Photo: Darryl Dyck/The Canadian Press
By: Stephanie Mazzuca
Last night, the Anaheim Ducks concluded their 4-game road trip at Rogers Arena against the Vancouver Canucks. This was Brendan Guhle’s first game as a Duck since his acquisition from the Buffalo Sabres in exchange for defenseman Brandon Montour (5-20-25). Anaheim also received a conditional 2019 1st round draft pick in the deal. Due to Ryan Miller’s lower-body injury, Kevin Boyle was in net against Jacob Markstrom.
Period 1
Four minutes into the game’s start, Derek Grant (4-5-9) was sent to the penalty box for holding. The Canucks created two dangerous scoring chances but were unable to convert. Anaheim seemed to be having a hard time keeping the puck in the offensive zone. Close to the period’s halfway mark, Devin Shore (6-16-22) lost control of the puck which led to a Vancouver odd-man rush. Nikolay Goldobin (6-19-25) scored off of a well-placed pass from Elias Pettersson (26-28-54). Antoine Roussel (7-20-27) then started to harass Ryan Kesler (5-2-7) and, as a result, received a minor penalty for cross-checking. The Ducks’ power play struggles continued so they couldn’t capitalize on this opportunity. With less than four minutes remaining, Alex Biega’s (1-6-7) slapshot from the blue line flew past Kevin Boyle and increased the Canucks’ lead to 0-2.
Period 2
Less than two minutes into the period, new Anaheim defensemen Brendan Guhle received his first NHL penalty for boarding. The Canucks attacked quickly on the ensuing power play and scored. Bo Horvat (21-25-46) was credited for Vancouver’s third goal of the night, assisted by Elias Pettersson. The Ducks continued to struggle offensively as many of their broken passes led to neutral zone turnovers. This period ended with Anaheim behind at 0-3 goals, but ahead with 21-15 shots on goal.
Period 3
The first half of this period featured mostly back-and-forth play. The Ducks started to set up some decent moves but were consistently unable to finish. Eight minutes into the period, Bo Horvat (21-25-46) made his second goal of the night from Ryan Kesler’s fumble at the blue line. This brought Vancouver’s lead to 4 goals. Unfortunately, the defensive breakdowns continued for Anaheim which allowed the Canucks to generate more dangerous chances. Max Jones (0-1-1) was very close to scoring his first NHL goal on two separate occasions but was unable to find the net. With about one minute left in this game, Bo Horvat was given a minor penalty for interference, allowing Anaheim to finish with on a power play opportunity. The Ducks completely failed to enter the offensive zone and dropped the game at 0-4.
Post-Game Analysis
Though this game was largely overshadowed by today’s NHL Trade Deadline, the Ducks were looking to finish their 4-game road trip with a much-needed win. It was not meant to be. Anaheim’s top forwards failed to score on key plays and the team was plagued by many defensive breakdowns. However, tonight’s contest was a good first look at Brendan Guhle, the young defenseman acquired from Buffalo in exchange for Brandon Montour. Guhle was at the forefront of several strong rushes along with Anaheim’s other “kid” prospects. Max Jones and Troy Terry (1-1-2) were often inches away from getting on the scoreboard. The trade deadline has passed, but it is clear that the Ducks still need to make changes in their lineup to find success.
Team Notes:
John Gibson has been on the IR with headaches. He had all four of his wisdom teeth pulled as they were believed to be the cause of the headaches.
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February 25th, 2019
DucksNPucks 