ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) – Anaheim Ducks goalie John Gibson got all the cushion he needed five minutes into a game against the Western Conference-leading Minnesota Wild on a night teammate Antoine Vermette was ejected for slashing a ref.
Gibson made 37 saves for his fourth shutout of the season, rookie Joseph Cramarossa scored his fourth goal and Anaheim beat Minnesota 1-0 on Tuesday night.
Vermette was ejected in the third period with a game misconduct for abuse of an official. After losing a faceoff near center ice, Vermette used his stick to hit the linesman on the back of the legs. Vermette will face a suspension, with the number of games based on the category decided by officials. NHL rules state deliberately applying physical force on an official results in an automatic 10-game suspension.
Gibson stalled the league’s fourth-highest scoring team, and the Ducks beat former coach Bruce Boudreau for the first time in three meetings this season.
“You never know what’s going to happen, but I think it’s a pretty rare situation that an early goal in the first holds up,” Cramarossa said. “But it is what it is. … Gibby stood on his head there to not let any in for them. We’ll take it, and we’re going home now for a little home stretch.”