Blackhawks Just What Ducks Needed

Down in the dumps? Feeling sluggish? Need a jolt of energy?

Never fear, the Chicago Blackhawks were here. The Mighty Ducks certainly took advantage of all the Blackhawks had to offer, which was plenty, en route to a 4-2 victory Friday.

The Ducks outworked and worked over the Blackhawks, last in the Central Division with 13 points, almost from start to finish.

The Ducks gave up the first and last goals of the game, but in between they dominated the Blackhawks before an announced crowd of 15,264 at the Arrowhead Pond.

“It could be the best team game we’ve played this season, right on down the line,” center Steve Rucchin said. “Look at Stu Grimson and Niclas Havelid. We’ve got two in a row now.”

That’s two victories in a row without right wing Teemu Selanne, who was sidelined for a third consecutive game because of a groin strain. And two in a row without left wing Paul Kariya scoring a goal.

As Rucchin said, this was a total team victory.

Grimson bloodied Chicago’s Ryan VandenBussche in a one-sided fight in the third period, their second bout of the game and Grimson’s third rumble Friday. Havelid scored his first NHL goal, which gave the Ducks a 3-1 lead early in the second period.

And there was more.

Kariya’s assist on Fredrik Olausson’s power-play goal late in the second period was his 400th point. Mike Leclerc, playing his first game since undergoing elbow surgery Oct. 29, had a first-period assist.

Rucchin, breaking a 13-game goal drought, and Marty McInnis also scored for the Ducks. Goalie Guy Hebert made 30 saves and reached the .500 mark at 8-8-1.

“I think it’s another step forward, which is always good,” Coach Craig Hartsburg said after improving to 4-1-1 against the team he coached from 1995-96 to 1997-98.

“We were better tonight than against Calgary [a 2-1 victory Wednesday that ended the Ducks’ three-game losing streak]. We’re not satisfied, but it’s a step in the right direction.”

The Ducks can thank Chicago for an assist Friday. After falling behind, 1-0, on Tony Amonte’s goal 2:34 into the game, the Ducks pounced on every Blackhawk mistake and built a 4-1 lead before Doug Gilmour’s goal at 11:27 of the final period.

Chicago’s shortcomings were on full display, particularly during the first two periods. The Blackhawks’ goaltending let them down twice in the first period.

First, McInnis whistled a slap shot from the top of the right faceoff circle past Jocelyn Thibault for the equalizer at 4:20 of the first period. To be sure, it was a blistering shot, but Thibault seemed to be caught flat-footed on the play, failing to cut down the angle.

Next, Thibault left a puck behind his own net for a Chicago defenseman. Rucchin arrived first, then whipped the puck off Thibault and into the net for a 2-1 Duck lead at 12:27.

“I’ve been complaining lately that I haven’t had any luck around the net,” Rucchin said at game’s end. “I’ll definitely take it, though.”

The Blackhawks lost their smarts in the second period, taking a foolish penalty while already shorthanded.

With Boris Mironov in the penalty box for drawing a double high-sticking penalty against Kariya, Dean McAmmond slashed defenseman Olausson far away from the play.

Olausson made the Blackhawks pay, accepting a pass from Kariya and blasting a one-timer past Thibault for a 4-1 lead at 18:59 of the second period.

“Huge,” Hartsburg said of the Ducks’ second power-play goal in as many games. “We’ve got to make people pay the price when they take penalties against us.”

Havelid’s goal didn’t come while the Ducks were on the power play, but it might as well have. The Ducks buzzed the Chicago net with Mironov in the box for boarding Pascal Trepanier.

The Ducks maintained their pressure after Mironov exited the penalty box and it led to Havelid’s first goal.

“Sometimes you don’t score on power plays, but they give you momentum,” Hartsburg said. “[Havelid’s goal] was a good goal for us because it gave us a lot of energy.”