VIDEO: Ducks Earn Point Against Caps

Photo: AP

By Michael Walters

The Anaheim Ducks hit the road with their first stop in Washington D.C. against the Capitals. John Gibson was in net against Ilya Samsonov. Buddy Robinson made his debut with Anaheim.

Recap

The Capitals came out on the attack and Gibson was equal to the task early on.

The Ducks had an early chance as Trevor Zegras created open space, but he couldn’t beat Samsonov. Sonny Milano had an open net on the same sequence, but couldn’t get a handle on the puck.

The Capitals appeared to score, but the goal was overturned as the referees deemed the whistle blew before the puck was in the back of the net. Tom Wilson would then officially score first for the Capitals. He would get an easy slam dunk goal as the Ducks focused their attention on Alex Ovenckin. The Caps lead 1-0 after the opening period.

Ducks would tie the game up right off the opening face-off in the second period. Milano took a shot that beat Samsonov, but the puck was behind the goalie in the crease. Josh Manson came in and tapped the puck in for the game tying score.

The Caps responded a few minutes later after a Ducks turnover. Former Duck Carl Hagelin would score with a wide open net.

The Caps got a power play as Simon Benoit was called for interference against John Carlson. Washington didn’t score, but Wilson took exception to the hit and fought Benoit.

The Ducks responded on the score board with two goals. Zegras would take a shot from close in and it was blocked. The puck was deflected in the air toward Milano, who knocked it out of the air and right into the Caps net. Cam Fowler would then find a streaking Vinni Lettieri in the slot for the go ahead score.

Anaheim led 3-2 and things good towards the end of the period, but Carlson scored to make 3-3 after two periods.

In the third period each team had chances, but there was no scoring. The Ducks would need bonus hockey again to determine a winner. In overtime there weren’t many quality scoring chances, so to the shootout the teams would go.

Troy Terry was up first and scored for the Ducks. It looked like Anaheim might earn the extra point, but Daniel Sprong scored in the third round to extend the shootout. In round four, Rickard Rakell and Alex Ovechkin scored. In round five, Milano did not convert, but Carlson did to give the Caps the 4-3 win.

Analysis:

The Ducks had a rough start to this contest. They caught a break with an early whistle or else Anaheim could have been down by two in the opening period. They did respond well in the second period with three goals and nearly had the lead going into the third period. Usually the second period is the Ducks weakest, but not in this game.

Despite being shorthanded without Ryan Getzlaf and Adam Henrique, the Ducks were able hang in this game especially during the third period and overtime. They nearly pulled off the win in the shootout. Great team effort especially after a slow start.

The top line of Rakell, Zegras, and Milano logged over 17 minutes of ice time together. Milano had a goal and an assist. Zegras had two assists and Rakell had one assist. They factored in two out of three of Anaheim’s goals. Dallas Eakins had to rely on them and the second line of Jakob Silfverberg, Isac Lundestrom, and Vinni Lettieri due to the recent injuries.

Team Notes/Stats:

Zegras is only point behind Lucas Raymond in rookie scoring. Zegras does have one game in hand.

Zegras became just the third Ducks rookie to record 20 points in 24 or fewer games. Bobby Ryan did it 2008-09 in 22 games. Paul Kariya also achieved this in 1994-95 in 24 games.

What’s Next?

The Ducks are in Buffalo tonight to take on the Sabres at 4:30 PM PT.

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!

December 6th, 2021