ANAHEIM, Calif. — The warm California sun helped thaw out the Bruins offense, but it didn’t do much to change the team’s recent fortunes.

After clicking to score three goals and take control of the game in the second period, the Bruins could not shut down a third-period rally by the Ducks, dropping a 4-3 contest in the first game of a three-game trek through California.

With Mark Recchi moving to center and setting up goals by Matt Hunwick and Marco Sturm, the Bruins moved into the third period with a 3-2 lead. But Ducks star center Ryan Getzlaf scored early in the final period and defenseman Steve Eminger swiped in a loose puck for the game-winner with 11:53 to play, leading Anaheim to victory.

Jonas Hiller had 27 saves for the Ducks, including several in the final minutes as the Bruins looked to tie the game. Tuukka Rask stopped 28-of-32 Anaheim shots.

Although they now have lost three straight games and four of their last five, the Bruins should be encouraged by much of their performance Wednesday, including the arrival of some much-needed offense.

“The effort was there tonight, the mistakes ended up costing us in the end, one too many,” Bruins coach Claude Julien said. “We really challenged them and had some great opportunities late in the game, hitting the crossbar, but somehow they just wouldn’t go in. … If we can get that same kind of effort and cut down on our mistakes, we’ll be moving on the right track."

The B’s will head north to take on Joe Thornton and the Sharks in San Jose Thursday and the Kings in Los Angeles Saturday afternoon.
Here are three things we learned as the Bruins suffered a third straight loss in regulation play for the first time since dropping four straight in December 2007.

A SECOND-PERIOD CALIFORNIA GOLD RUSH

While the Ducks have been hovering outside the playoff picture for most of the season, they entered Wednesday’s game with four straight wins and had already taken a 6-1 victory over the Bruins in Boston on Oct. 8.

Generating offense against Hiller and the Ducks also loomed as a potential trouble spot as Anaheim’s goalie was selected Monday as the NHL’s Second Star for the week ending Jan. 10. Hiller stopped 125-of-131 shots with a 1.50 GAA in helping the Ducks win four games last week.

Yet, the injury-riddled Bruins, skating without top centers Patrice Bergeron and Marc Savard, were able to beat Hiller three times in the second period Wednesday.

After Ducks rookie Dan Sexton swiped in a loose puck off a scramble in front of Rask, giving Anaheim a 1-0 lead with 46 seconds left in the first, Zdeno Chara tied the game with a blast from the point off a feed from David Krejci four minutes into the second.

Following a turnover by the Ducks at the Boston blue line three minutes later, Recchi carried the puck down the left wing and feathered a sharp pass to Hunwick in the slot, where he whisked a one-time shot past Hiller, suddenly handing the Bruins a 2-1 lead.

Anaheim drew even when Rask got tangled with Ducks right winger Corey Perry behind the net. The puck ultimately ended up at the skates of Matt Beleskey who won a stick battle with Dennis Wideman and swiped it by Rask.

But the Bruins regained a 3-2 advantage as Recchi sent a 55-foot, off-balance pass from the right point toward the net, where it was deflected in by Sturm.

“The second period was a lot better, we haven’t been very good in the second for a while now, we went out and did a good job,” Recchi said. “Unfortunately, they got a couple of bounces in the third to sneak it by us. We’ll take the positives to San Jose and see what we can do there.”

RECCHI WORKED WELL IN THE MIDDLE

The two-assist performance by Recchi came while centering a line with Marco Sturm and Miroslav Satan on the wings. The 16-year veteran has skated the wing this season but was quick to adapt to the move to center.

“It was good, it was fun,” Recchi said. “I think our line did a good job. The first period was kind of a feeling-out period for me, but after that I started to feel comfortable there.”

It was not a surprise that Recchi would struggle in the faceoff department, winning just 3-of-9 draws, but his passing was as good as it gets.

“He’s good a center, he’s easy to play with,” Sturm said. “He had a really good game tonight.”

TOUGH TUUKKA TIME IN THE THIRD

About a minute after Hiller had snared a Krejci shot during a Bruins power play early in the third period, the Boston defense allowed Getzlaf, one of the most skilled centers in the league, to gather a pass in the slot during an odd-man rush with James Wisniewski. Getzlaf smoothly snapped a perfect shot over Rask’s right shoulder to tie the game.

“He’s a goal-scorer, everyone knows that,” Rask said. “Maybe I was too deep, but I don’t think I would have been able to make the save.”

Rask did make several tough saves throughout the game. He managed to make an initial save on a shot by Bobby Ryan before Eminger was left alone to pounce on the rebound for the game-winner.

“It has a weird spin on it,” Rask said of Ryan’s shot. “It hit my blocker and bounced over my shoulder. He was there backdoor and tapped it in.”

The late rally spoiled an otherwise solid effort by the Bruins.

“I thought we battled hard, especially in the second,” Chara said. “We had momentum and played a pretty good game. At the end, we made mistakes that cost us goals.”