The Carolina Hurricanes visited the Anaheim Ducks at Honda Center on Sunday evening. The Ducks were looking to continue the energy they played with in their 4-1 win over the Nashville Predators on the road, while the Hurricanes wanted to bounce back from a blowout 7-2 loss against the Los Angeles Kings. Former Ducks goalie Frederik Andersen manned the net for the Hurricanes, while Lukas Dostal once again made a start over John Gibson. Sitting second in the Metropolitan Division, the Hurricanes are a hard team to beat, especially for a struggling Ducks lineup. However, forward Andrei Svechnikov remained out for his sixth consecutive game, making a bit of a weak point in the Hurricanes’ offense. The Ducks have a 10-4-1 record in their last 15 home games, giving them an increased incentive to defend their home ice.
Game Recap
While the Ducks were unable to capitalize on their first power play thanks to the Hurricanes’ superb penalty kill, forward Trevor Zegras did get a good shot that bounced off the chest of Andersen. The Hurricanes did not score on the man advantage, either, mainly thanks to goaltender Dostal. He was able to stop shots from Sebastian Aho, Shayne Gostisbehere, and Jesperi Kotkaniemi. Just a few seconds after that penalty expired, Sean Walker was assessed a double minor for high-sticking, giving the Ducks a four-minute power play. Unfortunately, the Ducks struggled to keep the puck in the zone and were not able to get many good looks, and the Hurricanes killed off yet another penalty.
The story of the first period was the performance of the goaltenders. The Hurricanes tested Dostal with 11 shots on goal, while the Ducks put up just six against Andersen. Though we saw some good performances from the penalty kill units from both teams, there was no offense to show for it as the teams headed into the locker room for the first intermission.
Related: Lukas Dostal Is the Ducks’ Undisputed MVP This Season
The second period was off to a slow start, with nearly eight minutes passing without a goal or a power play opportunity for either team. The Hurricanes’ Mark Jankowski was able to find the net with a backhander after a pass from Tyson Jost. This goal was Jankowski’s 10th of the season and his sixth in seven games. After some back-and-forth shots from both teams, Alex Killorn was able to make a speedy breakaway to beat Andersen for his 17th goal of the season, putting himself on a two-game goal streak and the Ducks on the board. Killorn’s goal was assisted by Jackson LaCombe. The Hurricanes quickly responded, with Jordan Martinook sneaking one past Dostal from in close, assisted by Gostisbehere.
The Hurricanes’ first power play of the second period came after a slashing penalty by Cutter Gauthier, but a matching slashing penalty by Gostisbehere created 4-on-4 play for 39 seconds before the Ducks would go on the power play. They did not score on the man advantage but were quickly on another power play for the remaining seconds of the period after Kotkaniemi took an interference penalty. The period concluded with the Hurricanes having a narrow 2-1 lead. They controlled the puck more often than the Ducks, having 15 shots on goal to the home team’s 11.
The Ducks started the third period with a minute and a half remaining on their fifth power play of the night, but once again did not score with a man up. Just seconds after Kotkaniemi’s penalty expired, Ryan Strome took a high-sticking penalty, giving the Hurricanes a power play that they capitalized on. Taylor Hall snuck in off the wing and went bar down to give the Hurricanes a two-goal lead, assisted by the team’s only rookie, Jackson Blake. The Ducks were looking like they had a bit more fight and life after going down by two. Olen Zellweger had a near-goal off a toe-drag, only stopped by Andersen’s brilliant glove save. The Hurricanes took another penalty – Martinook for tripping – and the Ducks were on the power play once again. Unsurprisingly, they did not score on their sixth 5-on-4 chance. The Ducks have a power play percentage of just 13% this season.
With just over three minutes remaining in regulation, Trevor Zegras was able to jam the puck past Andersen and bring the Ducks’ deficit to just one. He was assisted by Jacob Trouba. The Hurricanes responded impressively, with Hall getting his second goal of the night mere seconds after Zegras, and then notching his sixth career hat trick on an empty net shortly thereafter. The Hurricanes totaled 37 shots to the Ducks’ 34 and added their ninth win in 10 games to their record, concluding their road trip with a morale-boosting win. They will play the Predators at home on Tuesday. The Ducks will continue their five-game homestand on Wednesday as the Boston Bruins visit Anaheim.
