The Anaheim Ducks beat Vancouver 6-5 in a shootout on Thursday, handing the Canucks their first home loss since Jan. 31.
Corey Perry scored in regulation and had the deciding goal in the shootout as the Ducks maintained their drive to secure a playoff spot with their eighth win in nine games.
Anaheim goaltender Jonas Hiller stopped the Canucks’ third shootout effort.
PHOTO: EPA
The Ducks (40-32-6) are seventh in the Western Conference by a margin of one point with four games left, while Vancouver (42-25-10) clinched a playoff spot by virtue of the overtime loss and are tied for third.
“There were a lot of odd things going on out there,” Ducks coach Randy Carlyle told reporters. “I’m sure that both coaches won’t be happy with the number of goals that were given up. We were trading chances. We can’t play that type of game.”
In a matchup of two of the hottest teams in the NHL, both squads raced out to produce five goals apiece in the first two periods.
Bobby Ryan and Teemu Selanne each scored twice for Anaheim, while five different players scored for the Canucks.
After taking a 2-0 lead in the first period, Anaheim surrendered four unanswered goals, capped by Daniel Sedin’s 31st of the season that gave Vancouver a 4-2 lead at 5:18 in the second.
Henrik Sedin, Kyle Wellwood, Alexandre Burrows and Ryan Kesler also added goals for the Canucks, who lost for the first time in four games.
“Obviously Anaheim is a very good team offensively and they made us pay every time we made a mistake,” Canucks defenseman Kevin Bieksa said.
BLUES 5, RED WINGS 4
At Detroit, Michigan, David Backes scored a career-high four goals, including the go-ahead score with 4:07 left, in surging St Louis’ victory over the home team.
Andy McDonald also scored and Chris Mason made 34 saves.
Nicklas Lidstrom had a goal and two assists while Pavel Datsyuk, Johan Franzen and Niklas Kronwall each had a goal and an assist for Detroit, which lost its third straight and fourth in five games.
Backes broke a 4-4 tie by scoring on a one-timer from the bottom of the left circle.
FLAMES 2, STARS 1
At Dallas, Miikka Kiprusoff made 29 saves while Jarome Iginla and Craig Conroy scored to help Calgary clinch a playoff spot with a win over Dallas.
With a playoff spot assured, the Flames can focus on gaining home ice in the first round.
HURRICANES 4, RANGERS 2
At Raleigh, North Carolina, Chad LaRose and Rod Brind’Amour scored 28 seconds apart late in the third period of Carolina’s club-record 10th straight home victory.
In other games it was:
• Canadiens 5, Islanders 1
• Sharks 2, Oilers 1
• Bruins 2, Senators 1
• Coyotes 2, Kings 1
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