Ducks’ pressure sinks the Blues

The Ducks’ dedication to pressuring the opposing goaltender is an asset that can help them overcome defensive lapses, a goalie’s rough night and other blemishes.

Such was the case Saturday night when that relentlessness led to three goals within a two-minute span in the second period.

That comfort around the crease then paid the additional dividend of an extended shootout victory, delivering a 6-5 road victory over the St. Louis Blues at Scottrade Center.

The Ducks (8-2-1) claimed the shootout victory, 4-3, when Nick Bonino briefly pulled back the puck while gliding toward goaltender Brian Elliott, then slid it through Elliott’s legs on what was his first career shootout attempt.

Despite the bumpy ride of giving up five regulation goals, Viktor Fasth improved to 5-0 in five starts, stopping Patrik Berglund on a shot to Fasth’s right to set up Bonino’s winner.

Berglund was whistled for interfering with Fasth in overtime, negating an apparent winning goal by Ian Cole.

Ducks veteran Teemu Selanne, playing beyond how a 42-year-old should, paced the team’s push with three assists and a goal.

Bobby Ryan scored twice for the Ducks and capped the three-goal binge in the second period by duplicating an earlier scoring partnership with linemate Selanne.

“Bobby is a hell of a player … always open and dangerous,” Selanne said.

In the shootout, the Ducks’ Corey Perry and Ryan Getzlaf scored to keep the team alive for the two points it claimed while the Blues fell to 6-4-1.

Selanne started the second-period onslaught, gathering a loose puck in the Blues’ end that the Ducks fought gallantly to keep alive, then swatted it past Elliott’s left side.

The veteran’s five-point night gives him four goals and nine assists through 11 games.

Andrew Cogliano tied the score 45 seconds later by gathering a shot that deflected off Elliott and banking it past him to the net.

Before that, the effect of a postgame scolding from Coach Bruce Boudreau after the Ducks surrendered two first-period power-play goals while losing at Dallas on Friday appeared to have a dubious effect in what became a 3-1 deficit.

The Ducks on Saturday declared that Jonas Hiller, who began the season as the starting goaltender, was sidelined and day to day after experiencing a lower-body injury in the first period of Friday’s 3-1 loss at Dallas.

The Ducks summoned goaltender Jeff Deslauriers from their minor league Norfolk affiliate and sent defensemen Sami Vatanen and Jordan Hendry to Norfolk.

Pugmire reported from Southern California.