Ritchie, Getzlaf Lift Ducks In 4-2 Win Over Vancouver

ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — Nick Ritchie scored the tiebreaking goal on a rebound with 8:36 to play, captain Ryan Getzlaf had three assists and the Anaheim Ducks finally opened their home schedule with a 4-2 victory over the Vancouver Canucks on Sunday night.

Andrew Cogliano, Cam Fowler and Corey Perry also scored for the Ducks, who have won two straight after a four-game winless start. John Gibson made 17 saves in the Western Conference's final home opener, thanks to a schedule that forced Anaheim to play in five teams' home debuts this month.

Henrik Sedin scored the tying goal early in the third period for the Canucks, who lost in regulation for the first time this season. Bo Horvat scored a short-handed goal, and Loui Eriksson had two assists.

Ritchie, the 20-year-old power forward playing on Anaheim's top line with Getzlaf and Perry, batted a pop-fly rebound of Getzlaf's shot out of mid-air for his first goal. Perry added his third goal of the season with 1:17 to play after a nasty shot fake that caused Alexander Edler to topple.

Ryan Miller made 33 saves in his first outing since opening night for the Canucks. The veteran stopped every shot he faced while beating Calgary, but missed the next four games with an injury.

After Cogliano scored in the opening minute, Horvat tied it with a short-handed goal set up by Fowler's turnover. Every mistake by an Anaheim defenseman underlines the absence of restricted free agent Hampus Lindholm, who is home in Sweden in a contract holdout.

But Fowler made up for it after the intermission during the same power play, putting a long wrist shot past Miller for his third goal of an outstanding start to the season. Fowler has featured prominently in trade rumors this year tied to the Ducks' attempts to re-sign Lindholm under their budget.

Anaheim outshot Vancouver 30-11 and didn't commit a penalty in the first two periods, but Sedin evened it early in the third with his third goal.

Forward Joseph Cramarossa made his NHL debut for the Ducks after being recalled from San Diego on Saturday along with defenseman Shea Theodore and forward Michael Sgarbossa, who made their season debuts. Cramarossa, who played alongside Sgarbossa and Jared Boll on the Ducks' fourth line, was a third-round pick by the Ducks in 2011 who spent the past three seasons in the AHL.

NOTES: Anaheim has hosted the Canucks five times in its home opener, more than any other opponent. ... The Ducks have won 12 of their last 17 against Vancouver. ... Two longtime Canucks, center Ryan Kesler and defenseman Kevin Bieksa, logged major minutes for Anaheim as usual.

UP NEXT

Canucks: Back home to host Ottawa on Tuesday after this winless two-game trip to Southern California.

Ducks: They're at San Jose on Tuesday for their sixth road game out of seven to start the season.