Anaheim: The Anaheim Ducks and Detroit Red Wings are no longer in the same conference, but share enough institutional memory and bad feelings to give their games a little extra charge.
The Ducks fed off the emotion of that throwback hockey, including three fights, to boost their position in the play-off chase.
Corey Perry scored a tiebreaking goal late in the second period, John Gibson made 28 saves and the Ducks defeated the skidding Red Wings 4-2 on Friday night.
“It’s old-time hockey and the league’s turned pretty soft, so it’s fun when you have games like that,” Anaheim centre Ryan Kesler said.
Kesler, Nick Ritchie and Derek Grant each had a goal for the Ducks, tied with Los Angeles for third place in the Pacific Division. Anaheim now have 84 points — also the same amount as Colorado and Dallas, who hold the two wild card spots in the Western Conference.
