The Ducks keep rolling.  Even when they have a hiccup here and there, they manage to regroup, recover and end up with two points at the end of an evening.

The latest two points came in a 3-2 victory over the Columbus Blue Jackets.  This was their fifth win a row and it did not come easily.

After returning home from a six game road trip, Anaheim had a rough start against Columbus.  Their legs were not there and the Blue Jackets dominated for most of the first period.  Fortunately Jonas Hiller, who was back in net 10 days after having strained his groin against Dallas, was up to the task and kept the Ducks in the game until they could wake up.

Vinny Prospal got the Blue Jackets on the board at 3:30, with an assist to Prospal's face.  It could easily have been a much higher score, but Hiller was motivated to be in top form.  A very successful Viktor Fasth breathing down Hiller's neck is good motivation.

"We could have been down 4-0 after the first 10 minutes, but (Hiller) kept us in there until we battled back," said coach Bruce Boudreau. "His athleticism was great. Some of the saves he made, he shouldn't have made. But he did, and that was what we saw last year from January through March, and that's what makes him a great goaltender."

In the middle of the first period, Peter Holland was called for an interference penalty.  The Blue Jackets got a questionable call as time was winding down on the power play, so both teams spent the last :23 seconds playing 4 on 4. 

When Holland was sprung from the penalty box, Ben Lovejoy and Bobby Ryan did a great job getting the puck to Holland.  Holland took off down the ice and made a beauty of a shot that landed behind Igor Bobrovsky.  Tie game.

:21 seconds later, Ryan Getzlaf got a puck through traffic and through Corey Perry's legs to make it 2-1 at 16:17.

It was clear the Ducks finally woke up.

"They paly a hard game, dump the puck into the zone and get after it," said Perry.  "We weren't ready the first ten minutes, but then we found our legs."

And as usual, the Ducks did not panic.

Holland called it "a quiet confidence."  The kind of confidence that you know that even if you are down, you can still come back and you will come back.  

Columbus gave the Ducks a good run for their money, though.  They continued to push hard and dominate for parts of the remaining game.  Anaheim stood firm, though.

Perry got his third of the year on the power play at 8:44 of the third period to give the Ducks a two goal lead.  They needed it.  Derrick Brassard made it 3-2 at 12:06 and the Ducks could not sit back.

In the end, they held on for the regulation win, despite Perry being in the box late and Columbus having a 6 on 4 advantage with an empty net at the other end. 

"We knew it was going to be a tough test coming off of a successful road trip," said Perry.  "It’s not easy when you come home and you have to play two nights later. We did what we had to do tonight and we got away with two points."

Now after winning five in a row, the Ducks will have five days off to recover a bit before their next game against Colorado on Sunday. 

Hopefully Cam Fowler will be able to rejoin the line up.  Fowler is now skating again with the team after suffering a mild concussion on February 2. 

After an amazing start to his NHL career, Viktor Fasth was named the NHL second star of the week for the week ending February 17. 

In that time, Fasth was 3-0-0 with a 1.89 goals against average and a .935 save percentage.  Those wins against Chicago, Detroit and Nashville, while on the road, have helped the Ducks get to an 11-2-1 start.  Their Pacific Division lead is six points.

Fasth improved to 8-0-0, becoming the third goaltender in League history to win his first eight or more decisions.  Ray Emery went 9-0-0 with Ottawa from 2003-2005 and Philadelphia's Bob Froese was 8-0-0 in 1983.

The 30-year-old native of Kalix, Sweden, signed with the Ducks as a free agent in May 2012 after garnering Swedish Elite League Goaltender of the Year honors the previous two seasons.

He is too old to qualify for the Calder trophy as rookie of the year, but he certainly continues to turn heads and is providing a solid net presence for Anaheim.

John Tavares, who plays for the New York Islanders, got the number one star of week honors.  Jiri Tlusty, with the Carolina Hurricanes, came in third.

It is unknown if Fasth will start in net against the Columbus Blue Jackets on Monday or if Jonas Hiller will be back in.  The Ducks are finally back at home after a six game road trip that went 5-1-1, their best ever in franchise history. 

Somehow Anaheim keeps finding a way to get the job done and win games.  The persevering Ducks finished up their six game road trip with a 3-2 shootout win over Nashville, giving them a 5-1-0 record on the trip, their best road trip in franchise history.

It was the second of back to back games, and the Ducks were clearly tired.  Nonetheless, they dug deep, got great goaltending from Viktor Fasth (again), and pulled off yet another win in a building that has not been very friendly to the team.

"Finding ways to win," said Nick Bonino, who was successful for the third time in a row during a shootout.   "It's the easiest way to put it."

Doing enough of the good things, was how coach Bruce Boudreau put it.  Enough of those good things paid off.

The Ducks took too many penalties that were an obvious show of fatigue on the road weary team.  They had good enough penalty kill to kill off all five of them.  That included a too many men on the ice penalty with less than a minute remaining in the game that turned into a 4 on 3 in overtime.

Their best penalty killer was Fasth, who stopped 32 shots in his eighth win in eights starts.  He is just one more starting win away from the record of nine wins in nine starts that Ray Emery accomplished in 2005-2007 with Ottawa.   

“It’s the team effort that counts,” said Fasth humbly.  “I’m not going to stand here and just talk about myself. I mean, it’s a team sport. If the guys don’t play good in front of me, I can’t play good. And the other way around. It’s a team game.”

Yes, it is a team game, but there are some nights where your goaltender steals you a couple of points.   Without Fasth, the Ducks would not have fared so well in Nashville.

David Legwand had an easy tap in goal at 13:31 of the first period to put the Predators on the board first. 

Matt Beleskey tied up the game at 17:25 with his second goal in as many games.  Beleskey has been on the top line with Corey Perry and Ryan Getzlaf, and for a guy who was expected to be the forechecker and the guy who did the dirty work, he has been a pleasant scoring surprise.

Beleskey's goal was the first that Pekke Rinne had allowed in 155 minutes.

The Predators took back the lead at 9:31 of the second period.  Shea Weber got his first goal of the season and he looked as happy and relieved as Perry did the night before in Detroit. 

Rookie Patrick Maroon, who was recently called up from Norfolk, got his first ever NHL goal at 16:08 to tie up the game.   Maroon was on the fourth line, which still had a jump in their step, somthing missing from the rest of the Ducks.  Maroon was able to score in front of his family, who came from St. Louis to watch him play in person. 

The Ducks (and Fasth) were able to hold on to the tie and took the game to overtime.  Instead of really attacking the Ducks, the Predators were more cautious and once again the Ducks took a game to overtime and a shootout.

Fasth was able to stop two of Nashville's shooters, while Bonino and Perry got their shots behind Rinne to win the game.

The Ducks now get to come home and rest (a little).  They play Columbus on Monday at the Honda Center and then have five days without a game on the schedule.  That could be good (recover) or they could lose some of the very good momentum that they have built up. 

Jonas Hiller was able to back up Fasth against Nashville and could find himself in net against Columbus. 

With these Anaheim Ducks, apparently all things are possible, even winning at Joe Louis Arena.    The Ducks finally got their fourth regular season win (after a mere 37 attempts) with a 5-2 defeat of the Red Wings.

Red Wings fans were not very happy about that.  They are used to seeing their home team trounce upon the Ducks.    That is to be expected.  The last time Anaheim came into their building and won was February 10, 2008.  Before that?  March 19, 2002.  

"They're a depleted team, so you can't overlook that," said Bobby Ryan. "It's just one of those buildings that sucks the life out of you. It's hard to get ready and the whole building is hot -- you're falling asleep before the game sometimes."

Did it help that the Red Wings no longer have the services of Nicklas Lidstrom and Tomas Holmstrom, who both retired?  Or that Pavel Datsyuk was scratched from the line up minutes before the game, adding to the already long list of injured Wings?  Probably.

However, the way these Ducks are playing, they would have gotten a win anyway.  It just would have been a bit closer in the score.

Even though it was scoreless in the first period, Jimmy Howard deserved much of the credit for keeping Anaheim off the board.  Howard was very, very good, stopping 32 shots, half of them in the first period alone.

Detroit managed to get on the board first at 3:01 of the second period.  Joakim Andersson got his first ever NHL goal. 

The joy was short lived as Matt Beleskey firmly answered back just :26 seconds later to tie up the game.  Ryan Getzlaf's no-look pass found Beleskey in front of the net, who happily slammed the puck behind Howard.

Tomas Tatar put the Red Wings back on top at 6:32 with a power play goal, but that was all they could muster against Viktor Fasth.    Fasth got his seventh start in goal and his seventh win, stopping 26 shots.

As it was earlier, the Detroit lead did not last long.  Corey Perry tied things up once again at 7:37 with his second goal of the year.  Perry has been snakebit for the past 13 games, so the relief on his face was evident.

Things finally broke open in the third period.  Both Andrew Cogliano and Ryan took advantage of bad turnovers by Detroit and scored :48 seconds apart.   Ryan did so on his knees.

The Wings could not come back, despite a couple of power plays and good short handed chances.   A bold move by coach Mike Babcock to remove Howard from net for the extra attacker with nearly 2:30 minutes left only yielded an empty net goal from Cogliano at 18:11 to seal the Ducks fate.

"We don't get down on the bench," Perry said. "We stay positive. Guys are still playing the same way. We don't change anything. If we continue to do that, we're going to be successful." 

The Ducks have a 10-2-1 record thus far, and are 4-1-0 on this road trip with one game left against Nashville on Saturday night.  Another difficult building for the Ducks to play in.

Fasth will likely be in net due to Jonas Hiller's extended time off due to a groin injury.  With the way Fasth has been playing, Anaheim has the luxury of making sure Hiller is 100% before returning to his duties.

"(Fasth) has been our most valuable player," Ryan observed. "He has come in and given us a chance to win every game. He's a true professional."

Next chance comes quickly in the back to back and final road game of this trip.  Their chances are getting better with every game.

Although Rickard Rakell impressed the Ducks enough in their mini training camp to stay for a few regular season games, the party is over.  Rakell, 19, was not eligible to be sent to the AHL, so he was sent back to his junior team. 

"Once you get a taste of it here, you always want to stay," said Rakell. "I think this could a be a good way for me. We can have a good run with Plymouth and we‘ll see what happens after that. I’m just going to focus on keep working out, keep trying to get better.  I feel like I’m close. Just little details that I have to work on. I hope I’ll be back soon."

Rakell played in four games and had a -2 rating with no points.  It is a good sign that he made the team at this age and he will only improve.

In other news, the Ducks are happy that goaltender, Jonas Hiller, is rapidly improving from his lower body injury.  He injured himself on Friday against Dallas, lasting only one period in the game before Viktor Fasth took over in relief.

Hiller has been skating and practicing with the team and could be ready to go on Friday against Detroit or Nashville on Saturday.

“I’ll have to see how it feels later today if it starts tightening up again,” said Hiller after the morning practice. “I felt pretty good. I definitely hope I’ll be able to play on the weekend. At the same time, I don’t want to rush it just to be back.  I’m happy so far. It feels better. It’s nice to be back on the ice.”

Finally, the Ducks have recalled Patrick Maroon and Peter Holland from Norfolk.  They join Nate Guenin, who was called up earlier in the week.

On the road, going into Chicago to play a team that remains undefeated in regulation, you would think the Ducks would have been nervous and intimated.  They weren't.   Instead, the Ducks held their own against the best team in the NHL and came out with a 3-2 win in a shootout. 

"It was pretty much a test for us to see where we stand," said goaltender Viktor Fasth. "I think we showed ourselves that we are a really good team and we can beat every team in the league."

Having Fasth in net for the Ducks has certainly helped that endeavor.  Fasth has won all six of his starts and is getting more time in net because Jonas Hiller remains out with a lower body injury.  Even if Hiller were 100%, Fasth has more than earned his net time. 

"His demeanor is so calm and he settles everything down when he's on top of his game," said coach Bruce Boudreau.  "He instills confidence in the players in front of him."

There is no question that Anaheim is playing with confidence these days.  They beat the St. Louis Blues in a shootout on Saturday after being down 3-1.  They had to come back in this game as well.  Instead of crumbling or giving in, they have persevered and are being rewarded for their patience and hard work.

After a scoreless first period, the Ducks got on the scoreboard first with a power play goal from Ryan Getzlaf at 3:33.  Technically Brent Seabrook had an assist, but they don't usually credit the other team for the opponent's goal.   It was the first shot that got behind Corey Crawford and was nearly the only shot to make it past the tenacious netminder.

Chicago tied up the game on a power play goal of their own from Nick Leddy at 10:17.  They took the lead thanks to Brandon Saad on a weird goal less than :30 later. 

Saad got the puck on net and as it headed over the goal line, the net was knocked off its moorings.  Fasth was at the bottom of a huge pile up in the crease and it was unclear if the puck actually crossed the line.  The ruling on the ice was no goal.

After a long video review in Toronto, it was determined that the puck actually did cross the line before the net was knocked off the moorings completely.   Although the net was technically still connected to the posts, it was bending backwards, in process of dislodging.  Nonetheless, the goal stood, whether or not Anaheim agreed with or liked the ruling.

"That was a tough pill to swallow," said Andrew Cogliano, who tied up the game with less that three minutes remaining in the third period.  "But the main thing is we kept going and got [the win]."

Kept going they did.  They threw everything on Crawford, but only Cogliano's shot squeaked past. 

The Ducks were kept on their heels when Toni Lydman was assessed a penalty with just :09.8 seconds remaining in the game.  After killing that off as a 4 on 3 in overtime, Lydman almost immediately returned to the box with a high sticking penalty.  The Ducks were able to kill off both penalties successfully (thank you Fasth!) and took the Blackhawks to a shootout. 

It was the second shootout in a row for the Ducks and they were just as successful this time as they were against the Blues.  Nick Bonino, who had the game winner in the shootout on Saturday, got the first nod for the Ducks and is now two for two in the shootout.  Corey Perry also got his shot in over Crawford.  Fasth, who could not stop Jonathan Toews shot, was able to stop the next two shooters and the win was Anaheim's. 

Anaheim is now 3-1-0 on this road trip with two more tough games ahead before they can go home.  Detroit is up next, a building where they have won only a handful of times in the regular season.  Literally.   In 20 years, they are 3-25-8 at Joe Louis Arena.

Maybe having Fasth in net will make it four.  If the Ducks keep playing this well, anything is possible.

You could describe the game between the St. Louis Blues and the Anaheim Ducks with a lot of phrases and words.  Wild.  Unpredictable.  Back and forth.  High scoring.  Error filled.  Wacky.    The ones the coaches would use would be more colorful.  

The most important description?  Ducks win 6-5 in a shootout.   

From the way it began, you would not have guessed that was how it would end up.

St. Louis continued to dominate with their deadly power play.  They have a 36.6% success rate thus far - scoring more than one in three attempts.  Against the Ducks, they were two for two.

Their first opportunity with the extra man got them on the board with Alexander Steen slipping his shot through Viktor Fasth's five-hole at 6:21. 

Anaheim, who spent the first half of the period playing in their own end, finally leveled a shot on goal at Brian Elliot at 11:09.  The puck went in the net and Bobby Ryan had tied up the game.

David Backes helped St. Louis take back the lead at 15:30 and David Perron gave them a two goal lead at 19:26.   It was the first time Fasth had relinquished more than one goal in a game.

In the second period, the Blues continued to come out swinging and then things tilted for the Ducks.    Knowing that Elliott has been less than stellar in net, Anaheim took aim and fired.

Teemu Selanne scored at 12:40, Andrew Cogliano at 13:25 and Ryan got his second of the game at 14:21 to not only tie the game up, but take the lead for the first time.    There is a reason that Elliott has a .853 save percentage and 3.51 goals against average.   No wonder the power play has had to be spectacular for the Blues!

With a final period to go, don't think the scoring would be over.  T.J. Oshie batted in a weird goal at 3:21 to tie up the game again.

It looked like the game would be headed to overtime before Saku Koivu helped Anaheim take the lead once more at 13:41.  Would the Ducks get two points in regulation?

Of course not!  Although the referees were pretty quiet with their whistles for most of the game, they did call Ryan Getzlaf for a cross checking penalty.   Two for two when Chris Stewart was successful at 15:26. 

The game did go to overtime, and with less than a minute left, the Blues thought they had won the game and the extra point when Ian Cole put another piece of rubber behind Fasth.  However, Patrik Berglund was in the crease and could not avoid hobbling Fasth from stopping the puck.  Berglund was bumped in by Francois Beauchemin, but Blues fans were livid with the "no goal" call. 

"I was pretty excited. I blacked out for a second ... I don't know what happened," Cole said. "I usually just score one goal a year, so that's it. I'm done now. You go from a pretty high to I guess shock almost. You're like, 'Wait, what just happened?'"

So a shootout it was meant to be.   The second one of Fasth's young  NHL career.  And considering Elliott's play of late, the Ducks had a good chance.

Fasth stopped the first two St. Louis shots and could have won the game then and there by stopping the third, but Perron put one in, forcing more rounds.  At that point, nothing was being stopped by either goaltender.   In the sixth round, after Berglund missed his shot, Nick Bonino got his first shootout chance and nailed it behind Elliott.

Ducks win and the points count, not matter how strange the game was.  They now get a couple of days rest before tackling the still undefeated in regulation Chicago Blackhawks. 

"Huge," said Ryan after the game. "To drop two and then go into Chicago and Detroit and Nashville, three ugly buildings to go play hockey in. We needed these two points. They were essential for us to start building to this road trip."

Three down, three to go.  It doesn't get any easier.

In other notes:  Jeff Deslauriers was called up from Norfolk to back up Fasth, an indication that Jonas Hiller is not doing particularly well.   Sami Vatanen and Jordan Hendry were sent back down to Norfolk.   Selanne had three assists in addition to his goal and that gave him 1,420 career points, tying him with another former Duck, Adam Oates.

You cannot win them all.  But you should at least give every game your best effort.  The Ducks failed to give their best effort against the Dallas Stars and it cost them in the 3-1 defeat.

They did not play their best in Colorado, either, but Viktor Fasth was able to shut out the Avalanche and Anaheim was still able to pull off a win.   Against Dallas, the second game of a six game road trip, the Ducks dug a hole early and never could get out.

Jonas Hiller got the start in net, despite Fasth's shutout.  He did not last beyond the first period.  Fasth took over at the start of the second period and later in the game it was reported that Hiller had a "lower body injury."  When your goaltender has a lower body injury, you can pretty much interpret that as "strained groin."

"He wasn't feeling very well so we made the change," was coach Bruce Boudreau's explanation.

Hiller played well enough, even though the score was 2-0 after the first period.  It was the team in front of him that let him down.

Brad Staubitz took a roughing penalty and Dallas converted quickly.  Trevor Daley slipped a puck between Hiller's left arm and body at 8:48 on the power play.  Things went from bad to worse from there.

Corey Perry took exception to a spear from Stephane Robidas and Perry decided to take matters into his own hands.   You never want your top guy to be fighting, but he did leave Robidas bloodied and looking the worse for wear.

Staubitz, figuring spearing is "ok," exacted some vengeance on Brenden Dillon.  Unlike Robidas, Staubitz was called on it and promptly ejected from the game. 

Whether or not Boudreau agreed with the call, and he did not, it happened.

So did the five minute power play.   Jamie Benn made it 2-0 at 12:59 and were it not for the ref blowing the whistle on a play, it could have been 3-0 as well.  A puck rolling over Hiller's shoulder just outside the net also prevented further scoring on the extended man advantage. 

At that point, the Ducks were outshot 15-3, but they spent nearly half the period down a man.  Not the way to start the game.

"We wanted to get on them early," said Benn. "They're obviously a good team and on a bit of a hot streak, so we wanted to go right after them and not give them any confidence and use our home building as an advantage."

Anaheim looked much better in the second period. and Nick Bonino tapped in Luca Sbisa's shot at 15:23.   However, that was all Kari Lehtonen would let in.

In the third period Dallas clamped down hard on the Ducks and only allowed one shot on goal.  If you are going to come back in a game, you have to have more than one shot on goal to do it.

When you are down two goals, which the Ducks were after Loui Eriksson made it 3-1 at 12:36, it is downright impossible. 

Eriksson's goal was the first that Fasth had allowed in the net in 134 minutes and 40 seconds.   

The Ducks get to turn things around quickly, playing against a very tough St. Louis team on Saturday night.

"We've got to be ready right from the start," said Perry.  "When we get the lead in the first period, we're a tough team to beat. That's how we have to play."

They have a great opportunity to do just that tonight.

In other notes:  Newly acquired defenseman, Ben Lovejoy, made his debut against the Stars.  He played 16:20 and had a team high four shots on goal.

Even though the Ducks did not play their best game against the Colorado Avalanche, Viktor Fasth did, and earned the team a 3-0 shutout win.   It was their fourth win a row and gives Anaheim a 7-1-1 record, which puts them at the top of the Pacific Division (for now).

Fasth, who now has four wins in his first four starts in the NHL, continues to credit the guys in front of him.  

"They make it much easier for me to play back there," said Fasth. "I'm really enjoying playing for these guys. They're incredible in front of me."

Ducks fans certainly are enjoying it.

The Ducks were outshot by Colorado, 31-20.  There were outnumbered attacks and great chances by the Avs,  but Fasth came up big every single time.

Sheldon Souray got his second game winning goal in a row by putting the Ducks on the board at 6:20 of the first period.  Souray's shot came from the blue line and did not seem to have any problems getting past Semyon Varlamov.  He now has scored in three consecutive games for the Ducks.

"We are finding good chemistry and settling into our roles," observed Souray.

Saku Koivu got his second goal in as many games, tapping in the puck on a 5 on 3 power play late in the first period. 

Despite Colorado being bereft of key players out with injuries, they poured everything on in the second period.   Fasth was consistent and steady in his end and continued to hold on for the Ducks. 

Francois Beauchemin was able to extend the lead to 3-0 at 10:45 of the middle frame.  They were unable to get any more goals, but the more important thing was not to let the Avs get on the board. 

Fasth now has a .98 goals against average and a mind-boggling .962 save percentage.  He is the first goaltender over 30 years old to win his first four games.

"The most important thing is a win and a good start to the trip," Fasth humbly said.  "It's special to get a shutout, a nice little bonus.  I'm just trying to do my best."

Controversy?  What goalie controversy?  With the shortened season and all the back-to-back games, the Ducks will need two capable goaltenders in net. 

"(Jonas) Hiller will be playing soon and doing the same thing, I hope," said coach Bruce Boudreau, who will have to use both netminders this weekend and next with back-to-back games on the road.

So who will play in the first one against Dallas on Friday night?

"He's not making it easier," Boudreau said about Fasth. "He's giving me confidence that I never knew I would have in him."

That confidence is already overflowing to the Ducks in front of him as well.  Who knew this shortened season would look like this?

In other notes:  Cam Fowler did not come with the Ducks on their road trip and was placed on IR.  Toni Lydman came down with the flu, so Jordan Hendry was called up from Norfolk.  Hendry arrived at the Pepsi Center in the middle of warm ups and played 16:45.  Devante Smith-Pelly was sent to Norfolk so he could get more playing time.

The Ducks also acquired defenseman Ben Lovejoy from the Penguins in exchange for a 5th round draft pick in 2014.

A week ago the Ducks nearly handed San Jose their first regulation loss before finally losing to them in a shootout.  The Ducks succeeded on their second attempt, a 2-1 regulation win at the Honda Center that gave them three wins in a row at home and a nice sendoff for a six game road trip.

"It just shows we can compete with every team in the league," said Sheldon Souray, who had the game winning goal. "San Jose is a great team and we played them hard last game and didn’t get the results. We wanted to play hard tonight and try to get a different result, and we did that."

Viktor Fasth got his third nod in net for Anaheim and he continues to impress.  While he looks like he is still a teenager, he plays like the experienced 30 year old that he is.   He stopped 25 of 26 shots while his teammates blocked 24 more. 

"You just go in there and try to play," Fasth said. "Try to help the team as best as you can. The team helps me out a lot out there. I'm just trying to do my best every day."

With his third win in as many starts, he now sports a 1.30 goals against average and .946 save percentage.  When stacked up against Jonas Hiller (3.54 goals against and .871 save percent), Fasth might be seeing even more time in net for the Ducks.

Logan Couture got the Sharks only goal at 18:08 of the first period.  The Ducks could not buy a goal from Sharks' back up, Thomas Greiss, who stopped shot after shot after shot for the first 2 1/2 periods, including some astounding point blank chances.

It took a weird and lucky bounce of the puck for the Ducks to get on the board at 3:55 of the third period. 

Tommy Wingels tried to get the puck off the wall behind the net.  Instead of getting out of harms way, the puck bounced right back into the crease where Saku Koivu had no problem putting it in behind Greiss.  Greiss was unsure of where the puck was and had turned to the back of the net, completely unaware that the puck was now in the net.

Koivu looked as amazed as everyone else.  

The Ducks power play, which had been rolling along nicely in the previous two games, was largely ineffective against San Jose.  Even a 5 on 3 chance, the Ducks first of the season, yielded no results and a couple shots on goal by San Jose. 

Finally at 13:21, Souray, he of the 100 mph plus shot, slammed a puck home behind Greiss to put the Ducks ahead for the first time. 

"You've got to credit (Francois) Beauchemin for having the patience with the puck to find me,"  said Souray.  "Ninety-nine percent of the time, the goaltender makes that save if it's just me and him. I saw him move over a bit and it gave a side of the net to shoot at.  I really wanted to score that one because I'd had some chances before and hadn't done that. As long as guys aren't jumping in the way of my shot, I've got a chance. But credit the guys for standing there. I've hit a couple of guys already, and that's not fun."

Unlike the previous meeting between the two teams, the Ducks held on to the lead and got the regulation win. 

The Ducks are now 6-1-1 and at this rate, may very well be battling to the very end with the Sharks for the Pacific Division title.

Now the team heads out on the road for the next two weeks, where they want to continue their winning ways.  That is something the fans can easily get used to.

In other notes:  Cam Fowler remains out with an "upper body" injury that is likely a concussion that was sustained in the game against the Los Angeles Kings.  How long he remains out is unknown, but in his absence, Sami Vatanen has stepped into the line up.   Brad Staubitz made his Ducks debut on the fourth line while Devante Smith-Pelly sat out as a healthy scratch.