BUFFALO, N.Y. _ Corey Perry got his first two-goal game of the season and Rickard Rakell had a goal and assist in leading the Ducks to a 5-2 win over the Buffalo Sabres on Thursday night.
The Ducks (29-17-10) stopped a three-game losing streak and got their first win on a six-game trip by getting a big game from Perry as he formed a dangerous teaming with Rakell, who was moved to center after playing left wing for the majority of this season.
Not only did Perry score twice to snap out of a season-long scoring slump but the 12-year veteran set up Rakell's team-leading 22nd early in the third period on a perfect give-and-go play that ended with Rakell beating Sabres goalie Robin Lehner from a sharp angle.
Rakell's goal snapped a 1-1 tie and Antoine Vermette added some insurance with a deflection of Brandon Montour's point shot to end the Ducks' drought on the power play. The Ducks had gone 0 for 12 in their three road losses and came up empty on their first two tries Thursday before converting.
Perry gave the Ducks a big lift at the end of the first period. As time ticked down, the winger decisively won a puck battle with Buffalo's Jake McCabe and skated around Cody Franson before he made an inside move on Evander Kane and scored to finish off a stellar solo effort.
The goal ended a drought in which he had scored twice in 25 games and it finally got him into double figures in his 56th game. He hasn't missed one this season, but he was front and center in this one. It was his second three-point game, with his three-assist effort against Calgary coming on Nov. 6.
John Gibson made 21 saves and got enough offensive support to snap a two-start losing streak. Gibson had to leave the game for six minutes to open the second period because of a skate issue.
Andrew Cogliano added an empty-net goal in the final minute to cap the scoring.
