Ducks score 3 in 3rd, beat Blues 4-1 for 4th straight win

ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — Troy Terry and Benoit-Oliver Groulx each had a goal and an assist, and John Gibson stopped 34 shots to lead the Anaheim Ducks to a 4-1 win over the St. Louis Blues on Sunday.

Sam Steel and Sam Carrick also scored for Anaheim, and Hampus Lindholm had two assists. The Ducks scored three goals in the third period to win their fourth straight — all at home.

“We knew it was a big stretch of games here and we brought it,” Steel said. ” We responded. We played really good hockey. We’ll try to take it into the road trip and get some more big points.”

Brandon Saad scored for St. Louis and Jordan Binnington had 23 saves.

“Obviously, their goalie played well,” the Blues’ Colton Parayko said. “We can get better in different areas. They got a good power play goal there in the third and went up and gave them a little momentum. Good game by them, I guess. Tough loss but big game for us on Tuesday (at Winnipeg).”

Terry had a power-play goal on a tip off a feed from Sonny Milano at 2:46 to give Anaheim a 2-1 lead. It was the 24-year-old Terry’s eighth of the season and extended his point streak to 11 games.

“I don’t know if I’ve had points in the first 10 games of any season I’ve had here,” Terry said. “I was fortunate to get off to a good start and get a couple of points early and feel good and take that pressure off and just play.”

Steel redirected a shot from Lindholm at 8:31 for his third to give the Ducks a two-goal lead.

Groulx scored an empty netter, his first career goal, with 47 seconds left after stealing the puck from David Perron.

Saad scored 13 seconds into the game for St. Louis. It was the fastest goal to start a game this season in the NHL.

However, the Blues didn’t score again.

“It was just something that our team game kind of fell apart,” Saad said.

Carrick tied it when he scored on a shot in front of the net off a terrific pass from Derek Grant at 8:23. Carrick has three goals in his last four games.

GIBSON SHAKES OFF ILLNESS

Gibson was ill and missed Friday’s game. Ducks coach Dallas Eakins saw him on Saturday and the two texted Sunday morning about his status.

“Unbelievable,” Eakins said of Gibson’s play. “Two days ago he was so sick I think the only thing he ate was four Gatorades. I (saw) him outside in his car (Saturday) and he was as white as a ghost. He texted me at 6:30 (Sunday) morning and said ‘I’m good to go.’ I said, ‘Good to back up?’ He said, ‘No, I’m good to start.’ This guy has been not in a fun place for 48 hours. He sucks it up. He had probably three saves that could be saves of the year. Incredible stops.”

Gibson has won his last three starts.

MILESTONES

Perron, who is in his third stint with the Blues, played his 616th game, tying Bobby Plager for 10th in games played in franchise history. … Craig Berube coached his 200th game for St. Louis on Sunday. He’s the eighth coach to reach that milestone in franchise history.

DEBUT

Calle Rosen, signed as a free agent last summer, made his debut with the Blues on Sunday. Rosen had 24 shifts and 15:26 of ice time.

“Rosie stepped in and played really well,” Parayko said. “He’s a sound defenseman that makes the right plays and is always in the right position.”

O’REILLY RETURNS

Blues captain Ryan O’Reilly was back in the lineup after missing four games since testing positive for COVID-19.

NOTES: It was military appreciation night and Major General Laura L. Yeager, the first female commander of a U.S. Army Infantry Division, dropped the ceremonial first puck.

UP NEXT

Blues: At Winnipeg on Tuesday night.

Ducks: At Vancouver on Tuesday night.

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