Photo: USA Today
By Michael Walters
The Anaheim Ducks finished their short road trip in Chicago against the Blackhawks. Leo Carlsson and Connor Bedard met for the first time in the regular season. Lukas Dostal was in net against Petr Mrazek. Max Jones was injured in the last game against Colorado and did not play in this contest.
Recap
The Ducks created a couple chances early on, including a one timer from Carlsson in the slot and a rebound chance by Killorn, but the game remained scoreless. Anaheim got the first power play of the game with Nikita Zaitsev sitting for interference at the six minute mark. Anaheim got one shot on goal and couldn’t convert with the extra man. The Blackhawks got back-to-back power plays later in the period, but they too couldn’t cash in with the extra man. The game remained scoreless after the first period.
In the middle frame, Dostal made an early save on a wrap around attempt to keep the game tied at zero. Tristan Luneau received a double minor penalty for high-sticking almost seven minutes into the period. The Ducks killed off the first penalty, but Philipp Kurashev scored on the second one to make it 1-0 Chicago. Anaheim got a power play later in the period, but couldn’t convert. Frank Vatrano nearly tied the game at the end of the period. Carlsson made a stretch pass to Vatrano, who went a breakaway, but he was stopped by Mrazek.
The Ducks started the third period on the power play, but again came up empty. Anaheim pressured Chicago throughout the entire final 20 minutes. The Ducks had 19 shot attempts to just three for the Blackhawks in the period. Despite the Ducks carrying the play, they couldn’t get the tying goal and lost 1-0.
Analysis:
The Ducks played a solid road game that saw them get better as contest carried on. The Blackhawks held a 23 to 17 shot attempt advantage in the first period, but then it was all Ducks after that. Anaheim put up 50 attempts in the second and third periods to just 19 for Chicago.
At even strength the Ducks posted a 65.79 CF% and 62.96 FF% in the second period. In the final frame the Ducks had an outstanding 85.71 CF% and FF%. Anaheim created tons of chances, but Mrazek stood on his head and the Ducks came up empty on the scoreboard.
“We’re moving the puck on the outside; we’re not throwing into the net,” Anaheim coach Greg Cronin said. “If you watch [the Blackhawks] in the first period, they just kept getting pucks down to the net front. We’re trying to tell our guys to do that, but they refuse to do it, whether they were afraid of getting blocked or whatever. Then you can always throw it off the end wall and pick it up off the end board. We just kept going to the outside. We had possession, which is great, but we weren’t getting any quality scoring chances.”
What’s Next?
The Ducks host the Winnipeg Jets Sunday at 5 PM.
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December 7th, 2023
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