John Gibson made 26 saves and the Anaheim Ducks took another step to securing the NHL's best regular-season record with a 2-1 victory over the New Jersey Devils on Sunday night.
Ryan Kesler and Francois Beauchemin scored for the Ducks, who won their third straight and opened a three-point lead over Nashville and Montreal in the race for the Presidents' Trophy. Anaheim has four games left in the regular season, one less than Predators and two fewer than the Canadiens.
Dainius Zubrus spoiled Gibson's shutout bid with a goal in close with 3:25 left.
The loss was the fifth straight for the Devils, tying their season high. They were eliminated from playoff contention for the third straight year earlier in the day when Boston beat Carolina in overtime.
