Recap: Power Play Stars in 5-1 Ducks Win Over Ottawa

ANAHEIM - On Star Wars Night at Honda Center, the Ducks probably weren't using The Force, but they certainly had the power.

Anaheim had a trio of power-play goals on its way to a 5-1 rout of the visiting Ottawa Senators, a third straight win for the Ducks that pushed them to the top of the Pacific Division.
Five different Ducks scored goals, including Corey Perry, Antoine Vermette and Sami Vatanen on the man advantage, and 13 different players had points while Anaheim held the Senators to just 22 shots on the night.
"We came out energized and ready to play," Perry said. "Everyone here knew what was at stake. It was our last one before we go out on the road for a tough stretch."
As part of the Star Wars Night festivities, fans were able to meet and pose for photos with several characters from the movies, and there was Star Wars-themed entertainment inside the arena throughout the game. The on-ice action was pretty thrilling for the home fans from the start, as the Ducks got on top just 2:58 after the opening puck drop as rookie Joseph Cramarossa punched in a rebound off a Josh Manson shot.

Ottawa tied it on the power play when former Duck Bobby Ryan made a beautiful cross-crease pass from the corner that Ryan Dzingel one-timed home, but that would be the last given up by goalie John Gibson on the night (21 saves).
Anaheim went back in front on a power play of its own when Perry swept in a rebound off a Cam Fowler shot. After going 18 games without a goal, it was Perry's second in the last three and his first this season on the power play.

"We were ready from the start with our power play," Perry said. "That was a big part of our game. We moved the puck pretty well, got some traffic and got some rebound goals. That's what you have to do on the power play."
Another power play put the Ducks in front 3-1 with 46.7 second left in the period, as Rickard Rakell shuttled the puck across the crease, and Vermette threw it off Senators defenseman Cody Ceci and over the stripe.
"We know the importance of the power play, and we pointed it out before the game," Vermette said. "Special teams make a difference in the game. Usually you don't get too many chances, so you want to make sure you capitalize on those. Those goals came in handy for us."
The two-goal lead became three courtesy of Nick Ritchie's seventh of the season, scoring on the 3-on-2 rush off a Vermette feed.

Vatanen made it 5-1 on Anaheim's third power-play goal of the night, chipping in a rebound after Ryan Kesler accidentally blocked Perry's shot with his skate in the crease.
"We took yesterday as a maintenance day and it provided us with energy today," Ducks head coach Randy Carlyle said. "When we respect the opposition, we know there aren't any easy ones in the NHL. We have to be ready with our best early. When we're good and effective, we can build off of it. We wanted to have a strong first period and give ourselves a chance with a strong start."
It was the last chance to see the Ducks at Honda Center for more than two weeks, as the team heads out on a six-game road trip that starts Tuesday in Dallas. Anaheim returns home December 27 vs. the Sharks.
"We're in a good spot coming off these wins at home," Ritchie said. "We're at the top of the division now, and it's time we start separating ourselves."