Giguere Up to the Task

Steve Rucchin credited goalie Jean-Sebastian Giguere with making the Mighty Ducks’ victory look easy.

Giguere made 34 saves and Rucchin had two third-period goals and an assist Friday night to lead the Mighty Ducks over the Chicago Blackhawks, 5-2.

“It wasn’t really a 5-2 game,” Rucchin said. “It was a lot closer. They had a lot of good chances. Once again our goaltender, as he has been since the All-Star break, was responsible for our getting two points.

“We had a pretty good team effort, but it wasn’t pretty. We found a way to win, or basically J.S. found a way for us to win.”

Petr Sykora, Sergei Fedorov and Rob Niedermayer also scored for Anaheim, which won its third in a row. The Mighty Ducks are 9-3-1-1 in their last 14 games.

Chicago rallied from a 2-0 deficit to tie it midway through the second period.

“We played well in the first period and then we kind of went to sleep in the second,” Mighty Duck Coach Mike Babcock said.

Niedermayer’s goal with 3:33 left in the second gave the Mighty Ducks a 3-2 lead. Then Rucchin -- with help from linemates Vaclac Prospal and Joffrey Lupul -- secured the victory in the third.

“I talked to Ruch and his line about their last game,” Babcock said. “We didn’t think they were very darn good actually. They responded.”

Chicago’s Eric Daze, playing his first game since undergoing back surgery on Dec. 3, had a goal and an assist. Deron Quint also scored for the Blackhawks, who are winless in their last five.

Daze’s goal was his first this season. He has sat out 63 games because of a herniated disc in his lower back.

“Offensively, I thought we had enough that we could have won,” Daze said. “but defensively we struggled.”

Michael Leighton made 31 saves, several on rebounds and close-in chances.

Sykora opened the scoring 1:14 into the first period. After Chicago defenseman Jim Vandermeer lost the puck in the slot, Sykora moved in alone on Leighton and fired in a low shot.

The Ducks improved to 8-19-3-4 on the road.