*Photo from YebScore*
The night celebrating Ryan Getzlaf did not end the way it was planned to. Ivan Barbashev had a 3 point game, Jordan Kyrou had a goal and an assist, and the St. Louis Blues defeated the Anaheim Ducks with a 6-3 victory on Sunday night in Anaheim.
Getzlaf, the Ducks captain, announced his retirement earlier in the season, and played his final game on Sunday night. He had one assist in his final game, finishing with 1,019 career points in 1,157 games. He's the only player in Ducks history to score at least 1,000 points and appear in at least 1,000 games, coming in 17 NHL seasons.
Blues forward and fellow Saskatchewan native Tyler Bozak, said of Getzlaf that "He's someone that I've looked up to my whole life, from a young age. A guy that I played against a bit growing up. He set the standard in Regina for being a hockey player. He was far and away the best player in the city and the province, and someone that everybody tried to be as good as. Pretty special night for him. It was awesome for me."
With the win, the Blues kept humming along, sitting tied with their first round opponents in the Minnesota Wild for second place in the Central Division, with 109 points as the season is winding down. They also extended their point streak to 16 games, with a 14-0-2 record in that time, a new franchise record.
In the first period, the Ducks jumped out to a 2-0 lead, with Max Comtois making it 1-0 with his 4th goal of the season, 10:31 into the game, assisted by Sam Steel and Vinni Lettieri. Gerry Mayhew then made it 2-0 at the 12:40 mark of the first period, his 11th goal of the season.
In the second period, Kyrou started the comeback for the Blues, cutting the deficit to 2-1 with his 26th goal of the season. Vladimir Tarasenko then tied the game 8:37 into the second period with his 34th goal. Barbashev scored exactly 4 minutes later, putting the Blues ahead 3-2. It then became 4-2 when Justin Faulk scored his 16th goal of the season.
The 3rd period saw the surge keep coming, with Pavel Buchnevich scoring his 30th goal of the season 4:44 into the 3rd, making it a 5-2 Blues lead. Marco Scandella scored at the 5:37 mark of the period, putting the Blues ahead 6-2 on his 3rd goal of the season. Getzlaf then fed Adam Henrique, who scored his 19th goal of the season to make it a 6-3 game.
Getzlaf said of his assist at the end of the game that "There wasn’t a chance in my mind I was shooting that puck. It’s funny how those things fall into your lap and happen that way. I couldn’t ask for a better way to finish it. That was more than I could have ever imagined. I couldn't ask for more. It really hit me in the heart to see that many people show up tonight."
Helping the Blues keep the point streak alive was Ville Husso, who had another strong outing. Husso saved 14 of the only 17 shots the Ducks had. That was good for an .824 save percentage. With the loss, Husso's record dropped to 25-6-6 on the season.
Getting the start for the Ducks was John Gibson, who got hit hard in the loss. Gibson stopped 31 out of the 37 shots the Blues sent his way. He posted a .838 save percentage, with his record dropping to 18-26-11 on the season in 55 starts.
Getzlaf said of stepping on the Anaheim ice for one more time that "This is a game that I've loved for so long and I tried to give everything that I had every time I stepped on this ice. I've been able to build this beautiful family next to me, and I'm just looking forward to that next chapter right now."
Both teams get back in action with Tuesday night road games. Husso is expected to start for the Blues against the Colorado Avalanche, while Gibson is the likely starter as the Ducks take on the San Jose Sharks.
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