Photo: AP
By Michael Walters
The Anaheim Ducks continued their road trip with a stop in Boston. The two teams met earlier in the week with Boston taking that contest 3-1. This would be the second and final meeting between the two for this season. John Gibson got the start in net against Linus Ullmark. Leo Carlsson drew back into the lineup after being held out the last two games as part of Pat Verbeek‘s development plan.
Recap
The Ducks opened up the scoring in this one late in the first period. Radko Gudas took a point shot with traffic in front of the Boston net and the puck found its way into the back of the net. The shot ended up hitting former Duck Hampus Lindholm in the skate and then redirected past Ullmark. Boston challenged the play for goalie interference and the goal was upheld. The Ducks got a power play for delay of game, but couldn’t convert. Anaheim led 1-0 after the opening 20 minutes.
The Bruins responded in the middle frame with three goals to take a 3-1 lead. In the opening minute, Jackson LaCombe was called for cross checking. Charlie Coyle scored a tap in goal on the power play to tie the game at one. About 80 seconds later Matt Grezlcyk scored on a one-timer that barely beat Gibson five-hole. David Pastrnak made it 3-1 late in the period after his shot was blocked, he got to the rebound and scored.
In the third period the teams traded power play chances early on, but neither team could convert. With about four minutes to go the Ducks got a power play chance. They didn’t cash in with the extra man, but Leo Carlsson did score seconds after the power play expired. The Ducks crashed the net and Carlsson was able to tap in a rebound to pull Anaheim within one.
And then with 14.7 seconds left to go in the game, Anaheim was able to tie the game up at three. Initially it appeared Sam Carrick redirected a shot by Troy Terry, but upon review Terry’s shot deflected off Lindholm and past Ullmark. Overtime was needed to determine a winner.
In the extra session, Carlsson led a rush with Mason McTavish and spotted him a pass, which he shot low past Ullmark for the game winner. Ducks rallied down from 3-1 to win 4-3 in overtime.
Analysis:
What a comeback by the Ducks. Down by two goals with two minutes to go? No problem! The Ducks mounted another comeback in consecutive games and stunned the Boston Bruins, who were undefeated entering this contest at 6-0-0.
Carlsson got the comeback started scoring with just 1:55 left in the contest. It still looked like the Ducks were still going to lose, but then Terry tied it up with 14.7 seconds left. And then Carlsson got an assist on the game winning goal by McTavish in overtime. This was a statement game for Carlsson, who was a healthy scratch the last two games. He is making a strong case as to why he should be playing more often.
Trevor Zegras didn’t get on the score sheet in this contest, but he responded well to being benched in the last game. Zegras logged about 23 minutes of ice time, had six shots, one hit and was a +1. He also stayed out of the penalty box and overall looked sharper.
The Ducks are playing competitive night in and night out. Ducks hockey is fun again!
Team News/Notes:
Cam Fowler played in his 900th game as a member of the Anaheim Ducks. He is the only defensemen in team history to do so and he is the four player all-time to reach this milestone. Ryan Getzlaf, Corey Perry, and Teemu Selanne are the three previous players to have played in 900 games for Anaheim.
Gudas scored his first goal as a member of the Ducks.
Gibson finally earned his first victory of the season. He stopped 27 of 30 shots on the night.
What’s Next?
The Ducks travel to Philly to play the Flyers Saturday at 10 AM.
Support us by becoming a DucksNPucks patron! Members can win game tickets, Ducks gear, and more!
Want to start your sports media career? Then Join The Puck Network!
DucksNPucks is part of The Puck Network, which covers the entire NHL. There are openings to cover your favorite team(s) and earn school credits! If you are interested, then apply by filling out the form here: Join Our Team. What are you waiting for? Start your sports media career TODAY!
October 27th, 2023
DucksNPucks 