Ducks cruise to easy win over struggling Blues

Fill-in goaltender Ville Husso made 22 saves as the visiting Anaheim Ducks defeated the St. Louis Blues 4-1 Monday night.

Husso, a former Blues netminder, was pressed into the lead role for Anaheim with Lukas Dostal and Petr Mrazek sidelined by injuries.

Pavel Mintyukov and Leo Carlsson each had a goal and an assist as the Ducks snapped their 10-game losing streak against the Blues. Mason McTavish and Chris Kreider also scored for Anaheim.

Blues goaltender Jordan Binnington stopped just three of the five shots he saw before getting pulled. Joel Hofer stopped 19 of 20 shots in relief.

Jordan Kyrou scored the St. Louis goal.

The Ducks seized a 1-0 lead 6:33 into the game when McTavish hammered a one-time shot from the left wall past Binnington's short side.

Kyrou answered just 20 seconds later. Robert Thomas maneuvered in from the left wing and slid a cross-ice pass to Kyrou breaking toward the right post.

Anaheim chased Binnington midway through the first period. Mintyukov beat him with a shot off the rush from the right boards to put the Ducks up 2-1.

The teams exchanged 2-on-1 rushes in the scoreless second period, but Blues winger Dalibor Dvorsky missed the net on his break with Pavel Buchnevich and Kreider couldn't beat Hofer after taking a cross-ice pass from Cutter Gauthier.

During the final 2 minutes of the period, the teams exchanged offensive flurries. But Hofer made tough saves at one end, then the Blues failed to convert passes and redirections around the net at the other end.

The Blues had chances to tie the game early in the third period. But Husso stopped Kyrou at point-blank range, then he turned aside Thomas' shot from the right faceoff dot off the rush.

Anaheim increased its lead to 3-1 at the 5:58 mark when Carlsson deflected Radko Gudas' shot from the right point.

With Husso pulled for an extra attacker, Kreider scored an empty-net goal with 2:37 left to make it 4-1.

--Field Level Media