ANAHEIM — The Ducks’ last four wins had been of the wagon-circling variety, and while they never trailed on Tuesday night, there was no shortage of intrigue in their 3-2 victory over the New Jersey Devils at Honda Center.
It was their fifth victory in their past eight games, and over a team that entered the day leading the Metropolitan Division but that had slipped behind the Washington Capitals by the end of the evening.
The Ducks went ahead 2-0, but retroceded that lead before Ryan Strome’s slap shot from above the right circle found the net on the far side thanks in part to Troy Terry’s screen with 3:24 left. It was Strome’s second straight game with the winning goal, his first two game-winners of the season.
Strome also added an assist on Terry’s goal, while Frank Vatrano helped set up both of those markers as the Ducks won back-to-back games for only the second time in six weeks. Robby Fabbri emptied his gas tank once again and got a goal in return. Lukáš Dostál made his fifth straight appearance and won for the fourth time in five starts, stopping 32 shots.
Jonas Siegenthaler and Timo Meier scored for New Jersey. Jacob Markström made 23 saves.
Missed opportunities – the Ducks failed to cash in on multiple breakaways and moved to one goal from their past 31 power plays after an 0-for-3 night – threatened to become a theme for the Ducks on Tuesday, no more so than with 6:40 to play. Just 11 seconds after Mason McTavish was denied on a breakaway, Meier scored from between the circles off a counterattack.
Just 1:34 after they took a 2-0 lead, the Ducks handed the Devils that goal right back. Alex Killorn’s failed clearing attempt went directly to Siegenthaler, who fired the puck right back at the net through heavy traffic to slice the Devils’ deficit in half.
The Ducks carried momentum from the late stages of the second period into the third and finally earned some breathing room at the 3:57 mark. Brian Dumoulin’s takeaway and outlet pass sent Cutter Gauthier and Fabbri off on a two-on-one rush, which Fabbri finished by waiting out Markstrom and skating around the towering Sweden to roof a wrist shot.
A stronger stanza territorially maintained the Ducks’ 1-0 advantage. They held the Devils at bay and garnered a pair of sterling chances 62 seconds apart as the second intermission loomed. First, Fabbri’s clean breakaway was foiled by the crossbar as his backhand bid beat Markström but not the metal above him. Then, Dumoulin made a savvy pass to Leo Carlsson as he slithered through the slot for a menacing shot.
Though the Ducks were out-shot 16-5 in the first period with analytical barometers to match, they headed to the dressing room with a 1-0 lead and nearly made it 2-0 off of Vatrano’s late-frame rush chance.
He was involved in the Ducks’ goal as well, combining with Strome on the forecheck. Strome slipped a pass from the goal line to the slot, where Terry extended fully to control the puck and sweep it past Markström.
The Ducks also killed two penalties in a period where Dostál absorbed the barrage with aplomb and got some help from the crossbar against Dougie Hamilton’s shot.
More to come on this story.
