Ducks’ top line makes it a memorable night in 4-2 win over Blues

The Ducks had long ago designated Sunday as “Corey Perry Night” to honor the right wing for leading the NHL in goals and being voted the league’s most valuable player last season.

Seeing the Rocket Richard and Hart trophies at Honda Center apparently reminded Perry that at the pace he was setting this season, he’d see those trophies again only if he paid his admission at the Hockey Hall of Fame.

Perry, center Ryan Getzlaf and left wing Bobby Ryan, blanked in the Ducks’ first three games, recorded their first points of the season Sunday in the team’s 4-2 victory over the St. Louis Blues. Perry scored the Ducks’ first power-play goal in 16 tries, Ryan contributed two goals and an assist, and Getzlaf set up each of his linemates as the Ducks (3-1-0) recorded their second-best record after four games in franchise history. Their best start was 3-0-1 in 2006-07, which launched them toward the Stanley Cup.

“We need the points now,” said Perry, who scored from close range off a feed from Teemu Selanne at 3 minutes 40 seconds of the third period, the second of three goals in a span of 4:53.

“We don’t want to be pushing, coming from behind in February, trying to get a playoff spot.”

Ryan, Getzlaf and Perry were all blanked in the first three games last season too. That turned around well enough for all of them — Perry scored 50 goals, Ryan had 34 goals and a career-high 71 points and the injury-plagued Getzlaf had 76 points in 67 games — but they were determined not to put themselves on another difficult comeback trail.

“You always grip the stick a little tighter and you force things a little bit,” Ryan said. “We talked. Our line has gone inconsistent in the past. We always found ways to break through. Thankfully, we did it on an important night to finish off this quick, little homestand and get that extra two points.”

Goaltender Jonas Hiller, beaten on a second-period deflection by Patrik Berglund and a sharp-angle shot in the third period by Alex Steen, stopped 28 shots Sunday. His goals-against average is 1.71 and his save percentage is .934, nearly erasing memories of the vertigo symptoms that hampered him during the second half of last season.

Also on the plus side for the Ducks: they’ve given up only seven goals in their first four games, the fewest they’ve given up over the first four games in their history.

“We’re doing a better job taking care of our own zone, which is leading to more time in the offensive zone,” Getzlaf said. “And that’s definitely something we’ve got to pay attention to and continue along those lines.”

There were mistakes and lulls on both sides. The Ducks scored first, at 2:20 of the first period, when Ryan went to one knee in the left circle to convert the rebound of a shot by Francois Beauchemin as a Blues penalty expired. St. Louis tied it at 5:43 of the second period after a giveaway by Beauchemin.

But Beauchemin’s blast from the left point got through traffic and goaltender Jarosalv Halak at 1:31 of the third period to put the Ducks ahead for good. Perry made it 3-1 and Ryan padded that to 4-1 on a shot that trickled through Halak’s pads and was reviewed to affirm that it completely crossed the goal line.

Steen closed the gap at 9:38, but the Ducks held on, glad they could ride their top line’s breakthrough to a solid start.

“But we’re not finished,” Getzlaf insisted.

At least the ceremonies honoring Perry are finished. “Geez, I can’t handle another one of those,” Getzlaf said.

If it means another scoring spree, the Ducks might consider making those celebrations regular events.

helene.elliott@latimes.com

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