Recap: Leason Scores Twice in 7-2 Loss to Chicago

Brett Leason scored twice but the Ducks could not slow the Chicago Blackhawks offense tonight in a 7-2 loss at United Center.

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The loss, Anaheim's third in a row, dropped the club to 23-39-3 on the season and 13-16-2 on the road. 

Leason twice gave the Ducks one-goal leads with his ninth and tenth tallies of the season. Cam Fowler and Urho Vaakanainen recorded assists. John Gibson and Lukas Dostal combined for 24 saves.

Rookie Connor Bedard Connor Bedard powered the Chicago attack with his first career five-point night. Philipp Kurashev notched his first multi-goal game in the NHL. Ryan Donato, Seth Jones, MacKenzie Entwistle and Tyler Johnson also scored. Nick Foligno had four assists. Petr Mrazek claimed the win between the pipes with stops on 27-of-29 Anaheim attempts.

Defenseman William Lagesson made his Ducks debut in the loss, finishing the night with three blocked shots in 14:09 of ice-time.

The scoring would start and then continue on a first period Chicago power play, as the Blackhawks answered a Ducks shorthanded goal before Alex Killorn's hooking penalty expired.

Leason's first of the night briefly put the Ducks ahead, a sudden 2-on-1 rush sparked by Fowler's terrific breakout pass and finished by the big winger's snapshot to the blocker side.

The assist was Fowler's ninth career shorthanded point, passing Scott Niedermayer for the most by a Ducks defenseman. Fowler also holds Anaheim's all-time records in games played, points, goals, assists and power-play points among defensemen. 

Leason co-leads the Ducks in shorthanded goals this season (2), alongside Frank Vatrano.

Chicago answered 48 seconds later on a netfront scramble just outside Gibson's crease, with Donato punching a loose puck that was sitting on top of the goaltender's pads over the goal line for the power-play goal.

Anaheim has allowed seven power-play goals in the last three games.

The middle frame then looked a whole lot like the first, hardly short on scoring chances on both ends and a shortlived lead for the visitors.

Anaheim went back ahead on Leason's second of the game, this time a shot from right wing off the rush just before defenseman Nikita Zaitsev could apply a stick check.

Leason has a career-best 10 goals in 51 games this season and four in his last eight outings.

But like the first, Chicago punched right back - this time with Kurashev burying a cross-ice pass from Bedard past a lunging Gibson on a 2-on-1 rush two shifts later.

The 24-year-old Kurashev has six points in his last six games and is second among team leaders in scoring this season. 

Minutes after the goal, Vatrano very nearly restored the Anaheim advantage and clinched his first career 30-goal season all in one dart from the high slot, but his shot rang off the crossbar and kicked into the corner.

Instead it would be Chicago taking control in the back half of the second period for a 4-2 edge after 40 minutes.

Jones gave the Hawks their first lead with another power-play goal, solving Gibson to the shortside from the left circle after consecutive tripping penalties went against Anaheim.

Jones has seven points in his last four games, highlighted by a four-assist performance Sunday against Arizona.

Bedard then made it 4-2 in the final minute of the period, capitalizing on a Ducks defensive zone turnover with a one-timer from the high slot.

Kurashev's second assist of the night made him the 11th Swiss player with 100 career points in the NHL.

The first overall selection in last summer's draft, Bedard has scored 20 goals in his first 52 NHL games, tops among league rookies this season. Chicago's All-Star nominee this season, Bedard has collected 18 points in 13 games since returning from a fractured jaw and eight points in his last two appearances.

Entwistle and Kurashev extended the Chicago lead to 6-2 three minutes into the third period, scoring 26 seconds apart.

Johnson capped the scoring with 10 minutes to play.

The Ducks continue a four-game road trip Thursday in Minnesota.