Photo: AP
By Michael Walters
The Anaheim Ducks returned home to face the Seattle Kraken for the third time in the past week. Lukas Dostal was in net against Philipp Grubauer. Nikita Nesterenko and Alex Stalock were called up from San Diego. Radko Gudas returned from injury after missing the entire road trip.
Recap
The Ducks went shorthanded just four minutes into the game, but were able to kill off the penalty. They then went on the power play halfway through the period, but didn’t convert.
Shane Wright got the opening goal of the game with about four minutes to go in the period. He redirected Oliver Bjorkstrand‘s shot past Dostal. Seattle led 1-0 at the end of the first period.
Wright scored his second goal just over two minutes into the second period. It appeared like the play might have been offside, but the Ducks decided not to challenge it after some discussion behind the bench.
Gustav Lindstrom was called for high-sticking about halfway through the period and Matthew Beniers scored on the power play to make it 3-0.
In the next sequence, Gudas put a big hip check on Brandon Tanev, which drew the ire of his teammates. A few Kraken players rushed Gudas as a result and somehow after the scuffle only Gudas got a penalty. The Ducks were able to kill it off.
Leo Carlsson got the Ducks on the board with a great individual effort with just over three minutes left in the period. He passed the puck between his legs to himself to create room and then took a wrist shot that be Grubauer. Ducks were down 3-1 after two periods.
In the third there weren’t many scoring chances. The Ducks pulled Dostal with about three minutes to go, but Cam Fowler had to hook Jared McCann to prevent him from scoring in the empty net. The penalty haulted any comeback attempt by the Ducks. Anaheim lost 3-1.
Analysis:
The Ducks played a decent opening period and were outshot 12 to 9, but only found themselves down by one. In the second period the game got away from them. They went shorthanded three times and gave up two goals before Carlsson got them on the board late in the period. Anaheim couldn’t mount a rally in the third period.
Some of the same issues continue to plague Anaheim. The Ducks were undisciplined going shorthanded five times and gave up one power play goal. They were also only able to generate 17 shots on goal in the game. The Ducks only had eight shots on goal in the second and third period combined. Seattle had Anaheim’s number winning all three games in the past week.
Trevor Zegras didn’t play in the final seven minutes of the game. He left the ice appearing to be in discomfort, but remained on the bench for the final minutes of the game. Hopefully it’s nothing serious.
What’s Next?
The Ducks host the St. Louis Blues Sunday at 5 PM.
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!
April 6th, 2024
DucksNPucks 