Dostal gets first shutout, Killorn scores twice as Ducks beat Blackhawks 4-0 to end 7-game skid

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Anaheim Ducks defenseman Jackson LaCombe (60) collides with Chicago Blackhawks goaltender Arvid Soderblom (40) after a shot during the third period of an NHL hockey game Thursday, March 21, 2024, in Anaheim, Calif. (AP Photo/Ryan Sun)

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Anaheim Ducks right wing Frank Vatrano celebrates after scoring against the Chicago Blackhawks during the third period of an NHL hockey game Thursday, March 21, 2024, in Anaheim, Calif. (AP Photo/Ryan Sun)

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Chicago Blackhawks defenseman Jarred Tinordi, right, loses his helmet during an altercation with Anaheim Ducks left wing Ross Johnston during the first period of an NHL hockey game Thursday, March 21, 2024, in Anaheim, Calif. (AP Photo/Ryan Sun)

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Anaheim Ducks right wing Brett Leason reacts after scoring against the Chicago Blackhawks during the second period of an NHL hockey game Thursday, March 21, 2024, in Anaheim, Calif. (AP Photo/Ryan Sun)

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Anaheim Ducks right wing Brett Leason, second from left, celebrates his goal against the Chicago Blackhawks with, from left, left wing Ross Johnston, center Ben Meyers and defenseman Pavel Mintyukov during the second period of an NHL hockey game Thursday, March 21, 2024, in Anaheim, Calif. (AP Photo/Ryan Sun)

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Chicago Blackhawks right wing Taylor Raddysh, left, shoots past Anaheim Ducks defenseman Olen Zellweger during the second period of an NHL hockey game Thursday, March 21, 2024, in Anaheim, Calif. (AP Photo/Ryan Sun)

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Chicago Blackhawks defenseman Wyatt Kaiser, right, skates past Anaheim Ducks right wing Brett Leason during the first period of an NHL hockey game Thursday, March 21, 2024, in Anaheim, Calif. (AP Photo/Ryan Sun)

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Anaheim Ducks defenseman Pavel Mintyukov, left, and Chicago Blackhawks right wing Joey Anderson vie for the puck during the second period of an NHL hockey game Thursday, March 21, 2024, in Anaheim, Calif. (AP Photo/Ryan Sun)

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Anaheim Ducks center Leo Carlsson, right, and Chicago Blackhawks defenseman Jaycob Megna vie for the puck during the first period of an NHL hockey game Thursday, March 21, 2024, in Anaheim, Calif. (AP Photo/Ryan Sun)

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Anaheim Ducks right wing Troy Terry, center, vies for the puck against Chicago Blackhawks left wing Nick Foligno, left, and center Philipp Kurashev during the third period of an NHL hockey game Thursday, March 21, 2024, in Anaheim, Calif. (AP Photo/Ryan Sun)

By JOE REEDY

ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — Rookie Lukas Dostal made 29 saves for his first NHL shutout, Alex Killorn had his second two-goal game of the season and the Anaheim Ducks beat the Chicago Blackhawks 4-0 on Thursday night to snap a seven-game losing streak.

“A shutout is something special, but I’m just glad we could take a win. We played a great game. I didn’t have a play with the puck deep, and we played the right way,” said Dostal, who became the third rookie goalie in franchise history to record a shutout, joining John Gibson (six) and Ilya Bryzgalov (one).

Frank Vatrano got his 30th goal of the season midway throughthe third period when the Ducks had a two-man advantage. He is the second undrafted player in franchise history to reach the 30-goal mark — joining Andy McDonald, who scored 34 in 2005-06.

Brett Leason had a goal and an assist for the Ducks, who had been outscored 35-7 during their skid.

“This was a huge game for us. We had some meetings and we wanted to get off the slide. So it was a great response,” said Killorn, who has 14 goals this season — six in his last 10 games.

Arvid Soderblom made 21 saves for Chicago, which has dropped three of its last four.

Tampa Bay Lightning center Brayden Point, left, scores a goal against San Jose Sharks goaltender Mackenzie Blackwood during the third period of an NHL hockey game Thursday, March 21, 2024, in San Jose, Calif. (AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vásquez)

Brayden Point scores twice, Nikita Kucherov has 4 assists in Lightning’s 4-1 win over Sharks

Vancouver Canucks goalie Casey DeSmith makes a save against the Montreal Canadiens during the second period of an NHL hockey game Thursday, March 21, 2024, in Vancouver, British Columbia. (Darryl Dyck/The Canadian Press via AP)

Defenseman Nikita Zadorov scores twice, West-leading Canucks beat Canadiens 4-1

Edmonton Oilers' Leon Draisaitl (29), Zach Hyman (18), Evan Bouchard (2) and Mattias Ekholm (14) celebrate after a goal against the Buffalo Sabres during second-period NHL hockey game action in Edmonton, Alberta, Thursday March 21, 2024. (Jason Franson/The Canadian Press via AP)

Zach Hyman scores 47th and 48th goals to help Oilers rout Sabres, 8-3

“Again, we let the opponent be harder than us. That’s what we try to talk about and work on in practice, in certain areas and it kind of came back on us again today. Then frustration set in,” Blackhawks coach Luke Richardson said.

Ducks rookie Leo Carlsson, the second overall pick in the 2022 NHL draft, did not return after being involved in a knee-on-knee collision with Chicago defenseman Alex Vlasic during the second period. Carlsson has already missed 20 games due to an MCL sprain and concussion.

Killorn got the Ducks on the board at 3:10 of the second period when he tipped in Gustav Lindstrom’s shot.

After Leason’s wrist shot beat Soderblom at 9:34, Killorn buried a snap shot from the left faceoff circle with 1:34 remaining to make it 3-0.

Vatrano’s power play goal marked the first time in six games the Ducks had scored with the man advantage. It also snapped a nine-game goal drought for the forward, who made his first NHL All-Star game appearance this season.

“When you lose seven straight, there’s some anxiety involved,” Anaheim coach Greg Cronin said. “I thought the first period was a little bit tentative. We weren’t getting shots through. And then as the game went on, I thought we got more confident. And when we got that first goal, you could feel a lot of weight lift off the bench.”

UP NEXT

Blackhawks: At San Jose on Saturday night.

Ducks: Host Tampa Bay on Sunday.

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AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/nhl

JOE REEDY

Sports writer based in Los Angeles.