VIDEO: Ducks Extend Winning Streak Against Pens

Photo: CBC

By: Stephanie Mazzuca

The Anaheim Ducks hosted the Pittsburgh Penguins at the Honda Center, with John Gibson in net against Casey DeSmith.

Period 1

Anaheim was off to a strong start by dominating the first four minutes of play. However, many of their passes couldn’t connect and this eventually led to a goal by Bryan Rust (5-7-12). The Ducks then spent a lot of time in their defensive zone. 10 minutes into the first period, Evgeni’s Malkin’s (10-25-35) slap shot found the back of the net, increasing Pittsburgh’s lead. The Ducks managed to generate 11 shots on goal against the Penguins’ 8 shots on goal but the period ended at a score of 0-2.

Period 2

A few seconds into the second period, Zachary Aston-Reese (4-3-7) received a hooking penalty against Ryan Kesler (4-2-6), sending the Ducks to the power play. Daniel Sprong (3-4-7) took a shot from a difficult angle, and Adam Henrique (6-12-18) was able to score on the rebound. This power play goal put the Ducks on the board at 1-2. A minute later, Sidney Crosby (15-20-35) tripped Ondrej Kase (8-6-14) on a breakout rush into the Penguins’ zone and was sent to the penalty box. The Ducks created several dangerous scoring chances on this second power play. The penalty expired but Kiefer Sherwood (3-5-8) was able to find the back of the net and tied the game at 2-2. With less than 2 minutes remaining, Ondrej Kase scored off of a faceoff win. The second period ended with the Ducks in the lead at 3-2, and with 29-17 shots on goal.

Period 3

Kase tried to break up a Penguins odd-man rush but received a penalty in the process. With 20 seconds remaining in Kase’s penalty, Manson is called for interference, giving Pittsburgh 17 seconds of 5-on-3 hockey. John Gibson‘s outstanding goaltending allowed the Ducks to kill both penalties. The Penguins made a strong offensive push throughout the rest of the period but Anaheim was mostly able to shut down their scoring chances. With less than 2 minutes remaining in the game, the Penguins pulled their goaltender for the extra man advantage. The Ducks’ defense remained strong and allowed Ryan Getzlaf (8-18-26) to score on the empty net. The game ended at 4-2 in favor of Anaheim.

Post-Game Analysis

The Anaheim Ducks played what was arguably their best second period of the season tonight, scoring three goals and dominating the shot attempts. Goaltender John Gibson stood tall and turned away the Penguins’ most dangerous scoring chances as well. Overall, the Ducks were able to maintain puck possession and break up many of Pittsburgh’s offensive rushes. They will look to keep this momentum for the rest of the road trip.

Game Notes/Stats

The Anaheim Ducks extend their winning streak to four games.

The Ducks have won six straight games on the road.

Anaheim is 9-1-0 in their last 10 games.

Anaheim has 12 comeback wins, tied for second in the NHL.

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December 17th, 2018