VIDEO: Ducks Lose In OT To Golden Knights

By Richard Gonzalez

The Anaheim Ducks were looking for their first win in two weeks, but a costly mistake in overtime cost the Ducks the game and extended their winless streak to six games.

Pre-Game:

The Ducks (6-10-4) returned to Honda Center to host the Las Vegas Golden Knights (11-4-1). The Ducks last win came Feb. 11, 2021, when they beat the Golden Knights 1-0.

Adam Henrique and Hampus Lindholm drew back in the lineup. Danton Heinen, Josh Mahura and Troy Terry were the scratches. John Gibson and Marc-Andre Fleury got the starts for their respective teams.

Notable:

Kevin Shattenkirk and Cam Fowler each played their 700^th career NHL game.

Shattenkirk has played each of his last 700 games with the Colorado Avalanche (46), St. Louis Blues (425), Washington Capitals (19), New York Rangers (119), Tampa Bay Lightning (70) and the Ducks (20).

Fowler has played all 700 games with the Ducks. Tonight, was also Military Appreciation Night. I would like to thank all my brother and sister service members for their past, present, and future service.   

The Game:

The Ducks started the first period decent as they scored the first goal with a Rickard Rakell wrist shot with Fowler getting the assist. They also killed the game’s first penalty when Ryan Getzlaf was called for tripping. The Ducks would lose their lead as Alex Pietrangelo gets a goal on a shot that screened Gibson.

The second period saw the Golden Knights William Karlsson get through three Ducks players to score the go-ahead goal. The Ducks were not ready to lie down in this game. Henrique scored a controversial goal that was challenged by the Golden Knights, but the call stood, and the Ducks would tie the game.

Overtime was needed for this one and the Ducks seemed to have all the momentum to start bonus hockey. The had numerous chances, including a point blank open net shot from Isac Lundestrom which would have won the game if it were not for a save by Fleury. Karlsson got behind Sonny Milano to get on a breakaway to, which he would score to win the game.

The Good, the Bad and the Ugly:

The good: Henrique drawing back in the lineup and scoring the game-tying goal to force the game into overtime. He was also 91% in the faceoff circle and played a total 14:43 minutes.

The bad: Former Ducks Karlsson (two goals) and Shea Theodore (two assists) being the factors in the Ducks loss. This only adds to the displeasure the Ducks fans have with Bob Murray and the Ducks management.

The ugly: Ducks extended their losing streak to six games and only winning three games for the month of February.

Analysis:

The Ducks played with a little more spunk and were able to keep the top West [Honda] Division team on their heels. The had a sluggish second period but were able to do a complete turnaround to play a solid third period and better overtime. It was great to see Henrique get on the board in his first game back from a crazy week of being waived and scratched. The Ducks did lose and extend their winless streak, but they did not fully back down and fought until the very end. This is the type of game where they can hold their heads up with pride.

What’s Next?

The Ducks will host their first game of a two-game series against the Blues at Honda Center on Monday March 1, 2021 at 7:00PM (PST).

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February 28th, 2021