Bruins trip and fall again, blanked by Anaheim Ducks

The Bruins travelled to the Golden State with high hopes. They’d recently beaten several top teams and saw no reason the trend couldn’t continue against heavyweight trio of West Coast teams.It hasn’t quite worked out too well.After losing a winnable game in San Jose Tuesday, the Bruins were outplayed early last night by the Ducks and were never a threat in dropping a 4-0 decision.The B’s hoped to hang on to their spot atop the Atlantic Division during this trip, but that’s gone. And, unless they can salvage a point or two tonight in Los Angeles against the powerful Kings, they’ll go 0-for-California.“We’ve got to move on,” said Bruins forward Matt Beleskey. “We need to take some points home from this road trip.”“This was a tough loss. When it was 2-0, we were right there. We had some good chances. (Goalie Frederik Andersen) played good. We couldn’t quite get that one to break the ice,” added Beleskey. “They got a couple of bounces. We didn’t. But I still think we need to be a little better.”After a bad start, the Ducks are 27-7-3 since Christmas.Tyler Randell got a rare game as Jimmy Hayes, dropped to the fourth line in practice Thursday, was a healthy scratch.It was the first DNP since Dec. 7 for Hayes, who is mired in a 10-game scoreless slump. Randell didn’t play a lot, but was noticeable for some raucous forechecking shifts.Watch the Ducks play and it’s easy to understand just what the term “heavy team” means. This is not the most purely talented team in the NHL — although it obviously has a slew of very skilled players — but it is a team of big, fast, aggressive and hard-working players. They compete like crazy on every puck. Everything is done at high speed and with a purpose.Yet the Bruins, despite the quick deficit, gave a respectable effort.“We dig ourselves a hole there, 2-0,” said Bruins coach Claude Julien. “We had as many chances and as many opportunities as they did. They cashed in theirs. We didn’t. We didn’t come out here to go home empty-handed. We’ve got a way to get some points here. We played well enough that we should have had a chance. (Tonight) we’ve got to make it happen.”The speed and skill were apparent when the Ducks put away the game 58 seconds into the third period. Towering Anaheim center Ryan Getzlaf was on the forecheck when he followed Bruins defenseman John-Michael Liles. Liles attempted to pass the puck, but Getzlaf deftly reached out and intercepted. Getzlaf quickly made a feed in front to defenseman Hampus Lindholm, who snapped a one-timer past goalie Jonas Gustavsson for a 3-0 lead.Later in the third, Bruins defenseman Zdeno Chara had a rare fight, taking on 6-foot-4, 216-pound Clayton Stoner. Before any punches landed, Chara lost his balance and took an ignominious fall.The Bruins may have had three days to prepare for this, but they still got blitzed early. The Ducks put two of their first four shots behind Gustavsson, taking a 2-0 lead just 4:07 in.There was no fault on the first as a slapper from atop the left circle by Anaheim forward Corey Perry bounced off Bruins defenseman Adam McQuaid a few feet out from the crease, where Anaheim winger Jamie McGinn finished at 2:51.The next goal exposed a flaw in Gustavsson’s play: Giving up dangerous rebounds. The scoring play began with Bruins forward Lee Stempniak turning over the puck at the Anaheim line. Winger Andrew Cagliano took off down left wing and let go a shot from the circle. Gustavsson was out and square to the shot, and tried to cradle the puck to his chest. But he dropped it into his crease behind him and Ducks center Ryan Kessler raced in — Bruins back-checking centre Patrice Bergeron chasing a few strides behind — to tap in the three-inch putt for a 2-0 lead.Thereafter, the B’s hung in gamely, continuing to play their get-it-deep and forecheck game. They actually outshot their hosts in the first period, 11-10, but went to the room down 2-0.Beleskey, excited about his first return to the rink where he played the previous six years with the Ducks, had to be helped off the ice with 3:44 left in the first, the apparent victim of an unintentional high stick. Beleskey got whatever repairs were required and was back to start the second period, blocking shots and hitting everyone he could catch.The B’s kept and outshot the Ducks, 38-26, but couldn’t beat Andersen.