VIDEO: Ducks Manage Point In Another Shootout Loss

By Michael Walters

The Anaheim Ducks finished their road trip in Las Vegas. They would be without Hampus Lindholm, Jakob Silfverberg, and also Joseph Blandisi, who also has an upper-body injury the team announced shortly before the game. The Ducks get Rickard Rakell back in this contest. John Gibson was in net for Anaheim and Malcolm Subban went for Vegas.

First Period

Right from the beginning of this game Gibson had to be on his game and make great saves. He made a solid glove hand save in the early moments of the period and then made a snow angle type save on a wraparound chance. The Ducks also killed off a double minor penalty Brandon Montour received and it looked like the teams would be tied after 20 minutes. Vegas had other plans as they scored two goals in the final minutes of the period. Both were odd goals as they were short pop flies that floated over Gibson and in the net. Vegas lead 2-0 after the first period.

Second Period

The Ducks broke through early in the period as Francois Beauchemin‘s point shot made it through traffic and beat Subban. Anaheim then got their own four minute power play as Kevin Roy was high sticked. Kevin Bieksa would take a point shot and Antoine Vermette tipped it past Subban to tie the game at two apiece. Late in the period, Corey Perry got a breakaway chance and he buried it just past Subban’s blocker side. The Ducks took a 3-2 lead to the locker room.

Third Period

Kevin Bieksa took a penalty early in the period, but the Ducks were able to kill it off. This period was tighter checked than the previous two as the teams didn’t get as many shots on goal. It looked like the Ducks might be able to hang on for the win, but Erik Haula would score with less than five minutes to tie the game at three. He shot the puck from a sever angle and it somehow beat Gibson, who had his body pinched against the near post.

Overtime/Shootout

In the overtime the Ducks had a power play chance, but weren’t able to get one past Subban. Vegas got a late power play with less than a minute to go in overtime and they couldn’t score so the teams headed to a shootout. In the shootout only Alex Tuch would score and Vegas would win 4-3.

Analysis

The opening of the game Vegas put Anaheim on their heels right away. Gibson made great saves after great saves and it wasn’t until the end of the period Vegas broke through. Despite being down 2-0 early, if not for Gibson’s play the Ducks could have been down by more. The Ducks really turned thing about in the second period and it looked like they might be the ones to blow Vegas out instead. Unfortunately a late goal forced overtime and the Ducks can’t seem to get that second important point. On this six game road trip, the Ducks went to overtime and a shootout three times and each time lost. Anaheim was still able to earn five points on the road trip against teams with a combined record of 100-52-15 as of last night.

What’s Next

The Ducks return home tonight to face the Ottawa Senators at 7 PM PT.

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December 6th, 2017

Filed under: Ducks News Tagged: Anaheim Ducks, ducksnpucks, vegas golden knights