Anaheim Gets Doubled Up By Chicago

Photo: AP

By Michael Walters

The Anaheim Ducks closed out their brief two game homestand against the Chicago Blackhawks. John Gibson was in net against Arvid Soderblom. The Ducks honored Gibson beforehand for having played 500 games with the Anaheim organization.

Recap:

Each team had a power play in the first period, but neither team converted. There was no scoring in the opening frame.

Chicago started the scoring almost 8 minutes into the second period. Wyatt Kaiser scored from the left circle with a wrist shot.

Leo Carlsson responded less than a minute later with a nice backhand move in close to tie the game.

Pat Maroon put Chicago ahead 2-1 halfway through the period. He got the puck in front of the net while on the power play and beat Gibson low banking a shot off the post and in.

Teuvo Teravainen then scored a few minutes later with a wrist shot to make it 3-1.

Jackson LaCombe then responded with a goal just over minute later. Ryan Strome took a shot from the point and LaCombe got to the rebound and scored low past Soderblom.

After everything was said and done in the second period, the Ducks found themselves down 3-2.

The Ducks got a power play early in the third period, but didn’t convert. Lukas Reichel scored on a breakaway shortly after the penalty expired to make it 4-2 Chicago.

Anaheim then got into penalty trouble as Radko Gudas and Alex Killorn were both called for penalties on the same sequence. Ryan Donato scored on the 5-on-3 power play to make it 5-2. He then scored again a few minutes later to make it 6-2.

Carlsson scored with less than three minutes to go to make it a 6-3 contest. He came streaking down the wing and sniped a shot over the glove of Soderblom. The Ducks wouldn’t get any closer and dropped this one by a 6-3 final.

Analysis:

After an uneventful first period, there were five goals scored in the middle frame. The Ducks got down by a goal and then responded to tie things up. The Blackhawks scored the next two goals and the Ducks got one back to make it 3-2 at end of the second period. Chicago then scored two early goals in the third and cruised to a 6-3 victory.

Anaheim played a solid even strength game posting a CF% of 56.7% and a FF% of 56.16%. The Ducks had their chances, but couldn’t finish their plays. Mason McTavish had a chance at a slam dunk goal in the crease in the opening moments of this contest, but he couldn’t find the handle on the puck. Anaheim also had a few post shots in this contest. Chicago was able to convert when they needed to, especially on the breakaway by Reichel. Blackhawks held the edge in scoring 4-3 at even strength play.

The Ducks do need to play with more discipline. Since the 4 Nations break, Anaheim has been shorthanded 17 times in just five games. The Ducks have given up six power play goals(2 in this contest) and are just 64.7% efficient in killing penalties over that span. And outside of the game against Buffalo, the power play has been none existent in these last five contests going 2-for-10.

Anaheim is still six points behind Vancouver for the final wild card spot as they lost also. The Ducks had an opportunity to pull within four points against a Chicago team that just traded away Seth Jones, but they couldn’t take advantage.

Team Notes/Stats:

Anaheim scored three goals and lost in regulation for the first time this season. The Ducks are now 23-1-3 when scoring three or more goals this season.

LaCombe extended his point streak to five games (2 G + 4 A). He is the first Anaheim defensemen to score 11 goals since Hampus Lindholm did it in the 2017-18 season.

On March 1st, 1993 the NHL announced the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim as the name of the new franchise that would start in the 1993-94 season.

What’s Next?

The Ducks play the Oilers in Edmonton Tuesday at 6PM.

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March 2nd, 2025