Anaheim Ducks edge Chicago Blackhawks in OT

The Anaheim Ducks edged ahead of the Chicago Blackhawks 3-2 in the Western Conference finals, claiming their first overtime win of the series on Monday with a 5-4 victory.

Having lost the two previous games that needed overtime in their series against the Blackhawks, Anaheim triumphed after just 45 seconds in the extra period at the Honda Center thanks to Matt Beleskey's 16-foot wrist-shot.

Chicago had trailed 4-2 with less than two minutes remaining, but a late double from Blackhawks captain Jonathan Toews forced overtime.

Toews slotted a 31-foot slap-shot to make it 4-3 and then stunned the home crowd in the final minute of the third period, flicking a shot in off the skate of Ducks goaltender Frederik Andersen with almost no angle to work with.

But it meant little, as Anaheim secured a 5-4 win, with Ryan Kesler and Jakob Silfverberg setting up Beleskey.

In game two, the Blackhawks had triumphed 3-2 in the third overtime period, while in game four, Chicago won 5-4 at home in the second extra term.

After two straight matches away from home, the Ducks relished their return to California, with Cam Fowler, Ryan Kesler and Sami Vatanen hitting the back of the net in the opening period.

While the Blackhawks struck two unanswered goals in the second period, Patrick Maroon's 15th-minute tip-in in the third stanza looked to have put the home side in control.

But playing without a goaltender, the Blackhawks surged back thanks to Toews, only for Beleskey to put the Ducks within a win of the Stanley Cup Finals.