’s helmet was askew when Amonte struck him.

No penalty was called at the 11:20 mark. Trepanier left the game and did not return after “having his bell rung,” according to a team official.

Later, in the game’s final minutes, Amonte slammed Duck captain Paul Kariya face-first into the glass, drawing a boarding penalty. Kariya was not injured.

The Ducks’ idea of a payback for Amonte’s first dubious play was to score twice in the next 3:14.

First, Havelid put a quick flip from near the left point through traffic and past goaltender Jocelyn Thibault for a 1-0 lead at 12:35.

Center Steve Rucchin set up the play by winning a faceoff from Steve Sullivan, then moving to the front of the net to screen Thibault. Rucchin was originally credited with the goal, but it was later determined Havelid’s shot made it into the net without getting redirected.

Havelid’s goal was his second in the NHL, both coming against Chicago.

Next, Salei capped a sequence of quick one-touch passing for a power-play goal and a 2-0 lead at 14:34.

Winger Ted Donato sent the puck from the right wing to center Matt Cullen at the goal line. Cullen whipped a pass from the right side to a hard-charging Salei, who was moving in from the left point.

Thibault had no chance to stop Salei’s one-timer.

It was Salei’s second goal and third point in four games after going 19 games without a point to start this season.

The third period loomed as another example of Coach Craig Hartsburg’s defense-first hockey. It can be tedious stuff at times, but the Ducks have become pretty good at it of late.

The Ducks went into Friday’s game having given up two or fewer goals in 11 of the last 13 games.