Ducks have plenty in reserve and win, 2-1

Before they renew acquaintances tonight in Phoenix with their affable and eccentric former teammate Ilya Bryzgalov, the Ducks were happy to show the reason why they were willing to make the popular backup goalie expendable in November.

Looking more comfortable as he gets used to the NHL game, Jonas Hiller stepped in for an ill Jean-Sebastien Giguere on Friday night against the Chicago Blackhawks and led the Ducks to a 2-1 win at the Honda Center.

The Ducks (21-17-5) did what they were supposed to do in defeating a reeling Blackhawks team that has eight players on injured reserve, including standout winger Martin Havlat and dynamic rookie center Jonathan Toews.

Corey Perry and Chris Kunitz scored first-period goals to provide the offense. But it was Hiller’s ability to make the early lead stand up that proved pivotal.

Hiller was sharp as he made 20 saves and was a difference-maker in the first period as he saved the Ducks from several defensive lapses. The biggest saves came when Adam Burish and Robert Lang were foiled on point-blank chances,

“I think tonight was an example of having a really good goaltender step in for Jiggy when he can’t play,” Ducks defenseman Sean O’Donnell said. “There were five or six real nice saves Jonas made, certainly in that first period. After we scored to make it 1-0 they should have had two or three goals on that one shift and Jonas made some great saves.”

It was needed as Chicago’s Nikolai Khabibulin was equally strong with a 30-save performance that kept the score close. And it was the reason why the Ducks were ultimately comfortable with putting Bryzgalov on waivers, enabling a division rival such as the Phoenix Coyotes to snap him up.

All Hiller gave up was a rebound goal by Patrick Sharp early in the second period.

“We’re lucky that we have the caliber of goaltending that we have,” Ducks Coach Randy Carlyle said. “Jonas Hiller is a guy that the organization felt would be able to come in and provide us with NHL goaltending. Tonight, he proved that. He’s going to have to prove it all along.”

Hiller also received some good fortune. Lang rang a shot off the left post in the second period and Rene Bourque ripped a one-timer off the crossbar midway through the third.

And there were the final seconds when Hiller kept his cool as the Blackhawks swarmed the net with Khabibulin pulled for an extra attacker.

“I was just looking for the puck and trying to close the bottom of the ice,” Hiller said. “I’m happy it didn’t go in. Sometimes you need a little luck as a goalie and I had that tonight.”

The Ducks needed only 16 seconds to establish control. Sean O’Donnell one-timed a pass from Ryan Getzlaf wide of the net but before Khabibulin could make a play on the puck, Perry jumped on it and poked in his team-leading 21st goal.

“We try to get off to a good start every time,” Perry said. “Sometimes, it doesn’t work out that way. It bounced right back from the boards pretty quick. He played the shot and it just came right back to me. He was far out from his net like he’s supposed to be and it was just one of those bounces that came out hot.”

Perry didn’t stop there. With 47 seconds left in the period and Blackhawks rookie Kris Versteeg in the penalty box for hooking, the winger took a pass from Scott Niedermayer and flipped a backhand shot toward the net.

Kunitz put up a strong screen in front of Khabibulin and got his stick on Perry’s shot to deflect it in for only his second goal since Dec. 7, also in a victory against Chicago.

TONIGHT

at Phoenix, 6, Ch. 56

Site -- Jobing.com Arena.

Radio -- 830.

Records -- Ducks 21-17-5, Coyotes 20-18-1.

Record vs. Coyotes -- 1-1-2.

Update -- Phoenix has won three in a row and seven of 10. Ilya Bryzgalov is 11-8-1 with a 2.22 goals-against average and a .928 save percentage since the Coyotes claimed him off waivers from the Ducks on Nov. 17.

eric.stephens@latimes.com