Nick Ritchie gets key goal, Ducks beat Red Wings to stay unbeaten

DETROIT —  Nick Ritchie scored the tiebreaking goal midway through the third period, and the Anaheim Ducks beat the Detroit Red Wings 3-1 on Tuesday night.

The Ducks improved to 3-0, matching the best start in franchise history. Anaheim also won its first three in 2006-07 and last season.

Jakob Silfverberg had a goal and an assist and Rickard Rakell also scored for the Ducks. John Gibson made 31 saves.

Filip Hronek scored for Detroit, which lost for the first time this season. Jimmy Howard stopped 26 shots.

An apparent goal by the Red Wings’ Dylan Larkin 8:06 into the third period was overturned because it was ruled the play went into the zone offside, and Ritchie scored on a rebound 1:04 later to give the Ducks a 2-1 lead. Silfverberg made it 3-1, beating Howard from the inside edge of the left circle off the rush, 47 seconds after that.

Rakell tied it at 1, 4:52 into the third, when Hampus Lindholm’s shot bounced off Rakell, past Howard and into the net. Rakell’s first goal followed a turnover by Detroit’s Tyler Bertuzzi at his own blue line.

Hronek scored with 5 seconds left in the second period after hitting the goal post twice — one from each circle — during the previous 15 seconds or so.

The defenseman finally beat Gibson with a one-time slap shot from the left circle for his first goal of the season. It came with Howard out and Detroit playing 6-on-5, because a penalty was being called on the Ducks.

Larkin also hit the goal post for the Red Wings a little less than five minutes into the middle period.