Red-Hot Ducks Defeat Blackhaws 3-2 in Shootout

CHICAGO -- The Anaheim Ducks made their intentions clear Tuesday morning.

They wanted to spoil the Chicago Blackhawks’ homecoming party by becoming the first team to beat the NHL’s hottest team in regulation when the two met at a raucous United Center. In the end, the visitors accomplished half of their goal.

The Blackhawks (10-0-3) still haven’t been defeated in regulation this season, but did lose 3-2 to the Ducks in a shootout.

Corey Perry’s goal in the shootout was the clincher for Anaheim (9-2-1), which came into the game on nearly as impressive of a roll as Chicago, which got a goal from Jonathan Toews in the shootout but saw Viktor Fasth make big stops against Patrick Kane and Brandon Saad for the win.

Nick Leddy and Saad each scored in regulation for the Blackhawks, while Ryan Getzlaf and Andrew Cogliano found the back of the net for the Ducks, who forced the OT on Cogliano’s goal with 2:40 left in regulation.

After a scoreless first period filled with impressive saves by both goalies, Getzlaf was credited for Anaheim taking a 1-0 lead 3:33 into the second to cap an early power play with Viktor Stalberg in the penalty box for holding.

Getzlaf was actually looking to zip a pass across the crease to the back side of the net for Perry, but Blackhawks defenseman Brent Seabrook got his stick on the puck and deflected it past Corey Crawford.

It took a little less than seven minutes for Chicago to respond, but when it happened it was loud and furious.

Nick Leddy’s second goal of the season 17 seconds into a power play knotted it 1-1, but it was the sequence leading up to the advantage that got the home fans all riled up. After Blackhawks power forward Bryan Bickell leveled Getzlaf in the corner of the Ducks zone, Anaheim enforcer Brad Staubitz went right after Bickell and started throwing punches.

Each was given a fighting major, but Staubitz was assessed an instigating minor and a 10-minute misconduct to put the Blackhawks on the power play and set up Leddy’s momentum-changing marker with 9:37 left in the second.

Saad then followed it up with his goal, scored at even strength, 28 seconds later for a 2-1 Blackhawks lead. It was a wild sequence that resulted in a video review in Toronto over-ruling the call of no-goal on the ice.

In the third, it looked like the Blackhawks might make the one-goal lead stand up all the way to the final horn until Cogliano’s goal tied it back up 2-2. After forcing a turnover in the Chicago zone, Cogliano then went to the net while helmetless and tipped home a shot from the point by Ben Lovejoy.

Two penalties by Lydman -- the first with 10 seconds left in regulation and the second 2:08 into the OT -- gave the Blackhawks a couple of golden opportunities to end it on the power play, but Fasth and the Ducks defense forced the shootout.

The Ducks have now won three of their first four games in a season-long six-game road trip, have won six of seven overall, and earned points in six of seven road games so far.