Jae C. Hong, Associated Press Penguins' Sidney Crosby, left, checks Ducks' Samuel Pahlsson during the first period of play last night in Anaheim, Calif. Click photo for larger image. More Coverage: Ducks coach recalls Penguins' previous overhaul

ANAHEIM, Calif. -- A good gauge, that's what the Penguins called their game last night against the Ducks, who so far this season are mightier than they ever were this far along into a season as the Mighty Ducks.

For 60-plus minutes, the Penguins stayed even with Anaheim -- despite giving the Ducks plenty of power-play chances and being soundly outshot, 39-17, in regulation.

But the Penguins gave the Ducks one too many power-plays. On their ninth, 44 seconds into overtime, Teemu Selanne converted a pass through the crease from Scott Niedermayer to give Anaheim a 3-2 win in front of 16,599 at Honda Center.

The Ducks tied an NHL record for earning at least one point in each of their first 15 games this season and moved to the top of the NHL standings with 26 points.

The Penguins earned five of a possible eight points on their road trip, including three of six possible points from their three games in California. They return home in a three-way tie for first place in the Atlantic Division with 15 points in 12 games and play Tampa Bay tomorrow night.

For the fourth game in a row, the Penguins gave up the first goal.

Chris Kunitz, at the left dot, one-timed a pass from the near boards from Selanne into the short side for a 1-0 Anaheim lead at 3:29 of the first period.

That didn't stand long.

Holding off defenseman Shane O'Brien, Penguins center Dominic Moore controlled the puck and brought it out from the right corner to the crease, where he pushed it past goaltender Jean-Sebastien Giguere's right skate to tie the score, 1-1. The goal came 21 seconds after Kunitz's.

Penguins coach Michel Therrien, who has been shuffling his lines the past couple of days, sent Chris Thornburn out with center Sidney Crosby and left winger Evgeni Malkin on the top line for a couple of shifts.

It paid off when Thornburn, a rookie claimed off of waivers from Buffalo Oct. 3, gave the Penguins a 2-1 lead with his first NHL goal and first point as a Penguins player at 10:49.

Malkin ripped a shot from the slot that rebounded off of Giguere's pads. Thornburn, left of the crease, pounced on the puck and slid it into the net on the short side.

The Penguins took three penalties to Anaheim's one in the first period and kept playing with fire in the second.

The Ducks entered the game ranked second in the NHL on the power play with a conversion rate of 22.9 percent, and it seemed only a matter of time before they cashed in with the Penguins continuing to take penalties.

Defenseman Noah Welch was called for hooking twice in the first six minutes of the second period, and his teammates killed them both. But after Moore took a holding call at 11:50, Anaheim tied the score. Winger Corey Perry was at the left side of the crease to direct in a rebound to make it 2-2 at 13:13.

The Penguins spent 12:11 short-handed on seven penalties through the first two periods, compared with 2:48 on two calls for the Ducks, and the disparity was reflected in the scoring chances. Anaheim held a 25-10 advantage in shots going into the third period.

The Penguins were in the game by virtue of getting their two goals on their first eight shots. For most of the first 40 minutes, the Ducks' end of the ice might as well have been at the top of the Haunted Hollywood ride at nearby Disneyland, as the trek to get there seemed so uphill.

The Penguins killed off another penalty early in the third period, then got into a swift back-and-forth game.

The Penguins' Mark Recchi and Anaheim's Rob Niedermayer collided near the penalty boxes at 17:09, then took a seat for coincidental holding penalties to create a four-on-four stretch of two minutes that the Ducks dominated, but they could not score.

Selanne's overtime goal was his 44th game-winner with the Ducks, tying a team record.