The Associated Press
ANAHEIM, Calif.—Jonathan Bernier carried the Maple Leafs early with 18 first-period saves, then he traded blows with Corey Perry in the third.
A busy night for Toronto’s revitalized goalie ended with another encouraging win.
Bernier made 39 saves in his 11th career shutout, and P.A. Parenteau scored two goals, as the Leafs blanked the Anaheim Ducks 4-0 last night.
Nazem Kadri and Brad Boyes also scored for the Leafs, who opened their three-game California road trip with their fourth win in five games overall.
“I think we’re becoming a pretty good team together,” Parenteau said.
“We’re having fun on the ice.
“We knew if we wanted to win, we had to start playing better,” he added.
Bernier did his toughest work in a one-sided first period, and he persevered for his second shutout of a southern California team this season following his blanking of the L.A. Kings last month.
He’s been increasingly solid since his return from an AHL stint last month—capped by yielding just four goals on 121 shots in his last three starts.
“Bernie was the difference, for sure,” said Leafs’ captain Dion Phaneuf.
“There’s some consistent play from our group that just seemed to wear on theirs, and we came in with a plan in place and we played it to a ‘T.’”
Bernier also scuffled with Perry during the third period when the Ducks’ all-star forward responded to a slash on his legs by cross-checking the Toronto goalie twice, sending Bernier sprawling and leading to a larger fracas.
Perry refused to talk about it afterward but Bernier thought it was just part of the game.
“It was a good cross-check,” Bernier said with a grin.
“The second one, I kind of went down a little bit to sell it.
“It was a fun game,” he added. “Both teams showed up today. Lots of intensity.
“It was a fun game to be in.”
John Gibson stopped 22 shots but the Ducks’ all-star rookie goalie was forced to leave early in the third with a lower-body injury following a collision with Kadri.
Anaheim coach Bruce Boudreau said Gibson has a lower-body injury that was to be re-evaluated today.
The Ducks had won four of their past five games to move into playoff position, but reverted to their early-season woes while getting shut out for the eighth time already this season.
Elsewhere in the NHL, Montreal edged New Jersey 2-1, Vancouver nipped Carolian 3-2, Chicago beat Pittsburgh 3-1, and Colorado shaded St. Louis 4-3 (OT).
