Ducks 4, Devils 3 (F)
Clarkson pokes his power-play goal past Giguere in the second period of Sunday's game.

newjerseydevils.com – The Devils stumbled in the second game of their six-game road trip with a 4-3 loss Sunday to the Anaheim Ducks.

Chris Kunitz broke a 2-2 tie 1:36 into the third period then added an insurance goal with 3:33 left in regulation. The Ducks outshot the Devils, 34-21.

Kunitz's tie-breaker was a wraparound at the left post through Scott Clemmensen's pads. It was ruled a goal on the ice, although replays on the Devils' MSG Plus broadcast did not show the puck over the line.

Bobby Holik, David Clarkson and Zach Parise scored for the Devils, who opened the second half of the regular-season schedule with their third loss in the last four games.

A Holik check dumps Corey Perry. Photo Gallery | Game Highlights

Parise notched his team-leading 24th of the season with 30.2 left in regulation and Scott Clemmensen out of the net for an extra attacker. Clemmensen stayed on the bench for the ensuing faceoff, but the Devils couldn't come up with the tying goal.

Holik's second goal of the season was the 200th of his Devils career. He ranks third all-time in franchise history behind John MacLean (347) and Patrik Elias (283).

Clemmensen (15-9-1) made his 14th start in the last 15 games and posted 30 saves. Kevin Weekes opened the western trip Saturday with 34 saves in a 5-1 victory over the Kings in Los Angeles.

Clarkson's tally was New Jersey's fourth power-play goal in the last two games after three man-advantage goals against the Kings. Special teams were a bright spot again Sunday, going 1-for-2 on the power play and 4-for-4 on the penalty kill.

The Devils (24-15-3) dropped their third straight meeting with the Ducks. Anaheim recorded a 2-1 win at Prudential Center last February, and New Jersey's previous trip to Honda Center resulted in a 4-2 loss on Nov. 24, 2006.

Jersey's Team now moves on to Vancouver, where they continue their six-game road trip Tuesday against the Canucks. They trail first-place Philadelphia by four points in the Atlantic Division.

The Devils went ahead 1-0 on Holik's second of the season, but watched the lead evaporate when the Ducks scored twice in the final 4:39 of the first.

New Jersey was outshot 11-4 in the opening frame, 25-10 after 40 minutes.

Holik got his first goal in 15 games by beating Matt Beleskey on an offensive-zone draw to get the puck back to Mike Mottau at the point. Mottau's wrister deflected off Jay Pandolfo at the top of the right circle, then caromed off Holik and past Jean-Sebastien Giguere at 12:53.

Anahiem's Bobby Ryan, a native of Cherry Hill, N.J., answered with his 12th of the season. Ryan, selected second overall by the Ducks in 2005, tapped home a centering pass from one-time Devil Brendan Morrison to tie the contest 1-1 at 15:21.

Anaheim took a 2-1 lead with 8.2 seconds left in the period, when Travis Moen dug the puck out of the right corner and passed to Sami Pahlsson in the slot. Pahlsson put his fifth of the season off the right post and past Clemmensen at 19:51.

The Devils managed just six shots to the Ducks' 14 in the second period, and killed off two 5-on-4 power plays that came 14 seconds apart. Clarkson tied the contest at 2 on New Jersey's first man advantage of the night.

Dainius Zubrus swept the puck around the boards and Brian Rolston fired a shot on goal from outside the left circle. Clarkson jammed home the rebound from the doorstep for his eighth of the season with 3:04 left in the second.

Rolston's assist gave him six points in his last nine games, with four goals and two helpers.

After Kunitz had put Anaheim ahead 3-2 1:36 into the third with his 10th, Jamie Langenbrunner nearly tied the contest at 3.

Travis Zajac chipped a clearing pass out of the Devils' zone while killing off Holik's hooking minor, and Langenbrunner collected in the neutral zone for a shorthanded breakaway. The team captain cut left to right across the front of the Anaheim net, but his forehand deke was stopped by Giguere at 7:19.

Kunitz added his 11th to put the Ducks on top by two with 3:33 remaining.

Corey Perry was back in the Ducks' lineup after serving a four-game suspension for elbowing Philadelphia's Claude Giroux, and led an Anaheim rush into Devils' territory. Ryan Getzlaf fed cross-ice to Kunitz for a wrister from the left circle that hit off the left post and in at 16:27.

With Clemmensen pulled, Parise put home New Jersey's third goal from a goalmouth scrum at 19:29.