VIDEO: Ducks Come Up Short Against Lightning

Photo: USA Today

By Michael Walters

The Anaheim Ducks returned home to face the Tampa Bay Lightning. John Gibson was in net against Brian Elliott.

Recap

Tampa Bay nearly scored about four minutes into the game when they had a shot ring off the post. Anaheim then got the first power play of the game, but did not score.

Max Comtois appeared to tweak something early on in this one and went to the locker room. He did return a few minutes later.

Trevor Zegras would get the Ducks on top first as he beat Elliott with a quick one timer. The Ducks 1-0 lead didn’t last long, however.

Mikhail Sergachev would then tie things up as he beat Gibson, who was screened on the shot. Nikita Kucherov would then follow with a goal of his own and Tampa Bay had a 2-1 lead at the end of the first.

The Lightning got a power play early in the second period and the Ducks were able to kill it off. Steven Stamkos did have a wide open net to score, but he whiffed on the pass.

A few moments later, Zegras was stripped of the puck and Pat Maroon beat Gibson high. Fortunately for the Ducks, the puck hit the crossbar and stayed out of the net.

Terry made a big play with a steal in the Tampa Bay zone and then he scored from the slot to tie things up before the end of the second period.

Tampa Bay got a power play about 5 minutes into the third period. Isac Lundestrom was then pulled down and the teams played 4-on-4 for a brief moment. Anaheim also had a short power play, but they didn’t score.

Derek Grant almost put Anaheim ahead. He made a steal in the Tampa Bay zone and found a streaking Vatrano in the slot, but he couldn’t get the puck past Elliott.

The Lightning would get a power play with about 6 minutes left in the game and Brandon Hagel would score to make it 3-2. He took a point shot that beat Gibson high over the shoulder. The initial shot was partially screened by Simon Benoit.

The Ducks pulled Gibson in the final minutes and nearly tied the game on a few occasions. The Lightning scored a meaningless empty net goal in the final seconds of the game to win 4-2.

Analysis

The Ducks were able to break out with the lead in this game, but about 90 seconds of play resulted in the momentum shifting to the Lightning with two quick goals. Anaheim was still down just a goal in the second period and they were able to tie things up. The Ducks were lucky in the middle frame as the Lightning had a few chances to score and extend their lead. It looked as if the game might go to overtime and the Ducks would get at least a point, but a late power play goal helped Tampa Bay earn the two points.

There are plenty of things for Anaheim to work on. The team hasn’t scored a power play goal since opening night. The penalty kill gave up a critical goal in the third period. They had trouble moving the puck in the neutral zone in this contest. Tampa Bay dominated the puck possession with a 62.65% CF and a 65.38% FF during 5-on-5 play. Head Coach Dallas Eakins has been making tweaks to the lineup and he will probably make more for Friday’s game.

What’s Next?

The Ducks play the Vegas Golden Knights this Friday at 3 PM.

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October 27th, 2022