third straight loss to playoff-bound Eastern

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Bruce Boudreau has earned a reputation as a gambler and the Anaheim head coachs latest roll of the dice paid off in a big way. Boudreau made a surprising decision to start highly-touted goaltending prospect John Gibson in Game 4 at Los Angeles on Saturday and the 20-year-old responded by posting a 28-save shutout to help the Ducks even this Western Conference semifinals series at 2-2. Gibson and the Ducks will aim for a repeat performance when they try to take their first lead of this best-of-seven set in Mondays Game 5 against the visiting Kings. The Ducks recalled Gibson after Frederik Andersen, another rookie goaltender, was hurt late in Game 3 and had to be replaced by veteran backstop Jonas Hiller. With Andersen sidelined on Saturday, Hiller was expected to get the Game 4 start due to his playoff experience, but Boudreau instead went with Gibson, who earned rave reviews in his NHL postseason debut. "As soon as we called him up, I thought about starting him," said Boudreau. "I thought he would give us the best chance to win." Gibson had gone 3-0-0 with a 1.33 goals-against average and one whitewash in three appearances at the tail end of the regular season for the Pacific Division champions. On Saturday, he became the first rookie to post a shutout in a playoff debut since Andrew Raycroft of the Boston Bruins against the Montreal Canadiens (3-0) on April 7, 2004. "When I found out I was going to play, I was excited," Gibson said. "I knew the team had to get a win tonight." The victory knotted the series at two games apiece and continue the trend of road teams winning in this series. Los Angeles claimed Games 1 and 2 in Anaheim before the Ducks clawed their way back into the series with two straight victories at the Staples Center. Gibson will be in net again on Monday with Hiller serving as the backup. Devante Smith-Pelly and Ryan Getzlaf provided early offense for the Ducks on Saturday, as both players tallied late in the opening period. Anaheim improved to 23-2 all-time in the postseason when Getzlaf scores a goal. Anaheim had 11 shots in the first period, but only registered three shots on net over the final 40 minutes. The Ducks went without a shot in the middle stanza, marking the first time an NHL club was held without a shot in a playoff period since it happened to Dallas against Edmonton on May 9, 1998 in Game 2 of the WCSF. While Gibson was able to record a shutout, Kings star goaltender Jonathan Quick was pulled after the first period. Quick stopped 9-of-11 shots and Martin Jones turned aside the three shots he faced over the final two periods. Kings head coach Darryl Sutter said the decision to pull his No. 1 goaltender was a tactical one and Quick should be in net when Game 5 gets underway. "It wasnt a tough thought process. They scored two goals. I dont think our goaltending is an issue. We have to finish off our shots to be successful," offered Sutter. The Kings hadnt been blanked in a home playoff contest since May 20, 2012, a 2-0 defeat to the Phoenix Coyotes in Game 4 of the Western Conference finals. L.A. forward Anze Kopitar had his point streak halted at 10 games, as he failed to pick up a point for the first time in this postseason. He was the first King to have points in 10 straight games in one postseason since Wayne Gretzky posted a franchise-record 12-game point streak in 1993. Kopitar has four goals and 11 assists to lead all players with 15 points in this postseason. The winner of Game 5 will have a chance to close the series out Wednesday in Los Angeles. The Kings, the 2012 Stanley Cup champions, are attempting to make the conference final round for a third straight spring. Anaheim is trying to advance to the third round for the first time since claiming the franchises lone Cup title in 2007. This best-of-seven set, which had been dubbed the "Freeway Series," marks the first-ever playoff matchup between these Southern California rivals. Corey Crawford Blackhawks Jersey . -- Canadian womens amateur golf champion Brooke Henderson is a little less starstruck as she prepares for her second career appearance at an LPGA Tour major event. Glenn Hall Jersey . The Raptors have to get through the pesky New York Knicks Wednesday at Madison Square Garden and can lock up the third spot in the Eastern Conference with a win or a Chicago loss in Charlotte. http://www.blackhawksauthenticproshop.com/red-3-pierre-pilote-womens-jersey/ . Sources tell TSN Hockey Insider Darren Dreger that the team is quietly gauging interest on the Senators captain, though Spezza has a limited no-trade clause and carries a large contract. Brent Seabrook Blackhawks Jersey . The 26-year-old Sobotka injured his left leg playing for the St. Louis Blues in a 3-1 loss to the Carolina Hurricanes on Friday. The Blues said he would not recover from the injury in time for the Olympic tournament. Clark Griswold Jersey . Bouchard went down to a 1-6, 6-1, 6-2 defeat at the hands of Svitolina in her opening match at the Sony Open on Friday. Bouchard got the rivalry going two years ago when she won the junior Wimbledon title over Svitolina. ANAHEIM, Calif. -- Randy Carlyle acknowledged the standing ovation with a brief wave of his hand, thanking the Anaheim fans in his usual understated manner for their appreciation of his tenure behind the Ducks bench. Carlyle was even more grateful to leave Honda Center with yet another win for his surging Toronto Maple Leafs. Phil Kessel and Tyler Bozak each had a goal and two assists, and the Maple Leafs celebrated Carlyles return with a 3-1 victory over the Ducks on Monday night. "Its always satisfaction when you beat your former hockey club," Carlyle said. "Im not going to hide that fact. I feel good about it." Paul Ranger scored and Jonathan Bernier made 43 saves as Toronto opened a five-game trip with its third consecutive victory, leapfrogging Montreal into second place in the Atlantic Division. Carlyle was back in Anaheim for the first time since the Ducks fired the only coach to lead the franchise to a Stanley Cup title. He was greeted warmly in the first period during a video tribute on the scoreboard. "It was kind of touching," Carlyle said. "I didnt really know what to expect. Im very appreciative and thankful for the people that supported me in my time here, and my family. Its a very special place, and as Ive said, were moving back into the area at some point in our life." His Leafs then forced the Ducks to play almost as poorly as they were playing when he got fired. Bernier didnt have to make many tough saves despite his gaudy stats for the Leafs, who are ramping up for their second trip to the post-season under Carlyle, earning points in 10 of their past 12 games. "I think he was pretty excited," Bozak said of his coach. "He might have been a little more nervous for this one, but were glad we could get it for him." Carlyle won a club-record 273 games and made the playoffs five times in his six full seasons with the Ducks, but was fired in November 2011 with Anaheim off to a miserable start. The Ducks have done exceptionally well since the change to Bruce Boudreau, who won 100 games faster than any coach in franchise history and led Anaheim to last seasons Pacific Division title. Corey Perry scored his 35th goal and Frederik&nbbsp;Andersen stopped 20 shots in the Ducks third straight loss to playoff-bound Eastern Conference teams.dddddddddddd. "Were in a funk," Boudreau said. "And weve just got to get out of it before too long, and do what we do. Weve just got to get back on our horse." Before this loss to end a five-game homestand, Anaheim fell one point behind streaking St. Louis in the overall NHL standings with consecutive shootout losses to Montreal and Pittsburgh. The Ducks hadnt lost in regulation since before the Olympic break, but they couldnt generate many serious scoring chances against Bernier and the Leafs shot-blocking defence. "We should have had more guys in front to make screens, tips, and get in the dirty areas," Ducks defenceman Francois Beauchemin said. "Right now were struggling to score goals because were not going to the front of the net and winning those battles and getting those tough goals." Toronto took the lead during 4-on-3 play late in the first period when Bozak redirected a pass from captain Dion Phaneuf. Kessel then roared past two Ducks defencemen and got a fortunate bounce off Andersens stick for his 34th goal. Kessel, the NHLs second-leading scorer after breaking his tie with Ducks captain Ryan Getzlaf, also snapped his first three-game goal drought since early January. Early in the second period, an atrocious Ducks breakdown led to Rangers goals. The Ducks broke through at the end of a dominant shift by their top line late in the second, with Perry banging home a puck on the doorstep for his fifth goal in five games since the break. Anaheim went scoreless on four power plays, dropping into an 0-for-19 slump since the break. NOTES: Carlyle isnt the only former Anaheim resident who returned with the Leafs: Joffrey Lupul, Peter Holland and Troy Bodie all played for the Ducks, while defenceman Jake Gardiner was a top Anaheim prospect before the club traded him along with Lupul for Beauchemin in February 2011. ... Anaheim C Mathieu Perreault missed his fourth straight game with an upper-body injury. Boudreau expects him to return Wednesday in Calgary. ... 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