What we learned from the Ducks’ 3-0 shutout of St. Louis Blues
Can the Ducks duplicate the seven-game winning streak they compiled on the heels of a season-opening loss last season?
They’re only two victories away, with lowly Buffalo visiting Wednesday after getting out-shot 44-12 by Anaheim in New York on Oct. 13, followed by the Columbus Blue Jackets on Friday at Honda Center.
By shutting out the St. Louis Blues 3-0 Sunday, the Ducks are making strides in areas they maintained hope about, but were not banking on.
Takeaway No. 1: Sami Vatanen, at 23, is taking nicely to his role on the power play.
He scored two goals Sunday, the first a deep blast past Blues goalie Brian Elliott and the second following a superb pass from center Ryan Getzlaf, who has six assists through six games.
“Getzy made a great pass, but it was all about Sami going to the back door at the right time, that’s a hockey sense move,” Ducks Coach Bruce Boudreau said. “He’s getting better, and as he gets better, his confidence grows.”
Takeaway No. 2: Matt Beleskey’s offensive spark is a welcome complement to his gritty nature.
After getting injured last postseason, Beleskey worked not only on strengthening himself during the offseason, but on the art of shooting.
“Four nice goals,” Boudreau said. “He’s shooting more, has a great shot. Maybe he believes in his shot now where he never did before. He’s scored some great goals with that shot, and it’s catching a lot of people by surprise.”
Takeaway No. 3: Expect a different game Oct. 30 in Missouri. St. Louis was running on fumes Sunday.
“They looked quicker to pucks than we were,” Blues Coach Ken Hitchcock said of the Ducks. “They caught us on the back-to-back [after winning in Arizona on Saturday] and took advantage of it. I wasn’t happy with the way we played, period.”
Takeaway No. 4: Good things are happening when defenseman Cam Fowler is playing.
Fowler, in 20 minutes, 32 seconds of ice time, had a secondary assist to Getzlaf on Vatanen’s second goal, matching his career-high point streak at four, and was on the ice during all three of the Ducks goals.
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