Ducks get two more points with 1-0 win over Oilers

The Ducks only needed two goals to leave Alberta with four points in the standings.

John Gibson made 21 saves for his second consecutive shutout and fourth of the season and the Ducks extended their winning streak to three games with a 1-0 victory over the Edmonton Oilers on Thursday night.

Ryan Getzlaf scored for the Ducks, also 1-0 winners in Calgary on Tuesday night.

“We realize that sometimes the goals aren’t going to come in bunches and we’re playing well defensively right now and we don’t need that many goals,” Gibson said. “We kind of adapted that and hopefully we can keep it going.”

Anaheim is 4-1-1 in its last six games and evened its season mark at 15-15-6.

“Right now we’re not putting the pucks in the net, but we’re defending well and we’re getting great contributions from everybody,” Ducks Coach Bruce Boudreau said. “It’s one of those things where we could have scored four or five every night, but we’re not putting them in.”

The Oilers have lost four in a row and seven of their last eight.

“We had our chances, probably three or four really good ones, but they played well and blocked some shots,” Oilers forward Jordan Eberle said. “We knew how it was going to be. Cam [Talbot] gave us a chance to win and we couldn’t find a way to get one. Ultimately, you need a goal to win. You can’t win a hockey game if you don’t score.”

Getzlaf scored on a power play midway through the first period. The puck came loose during a scramble in front and Getzlaf was able to score only his third goal of the season on a backhand shot over Talbot.

Talbot finished with 30 saves.

The Ducks kept pressing, but Talbot was able to keep it a one-goal game, notably making a highlight-reel glove save on a point-blank shot by Sami Vatanen with five minutes left in the second period.

Anaheim held a 25-14 edge in shots after 40 minutes.

Edmonton came close with the extra attacker late in the third, but Shawn Horcoff hooked down Teddy Purcell in front to prevent a goal and the Ducks were solid in front of Gibson with the Oilers pressing on the power play.

“It was just a boring game,” Oilers forward Taylor Hall said. “We just couldn’t find our rhythm.”

DUCKS NEXT UP

AT VANCOUVER

When: Friday, 7 p.m.

On the air: TV: Prime; Radio: 830

Update: It will be a homecoming for Ducks defenseman Kevin Bieksa, who spent the first 10 years of his career with Vancouver before he was traded to Anaheim in June. He is expected to be recognized in a brief tribute in his first game back at Rogers Arena. Ducks rookie defenseman and British Columbia-born Shea Theodore is also expected to play his first NHL game in his home province. Vancouver was shut out for the fourth time in 11 games Monday against the Kings.

— Curtis Zupke