Fasth impressive in another shootout win for Ducks
ANAHEIM -- Viktor Fasth described it as one of the challenges of the game.
"As a goalie, you want to get shots," Fasth said. "That's why you're in the net. But as long as we get the win I don't care if I get three shots or 39 or whatever. You have to stay focused the whole time."
Corey Perry produced the game-winner in a shootout as the Anaheim Ducks earned a 4-3 victory over the cross-town rival and defending Stanley Cup champion Los Angeles Kings before an announced sell-out crowd of 17,494 at Honda Center on Sunday.
"They've been playing well," Perry said of the Kings, who had won five of seven entering the contest. "Everybody knows they're hitting their stride. We knew it was going to be an emotional game out there. When you can come away with a big win like tonight, it's huge."
No player was bigger than Fasth, who stopped 35 shots for the Ducks (26-8-5), who never trailed, but who couldn't keep the Kings down until the shootout. Jonathan Bernier finished with 19 saves for the Kings (22-13-4).
"We protected the house pretty good and that's what you have to do against these guys," said Fasth, who is 5-1 in shootouts this season. "They're a pretty physical team and they're really skilled. I'm really glad we got the win."
The Ducks (26-8-5) prevailed despite playing again without Ryan Getzlaf, the team's leading scorer and captain. Getzlaf missed his second consecutive contest with a right leg injury, suffered in Wednesday's 5-2 victory over the Dallas Stars. He is listed as day-to-day. His availability for Monday's contest against the Edmonton Oilers is unknown.
The Ducks, who have taken two of three from the Kings, grabbed a 3-2 lead when Matt Beleskey tapped in a loose puck just outside the crease on a power play at 4:54 of the third period. But like they had each time the Ducks scored in regulation, the Kings rallied.
Dustin Brown answered with his 15th goal by knocking in a pass from Anze Kopitar by Fasth with 3:45 left in the third to knot the score at 3. It stayed that way until Perry lifted Anaheim in the shootout.
"I think we dominated the whole game," said Drew Doughty, who scored a power-play goal in the loss. "The only thing that is frustrating is we only get one point rather than two. We definitely deserved the two points. We outplayed them. I think there's no doubt in anybody's mind about that.
"It sucks that we kind of had them if we won that game. We would have been only six points behind them and we had a chance to catch them. But we gave up the two to them and now it's a little more difficult."
Anaheim took a 2-1 lead late in the second period, when Andrew Cogliano found Perry alone behind the Kings' defense. Perry slapped a shot past Bernier with 48 seconds remaining for his 13th goal.
The Kings, though, tied it again just 18 seconds later when Jeff Carter tipped in a pass out of the air from Mike Richards for his 23rd goal, tops on the Kings.
The Ducks struck less than three minutes into the contest as Kyle Palmieri scored on an assist from Beleskey and David Steckel for a 1-0 lead at 2:54 of the first period. It was Palmieri's ninth goal of the season.
A power-play goal by Doughty at 5:59 of the second period tied the score at 1-1.
"Second game on a back-to-back I thought we played solid," Kopitar said. The Kings defeated the Edmonton Oilers on Saturday. "We played physical and competed. We battled back against a good team. It's unfortunate we didn't get the fourth point in two nights, but there's another one on Tuesday."
NOTES: The regular-season finale between the two clubs is April 13 at Los Angeles. ... Carter has scored five goals in the last six games. ... After compiling a franchise record 13-game winning streak at home, the Ducks have dropped five of seven at Honda Center, Friday's 3-1 loss to the Stars being the latest setback. ... Anaheim leads the all-time series with the Kings 49-40-22. The Ducks are 29-13-13 at home against the Kings. ... The Kings remained a point ahead of San Jose in fourth place in the Western Conference race. ... The Ducks went undefeated at home against the Kings for the first time since the 2007-08 season, when they finished 4-0.
