Ducks defeat Canucks, move closer to playoff position

ANAHEIM -- The Anaheim Ducks moved closer to a playoff position with a 3-0 win against the Vancouver Canucks at Honda Center on Wednesday.
The Ducks (35-24-12) are tied with the Los Angeles Kings for third place in the Pacific Division and with the Colorado Avalanche for the second wild card into the Stanley Cup Playoffs from the Western Conference. The Kings and Avalanche each have a tiebreaker over the Ducks.

John Gibson made 32 saves for his third shutout of the season and 15th of his NHL career to help the Ducks end a three-game losing streak (0-3-0).
WATCH: [All Canucks vs. Ducks highlights]
Brandon Montour had the first two-goal game of his NHL career, and Jason Chimera scored his first goal for the Ducks since his trade from the New York Islanders on Feb. 26. Chimera also assisted on the first goal by Montour.
"We've got to feel good about ourselves because we weren't feeling very good after the three games that we lost," Ducks coach Randy Carlyle said.

Jacob Markstrom made 34 saves for Vancouver (25-37-9), which has lost five straight, the last three by shutout. The Canucks haven't scored in the past 212:09.
The Canucks and Arizona Coyotes were eliminated from playoff contention with the Ducks' win.
"You have to stick together and stick with it. We have to keep pushing," Canucks forward Brandon Sutter said. "This is where you build your character."
Montour gave the Ducks a 1-0 lead at 2:26 of the first period. He worked a give-and-go with Chimera, passing the puck from the top of the right circle to Chimera below the goal line and then cutting to the net. Chimera passed the puck back to Montour and he lifted it over the right shoulder of Markstrom for his seventh goal and first since a 3-2 win against the Florida Panthers on Nov. 19.
The Ducks weren't able to capitalize on a double-minor high-sticking penalty by defenseman Derrick Pouliot on Chimera at 6:23 of the first period. Markstrom made three saves during the power play.
"That's a big killer when you are down a goal and you get a double-minor called," Vancouver coach Travis Green said. "Our guys did a good job on it."

Gibson made his best save of the first period on a redirection from the slot by Nic Dowd at 14:23, and Michael Del Zotto hit the left post on a point shot at 14:47.
"We weren't under siege for extended periods, but we still have work to do because we gave up too many scoring chances," Carlyle said.
Chimera stretched the lead to 2-0 at 13:44 of the second period. Dowd misplayed the puck along the boards in his zone, and Anaheim forward
Chris Kelly
knocked him to the ice as he tried to locate the puck. Kelly quickly passed to Chimera, who scored on a one-timer from the left face-off circle.
"You want to score goals and help the team out and not just coexist," Chimera said. "It's nice to be on the scoresheet."
Montour made it 3-0 with a power-play goal with 43 seconds left in the third period.
"We didn't have a few good [games] and this time of the year you can't have those," Gibson said. "It was nice to bounce back and get a big win tonight. Hopefully we can carry that into the rest of the homestand."

Goal of the game

Montour's goal at 2:26 of the first period.

Save of the game

Gibson's glove save on
Reid Boucher
at 6:14 of the second period.

Highlight of the game

Chimera's goal at 13:44 of the second period.

They said it

"I loved our effort tonight. We had quality looks and were just unable to score. There's a lot we can take from this, but ultimately it's about winning and we haven't been doing that." -- Canucks defenseman Michael Del Zotto
"Anytime you pitch a shutout you have to credit the hockey club, and it starts in goal and you build from your defense. We were much more mobile with the puck and much more involved up on the play." -- Ducks coach Randy Carlyle

Need to know

Vancouver was last shut out in three straight games from March 18-22, 2016 against the Edmonton Oilers (2-0), St. Louis Blues (3-0) and Winnipeg Jets (2-0). That stretch was part of its longest scoring drought in history (234:52). … The Canucks have 110 shots on goal since last scoring. … Gibson is 9-3-1 since the All-Star break, with an NHL-leading .943 save percentage. … Montour has four game-winning goals this season, third among NHL defensemen behind Alex Pietrangelo of the St. Louis Blues and Mikhail Sergachev of the Tampa Bay Lightning, who each have five.

What's next

Canucks: Host the San Jose Sharks on Saturday (10 p.m. ET; CBC, SN, NBCSCA, NHL.TV)
Ducks: Host the Detroit Red Wings on Friday (10 p.m. ET; SN1, FS-W, FS-D, NHL.TV)