Ducks' Gibson stellar in shutout of Blackhawks
ANAHEIM, Calif. -- Goaltender John Gibson stopped 37 shots to earn his sixth shutout of the season in the Anaheim Ducks' 4-0 rout of the Chicago Blackhawks on Thursday night at the Honda Center.
Corey Perry, Ryan Kesler, Rickard Rakell and Chris Wagner scored for the Ducks (45-23-13), who won their third successive game and 10th in the past 13.
Goalie Corey Crawford made 22 saves for the Blackhawks, who have lost three in succession and five of seven. Chicago (50-23-8) finishes the regular season Saturday night in Los Angeles, and a victory against the Kings would set a team record for road wins with 25.
With the Stanley Cup playoffs starting next week, the Blackhawks rested defensemen Duncan Keith and Brent Seabrook, center Jonathan Toews and right winger Marian Hossa.
The two teams, both division leaders, previously clinched playoff berths, and the Blackhawks are the Central Division champs.
Perry's power-play goal gave the Ducks a 1-0 lead 6:53 into the game. Sami Vatanen began a sequence of quick passes by sending the puck from the blue line to Rakell at the bottom of the left circle.
Rakell one-timed a pass to Perry near the crease and Perry deflected the puck inside the right post for his 19th goal. Chicago coach Joel Quenneville challenged the call, which video reply upheld.
The Blackhawks had a chance to tie the score with about 4 1/2 minutes left in the second period but Gibson used his right leg pad while prone to block Tomas Jurco's wrist shot at the left post. Jurco started the scoring chance by passing to Nick Schmaltz as he fell after catching an edge on the ice, then received Schmaltz's return pass.
About a minute and a half after Gibson stopped Jurco, Wagner used his sixth goal to extend Anaheim's lead to 2-0. Ondrej Kase received Logan Shaw's pass behind the net, eluded Blackhawks defender Michal Rozsival and passed to Wagner, who converted a wrist shot between Crawford's spreading legs at 17:08 of the second period.
Kesler added his 22nd goal 4:42 into the third period. Andrew Cogliano backhanded a pass from behind the net to Kesler, whose rising wrist shot in front of the crease settled under the crossbar.
Rakell's team-high 33rd goal finished the scoring with 5:17 to play. Positioned in the slot, Rakell deflected Ryan Getzlaf's shot from the blue line.
NOTES: Chicago scratched D Duncan Keith, D Brent Seabrook, RW Marian Hossa, C Jonathan Toews and LW Vinnie Hinostroza. ... The Blackhawks recalled D Gustav Forsling from Rockford (AHL) on Wednesday. ... Blackhawks C Artem Anisimov will not join the team for its regular-season finale Saturday night in Los Angeles. Anisimov is skating in Chicago after injuring his left ankle March 14. ... Blackhawks D Niklas Hjalmarsson remained in Chicago to attend to his pregnant wife. ... Ducks GM Bob Murray said before the game that D Cam Fowler will be out 2-to-6 weeks. Fowler sustained a knee injury after a hit from Calgary Flames D Mark Giordano on Tuesday night. ... Besides Fowler, Anaheim scratched D Hampus Lindholm, D Korbinian Holzer, RW Jared Boll and C Nate Thompson. ... Ducks D Jaycob Megna made his NHL debut after being recalled from San Diego (AHL) earlier Thursday.