McGinn scores in debut, Ducks beat Canadiens 3-2 in shootout
ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) Jamie McGinn scored in his Ducks debut, Jakob Silfverberg got the only goal in the shootout, and Anaheim beat the Montreal Canadiens 3-2 on Wednesday night for its ninth consecutive victory.
Corey Perry scored the tying power-play goal with 9:09 to play for the Ducks, who have won 18 of 21 to streak into a first-place tie with Los Angeles atop the Pacific Division.
John Gibson stopped 25 shots and all three Montreal shootout attempts with relative ease.
Alex Galchenyuk scored two goals and Mike Condon made 32 saves for the Canadiens, who lost their second straight to open a West Coast road trip.
The Ducks earned a point in their 11th straight game and did it for the 25th time in 29 games since Christmas, when they awoke from an awful start for a spectacular two-month run that hasn't slowed. Anaheim hasn't lost since Feb. 11 and has just one regulation defeat since Jan. 17.
McGinn made an immediate impact in his first game since Anaheim acquired him from Buffalo at the trade deadline. He scored his 15th goal of the season during the second period, setting up in front of Condon and corralling a puck from Hampus Lindholm before popping it in.
Galchenyuk scored in the first period and again early in the third, giving him five goals in Montreal's last four games. The 22-year-old American was omitted from the early roster choices for the team of North American 23-and-under players headed to the World Cup of Hockey in Toronto later this year.
The Ducks improved to 9-2-2 in their last 13 meetings with Montreal, but had little of their regular spark early. Moments after Anaheim went 15 minutes without a shot on goal, Galchenyuk put the Canadiens ahead with a slick one-timer.
Anaheim failed to score during four minutes of power-play time stemming from a prolonged scrum in the corner during the second period. Montreal coach Michel Therrien got a bench minor for his comments to officials, but his team killed the entire disadvantage.
Galchenyuk put a stoppable shot past Gibson for his 19th goal of the season early in the third. But after Montreal defenseman Morgan Ellis took a penalty late in his NHL debut, the Ducks scored a power-play goal in their ninth consecutive game when David Perron made a slick cross-ice pass to set up Perry for his 27th.
Perron has 17 points in 19 games with his new team - one more than he scored in 43 games with Pittsburgh before he was traded.
NOTES: The 23-year-old Ellis got his promotion after four pro seasons spent mostly in the AHL. Stefan Matteau also made his Canadiens debut after arriving from New Jersey in a trade for former Ducks forward Devante Smith-Pelly. ... Anaheim visits Montreal on March 22. ... The Ducks' franchise record is 10 consecutive regular-season victories.
