Column: Nate Thompson finds the sweet spot in Ducks’ 2-1 overtime win

As Nate Thompson jumped off the bench in overtime Friday and saw Corey Perry take a pass from an onrushing Cam Fowler, Thompson didn’t have to think about what to do.

“Whenever he’s getting the puck and he’s going to shoot it your first instinct should be to go to the net,� Thompson said. “That’s what I did.�

Makes sense, because going to the net would put him in good position to deflect Perry’s shot or to celebrate yet another goal by the NHL’s goal-scoring leader.

“Exactly,� Thompson said, smiling.

In this case, Thompson redirected Perry’s shot past Kari Lehtonen two minutes and 30 seconds into overtime to give the Ducks a 2-1 victory over the Stars at American Airlines Center in a tense, grind-it-out game that continued their noticeable shift toward a defense-first philosophy.

They allowed the high-scoring Stars only one shot in the second period, tying a seven-year-old franchise record for fewest shots in a second period, and held an opponent to two goals or fewer for the seventh time in their last eight games. The Ducks’ first meeting with the team they eliminated in the first round of last season’s playoffs was very much like playoff hockey, with a good amount of chirping back and forth and a focus on the importance of every play.

“If you can play that now, you’re going to be able to play it later on and hopefully it can continue that way,� said Perry, who gave the Ducks a 1-0 lead with a four-on-four blast from the right circle at 16:45 of the second period, his league-leading 10th goal. “We’re excited with those types of games. They’re nerve-wracking but it’s the way we want to play.�

It also was an impressive rebound by the Ducks after their inexplicably flat effort in losing to the Blues on Thursday at St. Louis. Playing Friday with four defensemen who are 23 or younger — including Josh Manson, who made his NHL debut while Mark Fistric returned to Anaheim for treatment of his injured lower back — the Ducks bent but didn’t break.

Dallas tied it at 14:33 of the third period when an unchecked Antoine Roussel poked the puck past Frederik Andersen a few seconds after a Dallas power play had ended, but the Ducks didn’t fold. Since the start of the 2013-14 season, they’re a league-best 13-1-2 in the second half of back-to-back games, including 2-0-0 this season.

“You look at our record, when we give up two or less goals we’re a pretty good team, and any time after that we don’t win too many hockey games,� Perry said. “That says a lot for this team — blocking shots, sacrificing, playing that defensive game, and the offense is going to come.�

There is that little matter about the offense sputtering.

The Ducks have scored three goals in their last three games but have won two of them. Ryan Getzlaf has gone four games without a point and has taken only one shot in each of his last three games; Emerson Etem is still seeking his first goal and even winger Matt Beleskey, whose five goals ranks second on the team to Perry, has one goal in his last six games. Thompson’s goal was his first with the Ducks, who acquired him from Tampa Bay last summer for two late-round draft picks.

“The goals, we feel, are going to come,� Coach Bruce Boudreau said, “but as long as we can keep playing great defensively and you can win those close games you’re going to be successful.�

Thompson agreed. “I think we can win games scoring a lot of goals. I think we’ve shown that,� he said. “But I think it’s good to see that we’re winning games by scoring one or two goals and winning those tight defensive games.

“It’s always a good sign when you can win in different ways. I think it’s the sign of a good team and something we can build on.�

Building from the defense on out and winning when their scorers aren’t scoring gives them a new dimension. Boudreau, who coached his 200th game with the Ducks — he’s 120-58-22 in that span — is encouraged.

“I hope it means you’re a good team,� he said. “And it shows good character.�