Anaheim Ducks hockey news: Orange County Register

Ducks can’t protect lead as Oilers score 3 third-period goals

Josh Gross — Sat, 10 Feb 2024 06:16:24 +0000

Ducks center Leo Carlsson, right, controls the puck as Edmonton Oilers defenseman Mattias Ekholm defends during the first period of their game against the Edmonton Oilers on Friday night at Honda Center. (AP Photo/Alex Gallardo)
Ducks right wing Frank Vatrano shoots during the first period of their game against the Edmonton Oilers on Friday night at Honda Center. (AP Photo/Alex Gallardo)
The Edmonton Oilers’ Connor McDavid, left, skates past the Ducks’ Radko Gudas during the first period on Friday night at Honda Center. (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images)
The Edmonton Oilers’ Vincent Desharnais, left, controls the puck as the Ducks’ Brett Leason defends during the first period on Friday night at Honda Center. (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images)
Ducks center Leo Carlsson controls the puck during the first period of their game against the Edmonton Oilers on Friday night at Honda Center. (AP Photo/Alex Gallardo)
Ducks right wing Brett Leason, right, controls the puck against Edmonton Oilers defenseman Vincent Desharnais, left, and defenseman Darnell Nurse (25) during the first period of their game against the Edmonton Oilers on Friday night at Honda Center. (AP Photo/Alex Gallardo)
Ducks center Leo Carlsson shoots the puck in front of Edmonton Oilers defenseman Brett Kulak, left, and center Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, right, during the first period on Friday night at Honda Center. (AP Photo/Alex Gallardo)
Ducks center Ryan Strome controls the puck during the first period of their game against the Edmonton Oilers on Friday night at Honda Center. (AP Photo/Alex Gallardo)
The Ducks’ Bo Groulx, left, and goaltender John Gibson defend against the Edmonton Oilers’ Connor Brown during the first period on Friday night at Honda Center. (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images)
Ducks defenseman Radko Gudas shoots during the first period of their game against the Edmonton Oilers on Friday night at Honda Center. (AP Photo/Alex Gallardo)
Ducks center Ryan Strome skates during the first period of their game against the Edmonton Oilers on Friday night at Honda Center. (AP Photo/Alex Gallardo)
Ducks center Leo Carlsson, left, vies for the puck with Edmonton Oilers center Leon Draisaitl during the first period of their game against the Edmonton Oilers on Friday night at Honda Center. (AP Photo/Alex Gallardo)
Ducks center Ryan Strome shoots the puck as Edmonton Oilers center Derek Ryan (10) trails after him during the first period of their game against the Edmonton Oilers on Friday night at Honda Center. (AP Photo/Alex Gallardo)
The Edmonton Oilers’ Connor McDavid, center, skates with the puck as the Ducks’ Cam Fowler gives chase during the first period on Friday night at Honda Center. (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images)
The Ducks’ Urho Vaakanainen (5), Radko Gudas (7) and Troy Terry (19) defend against the Edmonton Oilers’ Connor McDavid, right, during the first period on Friday night at Honda Center. (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images)
The Ducks’ Urho Vaakanainen (5), Radko Gudas (7) and Troy Terry (19) defend against the Edmonton Oilers’ Connor McDavid, right, during the first period on Friday night at Honda Center. (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images)
Ducks center Ryan Strome controls the puck during the first period of their game against the Edmonton Oilers on Friday night at Honda Center. (AP Photo/Alex Gallardo)
The Edmonton Oilers’ Derek Ryan, left, controls the puck as the Ducks’ Jackson LaCombe defends during the first period on Friday night at Honda Center. (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images)
The Edmonton Oilers’ Connor McDavid skates past the Ducks’ Radko Gudas as they pursue the puck during the first period on Friday night at Honda Center. (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images)
Ducks center Ryan Strome controls the puck during the first period of their game against the Edmonton Oilers on Friday night at Honda Center. (AP Photo/Alex Gallardo)
The Edmonton Oilers’ Corey Perry skates to a loose puck during the first period of their game against the Ducks on Friday night at Honda Center. (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images)
Ducks defenseman Jackson LaCombe, left, controls the puck against Edmonton Oilers left wing Dylan Holloway during the second period on Friday night at Honda Center. (AP Photo/Alex Gallardo)
Edmonton Oilers center Mattias Janmark controls the puck in front of Ducks goaltender John Gibson during the second period on Friday night at Honda Center. (AP Photo/Alex Gallardo)
Edmonton Oilers center Mattias Janmark, left, vies for the puck with Ducks defenseman Gustav Lindstrom during the second period on Friday night at Honda Center. (AP Photo/Alex Gallardo)
Ducks goaltender John Gibson blocks an Edmonton Oilers shot during the second period on Friday night at Honda Center. (AP Photo/Alex Gallardo)
Edmonton Oilers left wing Evander Kane, center, vies for the puck with Ducks center Bo Groulx, right, and defenseman Ilya Lyubushkin (46) during the second period on Friday night at Honda Center. (AP Photo/Alex Gallardo)
Ducks goaltender John Gibson, left, catches the puck in front of Edmonton Oilers left wing Warren Foegele (37) during the second period on Friday night at Honda Center. (AP Photo/Alex Gallardo)
Edmonton Oilers center Connor McDavid, right, talks with teammates before a face off during the second period of their game against the Ducks on Friday night at Honda Center. (AP Photo/Alex Gallardo)
Edmonton Oilers center Connor McDavid, right, controls the puck as Ducks right wing Jakob Silfverberg defends during the second period on Friday night at Honda Center. (AP Photo/Alex Gallardo)
Edmonton Oilers center Connor McDavid, right, controls the puck as Ducks right wing Jakob Silfverberg defends during the second period on Friday night at Honda Center. (AP Photo/Alex Gallardo)
Ducks defenseman Radko Gudas, left, and right wing Jakob Silfverberg, center, line up for a faceoff with Edmonton Oilers left wing Zach Hyman, right, during the second period on Friday night at Honda Center. (AP Photo/Alex Gallardo)
The Edmonton Oilers’ Mattias Ekholm, left, and goaltender Calvin Pickard defend against the Ducks’ Sam Carrick during the second period on Friday night at Honda Center. (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images)
Ducks goaltender John Gibson deflects a shot in front of Edmonton Oilers center Connor McDavid, right, during the second period on Friday night at Honda Center. (AP Photo/Alex Gallardo)
Edmonton Oilers left wing Evander Kane reacts after scoring a goal during the second period of their game against the Ducks on Friday night at Honda Center. (AP Photo/Alex Gallardo)
The Edmonton Oilers’ Evander Kane is congratulated at the bench after his first goal during the second period of their game against the Ducks on Friday night at Honda Center. (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images)
Edmonton Oilers left wing Dylan Holloway, right, controls the puck while under pressure from Ducks defenseman Urho Vaakanainen during the second period on Friday night at Honda Center. (AP Photo/Alex Gallardo)
Ducks goaltender John Gibson blocks an Edmonton Oilers shot during the second period on Friday night at Honda Center. (AP Photo/Alex Gallardo)
The Ducks’ Cam Fowler controls the puck as the Edmonton Oilers’ Brett Kulak, left, defends during the second period on Friday night at Honda Center. (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images)
Edmonton Oilers center Connor McDavid readies for a face off during the second period of their game against the Ducks on Friday night at Honda Center. (AP Photo/Alex Gallardo)
The Ducks’ Ryan Strome skates past the defense of Edmonton Oilers goaltender Calvin Pickard to score a goal during the second period on Friday night at Honda Center. (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images)
Ducks center Ryan Strome (16) is congratulated after he scored a goal during the second period of their game against the Edmonton Oilers on Friday night at Honda Center. (AP Photo/Alex Gallardo)
The Edmonton Oilers’ Mattias Ekholm, back, defends against the Ducks’ Sam Carrick during the second period on Friday night at Honda Center. (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images)
Edmonton Oilers center Connor McDavid, left, and center Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, front, skate during the second period of their game against the Ducks on Friday night at Honda Center. (AP Photo/Alex Gallardo)
Edmonton Oilers left wing Evander Kane celebrates after scoring his second goal during the second period of their game against the Ducks on Friday night at Honda Center. (AP Photo/Alex Gallardo)
The Edmonton Oilers’ Evander Kane is congratulated at the bench after scoring his second goal during the second period of their game against the Ducks on Friday night at Honda Center. (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images)
The Edmonton Oilers’ Derek Ryan, left, and Brett Kulak, right, defend against the Ducks’ Frank Vatrano during the second period on Friday night at Honda Center. (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images)
The Edmonton Oilers’ Evander Kane controls the puck during the second period of their game against the Ducks on Friday night at Honda Center. (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images)
Ducks center Isac Lundestrom, right, slides into the net and against Edmonton Oilers goaltender Calvin Pickard during the third period on Friday night at Honda Center. (AP Photo/Alex Gallardo)
Edmonton Oilers left wing Zach Hyman (18) falls as Ducks goaltender Lukas Dostal, bottom right, blocks a shot with defenseman Radko Gudas (7) defending during the third period on Friday night at Honda Center. (AP Photo/Alex Gallardo)
Edmonton Oilers center Leon Draisaitl (29) celebrates with left wing Zach Hyman (18) after Draisaitl scored a go-ahead goal against Ducks goaltender Lukas Dostal, right, during the third period on Friday night at Honda Center. (AP Photo/Alex Gallardo)
Ducks goaltender Lukas Dostal, left, shows his frustration as Edmonton Oilers players celebrate a go-ahead goal by Leon Draisaitl (29) during the third period on Friday night at the Honda Center. (AP Photo/Alex Gallardo)
The Edmonton Oilers’ Leon Draisaitl, right, congratulates Zach Hyman after he scored a goal during the third period on Friday night at Honda Center. (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images)
Ducks goaltender Lukas Dostal, top left, blocks a shot by Edmonton Oilers left wing Zach Hyman (18) with defenseman Radko Gudas (7) defending during the third period on Friday night at Honda Center. (AP Photo/Alex Gallardo)
Edmonton Oilers center Connor McDavid (97) and left wing Evander Kane (91) celebrate a goal by left wing Zach Hyman, far left, during the third period of their game against the Ducks on Friday night at Honda Center. (AP Photo/Alex Gallardo)
Edmonton Oilers center Leon Draisaitl, left, passes the puck away from Ducks left wing Max Jones during the third period on Friday night at Honda Center. (AP Photo/Alex Gallardo)
Ducks center Ryan Strome celebrates after scoring during the third period of their game against the Edmonton Oilers on Friday night at Honda Center. (AP Photo/Alex Gallardo)
The Ducks’ Ryan Strome is congratulated at the bench after scoring a goal during the third period of their game against the Edmonton Oilers on Friday night at Honda Center. (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images)
The Edmonton Oilers’ Evander Kane skates past the Ducks’ Jackson LaCombe, bottom, and scores an empty-net goal during the third period on Friday night at Honda Center. (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images)
The Edmonton Oilers’ Evander Kane skates past the Ducks’ Jackson LaCombe, bottom, and scores an empty-net goal during the third period on Friday night at Honda Center. (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images)
The Edmonton Oilers’ Evander Kane skates past the Ducks’ Jackson LaCombe, left, on his way to scoring an empty-net goal during the third period on Friday night at Honda Center. (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images)
The Ducks’ Adam Henrique, right, controls the puck past the defense of the Edmonton Oilers’ Zach Hyman during the third period on Friday night at Honda Center. (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images)
The Edmonton Oilers’ Connor McDavid, right, looks to pass the puck during the third period of their game against the Ducks on Friday night at Honda Center. (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images)
The Ducks’ Ilya Lyubushkin, left, and goaltender Lukas Dostal, right, defend against the Edmonton Oilers’ Corey Perry during the third period on Friday night at Honda Center. (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images)
Edmonton Oilers left wing Evander Kane scores an empty-net goal, his third goal of the game, during the third period of their game against the Ducks on Friday night at Honda Center. (AP Photo/Alex Gallardo)
The Edmonton Oilers’ Evander Kane celebrates after scoring an empty-net goal, his third goal of the game as Ducks defenseman Cam Fowler looks on during the third period on Friday night at Honda Center. (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images)
Ducks goaltender Lukas Dostal, right, blocks a shot by the Edmonton Oilers’ Leon Draisaitl during the third period on Friday night at Honda Center. (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images)
From left, the Edmonton Oilers’ Brett Kulak, Vincent Desharnais, Mattias Ekholm and Warren Foegele celebrate after their 5-3 comeback victory over the Ducks on Friday night at Honda Center. (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images)
Edmonton Oilers left wing Evander Kane (91) celebrates with goaltender Calvin Pickard, right, after the Oilers defeated the Anaheim Ducks in an NHL hockey game in Anaheim, Calif., Friday, Feb. 9, 2024. (AP Photo/Alex Gallardo)
Edmonton Oilers center Connor McDavid (97) celebrates with goaltender Calvin Pickard (30) after the Oilers defeated the Anaheim Ducks in an NHL hockey game in Anaheim, Calif., Friday, Feb. 9, 2024. (AP Photo/Alex Gallardo)
Edmonton Oilers fan Dan Steil stands for the Canadian National Anthem prior to a game between the Ducks and the Oilers on Friday night at Honda Center. (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images)

ANAHEIM — The Ducks swapped goals with hockey’s hottest club on Friday night, but they eventually succumbed to the Edmonton Oilers, falling 5-3 at Honda Center.

A hat trick from Oilers forward Evander Kane and a trio of assists for Connor McDavid, including one on what proved to be the third-period game-winning goal by Leon Draisaitl, denied the Ducks a third straight win at home and an opportunity for points in each of their last five games.

Following an eight-day break tied to the NHL All-Star Game, the Ducks used an energetic opening period to gain a rare advantage against the visitors.

After suffering 7-2 and 8-2 defeats against the Oilers earlier this season, the Ducks (18-31-2, 38 points) outscored the resurgent Canadians for the first time in seven periods, temporarily getting the best of a red-hot team (30-16-1, 61 points) that has lifted itself from outside the playoff picture to the third spot in the Pacific Division in recent months.

While McDavid, the Oilers’ star captain and points leader, served a two-minute minor for interference, Cam Fowler’s power-play goal at 18:40 (the defenseman’s first since the middle of November) gave him three on the season.

Assisted by Adam Henrique and Frank Vatrano, who was fresh off a pair of goals during All-Star festivities in Toronto, Fowler took the puck off a faceoff in the Edmonton zone. He moved inside the blue line toward the middle of the ice before firing a wrist shot through traffic that redirected off an Oilers’ stick, besting goaltender Calvin Pickard on his glove side.

The turn of events was short-lived as Edmonton ramped up its attack and play on both sides of the ice loosened up, prompting a trio of alternating goals during a stretch of 3 minutes, 40 seconds.

Kane’s goals, at 9:11 and 12:51, leveled the score twice for Edmonton, which outshot the Ducks 13-2 in the middle period.

Putting the Oilers on the board with an assist from 38-year-old former Duck Corey Perry, finished from a tight angle through a small patch of uncovered space as the puck bounced off Gibson’s face mask.

The Ducks briefly retook the lead on Strome’s seventh at 9:40.

Dumping the puck into the Oilers’ zone, Ducks center Leo Carlsson intercepted a clearance and tapped it to Strome in one motion. The unguarded winger circled around Pickard to net a simple finish for the 13th two-goal game of Strome’s 11-year career and his first since April 19, 2022, with the New York Rangers.

“I think that we deserved a little of a better fate,” Strome said. “I think we worked really hard and did a lot of good things. They’re a good hockey team. They’re on a hell of a roll right now and they’re finding ways to win.”

Edmonton tied the score again when Kane, trailing the play, patiently finished from the high slot off a short shovel pass, beating Gibson between the legs.

Suffering from cramps, Gibson, who stopped 19 of the 21 shots he faced, prompted Ducks head coach Greg Cronin to replace him with Lukas Dostal at the start of the decisive third period.

The goaltending tandem saved 27 of the 31 shots they faced, while Pickard stopped 24 of 27.

Throughout a 16-game winning streak that ended Tuesday night in Las Vegas, the Oilers had killed 44 of the 47 power-play chances against them.

At the 3:20 mark, however, Vatrano joined Fowler to assist Strome’s eighth goal of the season, which materialized from the left circle when the Ducks cycled the puck around on another power-play opportunity.

“I thought it was Ryan Strome’s best game in a long time,” Cronin said.

Dostal made his presence felt a short time later by denying a dangerous chance from McDavid and forward Zach Hyman.

At 8:41, though, that combo threatened again when McDavid buzzed through the Ducks’ defense on the way to feeding Hyman. This time Dostal didn’t have a chance as the winger tapped in his 31st from the doorstep.

“McDavid is such a handful in the offensive zone when he has space,” Cronin said.

The Oilers squashed the tit-for-tat contest at 10:09, converting a power-play – Carlsson had been sent to the penalty box for tripping – when yet another cross-ice assist by McDavid provided Draisaitl a look at a clean one-time slap shot for the game-winner.

“If you give that team a power play in the third period, it’s more often than not it’s going to be a goal,” Strome said. “All in all, it was a good effort by us. A lot of positives to keep drawing from. We’ve been on a pretty good run here the last four or five games. We’ve just got to keep building and not get frustrated by the result.”

Edmonton added an empty netter on Kane’s eighth career hat-trick at 18:50, giving him 18 goals on the year to go with McDavid’s 50 assists, good for 71 points.

The Ducks next embark on a four-game, seven-day road trip that begins Tuesday in Montreal before returning to the Honda Center to host Columbus on Feb. 21.

Ducks up to the challenge as they host Edmonton

Andrew Knoll — Thu, 08 Feb 2024 22:04:03 +0000

The Ducks entered the All-Star break with a four-game points streak’s worth of sparks that they hoped to transform into flames. Now, coming out of the pause, they’ll confront a club that entered it as a blazing inferno.

They’ll host the Edmonton Oilers on Friday, a team that just saw its 16-game winning streak end with a loss in Las Vegas on Tuesday, which left Edmonton one victory shy of the 1992-93 Pittsburgh Penguins’ NHL record for most consecutive wins.

It will be the third meeting of the season between the Ducks and Oilers, with the prior two offering little in the way of proportionality. Edmonton scored seven unanswered goals in an 8-2 win north of the border and followed that up with a 7-2 bombardment at Honda Center.

Ducks coach Greg Cronin said one of his goals for the stretch run was to further extend offensive zone time and that doing so would mean protecting pucks more confidently. He pointed to Edmonton as a squad that shielded pucks with equal parts aplomb and tenacity. In addition to their marquee forwards Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, Cronin also highlighted Zach Hyman and Warren Foegele.

“We’re going to see a team Friday that really protects the puck effectively. They [challenge you] like, ‘Here, try and get it off my stick,’” Cronin said via phone.

Foegele had a career night with five points during the meeting at Honda Center, while captain Connor McDavid had an equally explosive outburst in the clash at Edmonton. That was hardly unusual for McDavid. It was his ninth career five-point effort and he would add a 10th on Jan. 2 against the Philadelphia Flyers. In that affair, he factored into every Edmonton goal and crossed the 900-point threshold in the fifth-fewest games of any player in NHL history.

For the Ducks’ part, they’ve had some shorter-term excellence in the scoring column. Since Dec. 1, Troy Terry and Adam Henrique have combined for 47 points in 51 games. They’d accumulated just 23 points in 45 prior games.

In Terry’s case, a new coach, a distinct system and a freshly minted $49 million pact that made him an integral part of the team for seven years all created some early-season tension despite being a proven scorer who could contribute in many other areas.

After a career-high four points, including a hat trick, on Nov. 1, Terry went into a funk during which he did not find the back of the net until Dec. 13. He has four goals in his past three games as part of a six-match scoring streak that’s seen him compile 10 points.

“We were winning despite his [decreased] production, then we were losing despite his [increased] production. When was this guy going to emerge as a game-breaking player? I think it was the Rangers game,” said Cronin, referring to the second game in Terry’s points streak.

In a geographical confluence befitting of the small world that is pro hockey, Anaheim provided something of a nexus between Boston and Denver.

Cronin, a New Englander who couldn’t hide his roots if he tried (and who also had two different coaching gigs in Colorado), and Terry, a Denverite through and through, shared a connection to Boston Bruins head coach Jim Montgomery, who was instrumental in developing Terry at the University of Denver. As an assistant under the late Shawn Walsh, Cronin coached Montgomery for one season at the University of Maine, rejoining the staff there a year after Montgomery captained the Black Bears to a national title alongside a baby-faced freshman named Paul Kariya.

“‘Find a balance, you guys will find a balance,’ Jim kept telling us,” Cronin said.

The Ducks will need to find equilibrium as a group against a juggernaut Oilers club that prevailed 16 straight times before falling 3-1 to the Golden Knights in their first game after the break. During their surge, the Oilers had five players with 15 or more points, led by McDavid’s 26 and Draisaitl’s 23.

ROSTER MOVES

Ducks defenseman Olen Zellweger returned to the minors over the break while another rookie blue liner, Pavel Mintyukov, returned to practice, though he hadn’t yet been activated from injured reserve. Max Jones appeared ready to be activated and possibly return Friday. Alex Killorn skated alone but remained a ways from a return following knee surgery.

EDMONTON AT DUCKS

When: Friday, 7 p.m.

Where: Honda Center

How to watch: Bally Sports SoCal

Ducks analysis: Improvement amid injuries and trade possibilities

Andrew Knoll — Thu, 08 Feb 2024 00:10:11 +0000

The Ducks entered this season with renewed direction, a new head coach and designs on making strides toward a future predicated on a prospect pool illuminated in neon lights.

Through 50 games, they’re in an almost identical position record-wise, as their 18-30-2 mark at this year’s All-Star break is just one point better than their 16-29-5 record heading into 2023’s pause.

But the Ducks have been considerably more competitive and entertaining than they were last season, having put mostly behind them myriad issues with structure, pace, discipline and puck management over the course of this campaign. They’ve reduced last season’s NHL-worst goals-against average from 4.09 to 3.40 while also increasing their penalty-kill percentage, which was the second-worst in the league last year, by nearly 6%.

There have been growing pains, both figurative and literal, as youthful inconsistency has been exacerbated considerably by a torrent of injury-related absences, almost all involving key players.

With the playoffs all but mathematically out of the question, the Ducks will seek to springboard themselves into next season across their final 32 contests, imploring players to continue raising their competitiveness and embracing the maxim that “you are what you do.”

What’s been going well

A full-force youth movement could dovetail nicely with the solidified presence of last year’s team leader in goals, Troy Terry, and some shrewd seasoned additions in free agency.

All three of the Ducks’ Canadian junior Defensemen of the Year have appeared promising as top-level pros this season in varying levels of exposure. Up front, they’ve enjoyed better balance and more scoring punch when healthy, though they’ve never had a full complement of players at their disposal this season. In goal, Lukáš Dostál has emerged as a sound Yang to veteran John Gibson’s Ying, with AHL goalie Tomas Suchanek providing some promise for the future as well.

Some veteran additions have panned out as well, as Frank Vatrano entered an energized rebuild and “matched that with his DNA, in terms of his compete level,” according to Coach Greg Cronin after Vatrano was named an All-Star.

Vatrano, whose 22 goals topped the team through 50 games, signed with the Ducks last year and was followed by in-your-face defenseman Radko Gudas this past summer. The two had previously been teammates with the Florida Panthers. Gudas has provided nastiness and security for his young cohorts, as well as extremely sound defensive play. He is one of just four Ducks with 20 or more games played to post a positive rating, and his plus-17 mark is 11 ticks higher than his next closest teammate, his frequent defense partner Urho Vaakanainen.

The Ducks entered the break on a four-game points streak that included three victories. That was their most successful stretch since they won six straight games as part of an early-season tear of eight wins in 10 opportunities.

“We’re not taking stupid penalties, that’s kind of flattened out,” Cronin said. “Turnovers were brutal, and the turnovers have kind of gone away.”

“The common denominator with us is that we’re able to exit our zone more cleanly and quicker,” Cronin added. “What we’re trying to promote offensively is valuing possession in the offensive zone.”

What’s been going wrong

Last year’s top point-producer, Trevor Zegras, has been perhaps the player most impacted by injuries, with two separate stints on injured reserve flanking a period during which he was hindered by a groin issue. No. 2 overall pick Leo Carlsson, two-time Stanley Cup champion Alex Killorn, since-traded Jamie Drysdale, effortful Max Jones, budding star Mason McTavish, natural goal-scorer Terry, former first-round draft pick Isac Lundeström, promising rookie Tristan Luneau and Calder Trophy candidate Pavel Mintyukov have all cycled through triage, as has Gibson. For reference, Killorn had missed four games aggregately in his previous eight seasons with the Tampa Bay Lightning, yet he has endured two long stretches on injured reserve this season after sustaining a broken finger and later undergoing knee surgery, costing him 16 games and counting.

Carlsson had been limited by two separate injuries, too, as well as an early-season load-management program. He has since emerged as the team’s best forward, a mantle once vied for primarily by Zegras and Terry. Zegras began the year being nagged by a groin injury that later forced him to miss 20 games, and then broke his ankle in a game against Nashville, moments after making a daring exit against pressure that Cronin said made him “do a double take.”

Terry missed time due to an upper-body injury after an accidental collision with McTavish. He had already been absent on the scoresheet early in the season, but he has been a force of late. He’s proven capable of driving play not only offensively but in transition, moving seamlessly from defense to the attack.

“He can dominate a shift by himself when he plays efficiently,” Cronin said of Terry’s “healthier” decision-making with the puck and his willingness to cut hard into the middle of the ice.

“My message with him was always about valuing himself as a threat without the puck,” Cronin continued. “Whether he did it because I was woodpeckering him or not, he’s not turning pucks over at the offensive blue line or along the wall to make one more play anymore.”

What could change

While Luneau and Mintyukov emerged as legit NHL defensemen early in the season, as Olen Zellweger has more recently, the Ducks’ blue line has been missing two of those three rearguards and also parted with another highly promising defender, Drysdale. That trade netted them coveted forward prospect Cutter Gauthier, who will likely make his Ducks debut once the NCAA campaign concludes.

Before that, the Ducks could sustain further losses as the trade deadline approaches in what has already taken shape as a sellers’ market. Veteran forwards Adam Henrique and Jakob Silfverberg are each in the final year of their contracts, as is defenseman Ilya Lybushkin.

Silfverberg, 33, has taken on an even stronger leadership role, especially as more fellow Swedes, like Carlsson, have arrived, while ramping up his defensive play even after he underwent hip surgery.

Henrique, who turned 34 on Tuesday, offers three-situation and three-position versatility. He has 14 points in his past 12 games and he scored his first career hat trick this season. Given the packages obtained in exchange for centers Elias Lindholm and Sean Monahan in pre-deadline deals, Henrique could fetch an irresistible return. Lyubushkin, 29, cost the Ducks a fourth-round pick in the offseason and could bring back a modest profit for GM Pat Verbeek.

One player who has been bandied about in national rumors is Zegras, despite his status on injured reserve, his prominence in the Ducks’ future and the fact that he has two more seasons left on a freshly inked three-year contract.

Cronin said Zegras had done all that was asked of him in becoming more defensively aware, using his stick effectively to break up plays and committing himself to a more comprehensive game.

“When he makes a mistake, he knows it; he knows everything,” Cronin said. “He’s one of the highest-IQ players I’ve ever coached.”

Troy Terry, Frank Vatrano rally Ducks past Sharks in OT

Josh Gross — Thu, 01 Feb 2024 06:54:42 +0000

Ducks goaltender John Gibson, left, stops a shot by San Jose Sharks center Nico Sturm during the second period on Wednesday night at Honda Center. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
Ducks center Bo Groulx, center, tries to get a shot past San Jose Sharks goaltender Kaapo Kahkonen, right, as defenseman Nikita Okhotiuk defends during the first period on Wednesday night at Honda Center. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
Ducks right wing Jakob Silfverberg, right, falls as San Jose Sharks defenseman Calen Addison takes the puck during the first period on Wednesday night at Honda Center. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
San Jose Sharks center Logan Couture, right, tries to redirect a shot as Ducks right wing Frank Vatrano, left, and goaltender John Gibson defend during the first period on Wednesday night at Honda Center. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
Ducks center Isac Lundestrom, left, and San Jose Sharks defenseman Calen Addison vie for the puck during the first period on Wednesday night at Honda Center. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
Ducks defenseman Olen Zellweger skates the puck during the first period of their game against the San Jose Sharks on Wednesday night at Honda Center. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
Ducks center Isac Lundestrom, center, scores past San Jose Sharks goaltender Kaapo Kahkonen, lower left, as left wing Anthony Duclair, third from right, defends during the first period on Wednesday night at Honda Center. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
Ducks center Isac Lundestrom, left, celebrates his goal with defenseman Urho Vaakanainen during the first period on Wednesday night at Honda Center. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
The Ducks’ Isac Lundestrom celebrates after scoring a goal during the first period of their game against the San Jose Sharks on Wednesday night at Honda Center. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
San Jose Sharks goaltender Kaapo Kahkonen, left, deflects a shot as Ducks center Sam Carrick, center, and defenseman Jan Rutta watch during the first period on Wednesday night at Honda Center. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
Ducks left wing Ross Johnston, right, falls while under pressure from San Jose Sharks defenseman Jan Rutta during the first period on Wednesday night at Honda Center. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
Ducks defenseman Olen Zellweger skates up the ice during the first period of their game against the San Jose Sharks on Wednesday night at Honda Center. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
Ducks goaltender John Gibson reaches to stop a shot during the first period of their game against the San Jose Sharks on Wednesday night at Honda Center. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
The San Jose Sharks’ Luke Kunin (11) celebrates a goal against Ducks goaltender John Gibson during the first period on Wednesday night at Honda Center. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
San Jose Sharks left wing Anthony Duclair, second from left, celebrates his goal with center Mike Hoffman, left, defenseman Jacob MacDonald, second from right, and defenseman Shakir Mukhamadullin during the first period of their game against the Ducks on Wednesday night at Honda Center. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
San Jose Sharks defenseman Calen Addison, right, takes the puck as Ducks center Isac Lundestrom slides into the boards during the first period on Wednesday night at Honda Center. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
Ducks goaltender John Gibson defends his net during the first period of their game against the San Jose Sharks on Wednesday night at Honda Center. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
The San Jose Sharks’ Logan Couture skates the puck during the first period of their game against the Ducks on Wednesday night at Honda Center. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
Ducks defenseman Olen Zellweger, left, and San Jose Sharks center Luke Kunin battle for the puck during the second period on Wednesday night at Honda Center. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
The Ducks’ Ryan Strome chases after the puck as the San Jose Sharks’ Logan Couture tries to get turned around during the second period on Wednesday night at Honda Center. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
San Jose Sharks defenseman Marc-Edouard Vlasic, right, celebrates his goal with left wing William Eklund during the second period of their game against the Ducks on Wednesday night at Honda Center. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
The Ducks’ Ross Johnston, center, waits for a possible rebound during the second period of their game against the San Jose Sharks on Wednesday night at Honda Center. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
San Jose Sharks goaltender Kaapo Kahkonen looks down the ice during the second period of their game against the Ducks on Wednesday night at Honda Center. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
The Ducks’ Sam Carrick, right, skates the puck against the San Jose Sharks’ Kyle Burroughs during the second period on Wednesday night at Honda Center. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
Ducks defenseman Olen Zellweger looks on during the second period of their game against the San Jose Sharks on Wednesday night at Honda Center. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
The San Jose Sharks’ Ryan Carpenter reaches for the puck during the second period of their game against the Ducks on Wednesday night at Honda Center. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
San Jose Sharks goaltender Kaapo Kahkonen makes a save during the second period of their game against the Ducks on Wednesday night at Honda Center. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
Ducks center Isac Lundestrom, left, goes after the puck along with San Jose Sharks left wing Fabian Zetterlund during the third period on Wednesday night at Honda Center. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
San Jose Sharks goaltender Kaapo Kahkonen, right, stops a shot as Ducks defenseman Jackson LaCombe reaches in during the third period on Wednesday night at Honda Center. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
San Jose Sharks defenseman Nikita Okhotiuk is helped off the ice by a referee after being injured during the third period of their game against the Ducks on Wednesday night at Honda Center. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
Ducks goaltender John Gibson watches the puck fly by during the third period of their game against the San Jose Sharks on Wednesday night at Honda Center. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
San Jose Sharks goaltender Kaapo Kahkonen keeps his eyes on a rebound during the third period of their game against the Ducks on Wednesday night at Honda Center. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
San Jose Sharks right wing Justin Bailey, left, falls as he vies for the puck with Ducks center Mason McTavish during the third period on Wednesday night at Honda Center. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
Ducks goaltender John Gibson signals to his bench just before getting pulled for an extra attacker late in the third period of their game against the San Jose Sharks on Wednesday night at Honda Center. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
Ducks right wing Troy Terry, right, scores a goal past San Jose Sharks goaltender Kaapo Kahkonen, second from left, and defenseman Marc-Edouard Vlasic, left, to tie the score with 61 seconds left in regulation on Wednesday night at Honda Center. The Ducks went on to win, 3-2, in overtime. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
Ducks right wing Frank Vatrano, left, tosses his stick into the crowd after scoring the game-winning goal as San Jose Sharks left wing Anthony Duclair skates away during overtime on Wednesday night at Honda Center. The Ducks won, 3-2. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
Ducks right wing Frank Vatrano, left, celebrates his game-winning overtime goal with center Mason McTavish in their 3-2 victory over the San Jose Sharks on Wednesday night at Honda Center. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
Ducks right wing Frank Vatrano, left, celebrates his game-winning overtime goal with center Mason McTavish in their 3-2 victory over the San Jose Sharks on Wednesday night at Honda Center. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
Ducks players celebrate after they rallied for a 3-2 overtime victory against the San Jose Sharks on Wednesday night at Honda Center. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)

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ANAHEIM — The NHL All-Star break is coming at an inopportune time for the Ducks.

They’re hot.

After taking three of four possible points in a pair of recent road games, the Ducks returned to Honda Center on Wednesday night, securing their NHL-best ninth third-period comeback by defeating the San Jose Sharks, 3-2 in overtime.

“I want to continue what we’ve done [after the break],” said Ducks head coach Greg Cronin, whose team is 3-0-1 in the past four games, with points in six of their last seven. “I’m really happy with the way we played the last six games or so, so we have to continue to play that direction.”

The contest between the bottom teams in the Pacific Division was tight as they alternated goals until 2024 All-Star Frank Vatrano scored with 53 seconds left in the 5-minute overtime, his team-best 22nd goal of the season.

“I think it was a great team effort the whole game,” Vatrano said before heading to Toronto on what should be a joyous red-eye flight for the 29-year-old Massachusetts native. “So it’s good going to break on that note.”

Vatrano put a wrist shot past San Jose goaltender Kaapo Kahkonen for the winner, but what made him happiest was that it broke a personal six-game drought.

“It’s good, it’s been a while,” said Vatrano, who is second on the team with 36 points. “When you grip your stick a little higher you’re not scoring, so it’s good to see one go in.”

Troy Terry, who extended his points streak to six games, tied it with 1:01 remaining in regulation and assisted on Vatrano’s game-winning goal.

With the goalie pulled, Terry beat Kahkonen with a wrist shot with plenty of traffic around the net for his 15th goal of the season. Terry, who has four goals and 10 points in the past six games, has a team-high 37 points.

“He’s been the heart and soul of this team. Every single game he is the hardest-working guy,” Terry said of Vatrano. “I didn’t realize he had not scored in a while, at least by his standards. So just to be able to get that and now he gets to go have the experience of a lifetime that he deserves.”

Isac Lundestrom also scored for the Ducks and John Gibson made 26 saves. Adam Henrique also extended his points streak to six games with an assist on Terry’s goal.

The Ducks nearly grabbed an early lead in the opening minute of the game when rookie defenseman Olen Zellweger banged a shot off the piping.

For the next five minutes, the Ducks (18-30-2, 38 points) kept a dangerous edge about them by pushing the action and creating several quality chances against the Sharks (14-32-5, 33 points), who entered the game feeling good about themselves after beating the Seattle Kraken on Tuesday in San Jose.

At 2:12, Ducks winger Lundestrom netted his second goal of the season, cleaning up a rebound in front of Kahkonen to make it 1-0.

The strong start gave way when a tripping penalty on Brett Leason at 5:44 gave the Sharks an opportunity to collect themselves and step into the game.

San Jose forward Anthony Duclair’s ninth goal, thanks in part to the first NHL point from defenseman Shakir Mukhamadullin, cashed in the power-play chance at 6:59.

Both teams asserted themselves with stretches of sustained action in the opposing zone. By the end of the first period, after each side had two tries with a man advantage, the score remained unchanged.

The stalemate held until 17:57 of the middle frame.

San Jose snatched a 2-1 lead on a Marc-Edouard Vlasic slapshot from the blue line that flew end-over-end through traffic, beating Gibson on his stick side. The Canadian defenseman’s five goals have all come in the last nine games.

“I was begging them after two periods to shoot,” Cronin said.

Needing another third-period comeback to head into the All-Star break in good form, the Ducks peppered San Jose with 15 shots and held a near 2:1 possession advantage in the offensive zone.

Kahkonen stood firm until the end, saving 31 shots, including all seven against the Ducks’ power play. The visitors also blocked 27 shots, adding to the sense in the building that possession might not amount to much.

“We had the puck an awful lot,” Cronin said. “It was one of those games. You don’t get quality chances. You’re not getting goals. And you can feel a little frustration on the bench.”

The Ducks found the equalizer after Gibson skated to the bench, Terry scoring thanks to Leo Carlsson’s 11th assist and Henrique’s 18th.

Terry then set up Vatrano, sliding the puck under a defender’s stick, for the game-winner.

“Obviously, it’s great timing. It’s funny, before overtime started, I was thinking, ‘When was the last time Frankie scored a goal?’ I couldn’t recall. He had scored so many early,” Cronin said. “When I saw him racing down the ice and Troy had the puck, everybody stood up, so I couldn’t actually see the puck but I had a good feeling it was going to go in.”

The Associated Press contributed to this story.

TERRY TIES THE GAME@AnaheimDucks l #FlyTogether pic.twitter.com/X0oZDCVP56

— Bally Sports West (@BallySportWest) February 1, 2024

VATRANO WINS THE GAME@AnaheimDucks l #FlyTogether pic.twitter.com/rz5O2KYARc

— Bally Sports West (@BallySportWest) February 1, 2024

OUR ALL @Frank_Vatrano @AlysonLozoff @AnaheimDucks l #FlyTogether pic.twitter.com/urJntyumf8

— Bally Sports West (@BallySportWest) February 1, 2024

Greg Cronin reacts to tonights BIG WIN @AlysonLozoff @AnaheimDucks l #FlyTogether pic.twitter.com/Vc97UyH4Cd

— Bally Sports West (@BallySportWest) February 1, 2024

ISAC LUNDESTROM GOAL@AnaheimDucks l #FlyTogether pic.twitter.com/v0nR3bejo8

— Bally Sports West (@BallySportWest) February 1, 2024

Alexander: The State of SoCal Sports, 2024 … Sports Capital of the World?

Jim Alexander — Wed, 31 Jan 2024 02:14:52 +0000

In This Space, we have often referred to Southern California as the most diverse (and occasionally most fickle) sports market on this continent.

We have two of most every team in every major team sport. We have two major conference college programs operating cheek-to-jowl with major league franchises. We get cameo appearances from almost all of the itinerant sports circuits, starting with this Sunday’s NASCAR Clash in the Coliseum (although it would be nice if the tennis tours would again land in the nation’s second-largest market in the summertime, rather than merely touching down in Indian Wells in March).

Also, dare I point out, we will have our third Olympic Games four years from now. Before that, if FIFA and Stan Kroenke could mend fences, SoFi Stadium would be hosting World Cup matches in two years (and maybe some of the expanded Club World Cup next summer).

And I don’t even have to mention the cornucopia of prime-time athletes that this region continues to pump out annually. You name the sport and we’re represented.

So let’s go big. SoCal is not only the preeminent sports community in North America, but I’ll make the case that it’s unmatched on this planet. The phrase “Sports Capital of the World” sounds way too boosterish, but doesn’t it fit?

What other city on earth has the multitude of sports attractions – i.e., competition for attention – that we do? For example, in most countries, the sport we know as soccer is considered King Football. Here, it has to fight for market share and for attention with four other major professional sports. And there are good reasons Major League Soccer avoids the fall-winter-spring scheduling cycle observed by the rest of the world, the most important being the NFL behemoth, i.e. our very own King Football.

Meanwhile, what other metropolitan area on this continent can match the sports chops of this sprawling community made up of L.A., Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino and Ventura counties?

New York? Sorry, not much of a college football profile. Boston? Only one of everything (and they haven’t had a duck boat parade in a couple of forevers). Chicago: Solo NBA and NHL teams (plus, ahem, the Bears). The Bay Area? Close, but they have only one soccer team, they’ve lost the Raiders and are about to lose the A’s, regrettably.

Oh, and here’s the kicker and a spoiler alert: The leader (again) in our annual rankings of SoCal’s teams might as well be considered Japan’s team, too.

As has been the case since we began these lists in 2005 at The Press-Enterprise, the ranking is determined by multiple factors – a mixture of winning, historic importance in the market, interest level and, not insignificantly, the passion of a team’s followers.

The beauty is that, with rare and obvious exceptions, the teams in this market understand what it takes to be competitive not only in their own leagues but in the fight for fans’ attention. In other words, those in charge understand that if you’re a big market team, you’d better act like one.

(And you might notice that there are a couple of additions to the list this year. If you capture the fancy of the greater SoCal public, you deserve to be here.)

So, as SoCal’s newest coach likes to say, who has it better than us?

The list, with the 2023 ranking in parentheses:

1. Dodgers (1): Seen in a local store: A blue T-shirt with “OHTANI” in the style of the “HOLLYWOOD” sign. That says it all, doesn’t it? No team, anywhere, acts the part of a big market franchise so well. That fan bases elsewhere are grumbling “not fair?” All the better.

2. Lakers (2): Yes, they’re struggling to get a foothold this season. That only reminds us of the expectations of their followers, for whom Laker Exceptionalism isn’t just a slogan but a way of life. (And, at times like this, maybe a curse.)

3. Rams (8): What was that again about paying the price in order to win a Super Bowl? As long as they can keep Matthew Stafford healthy, their immediate future seems bright.

4. Clippers (7): It’s hard to have championship expectations when, you know, stuff repeatedly happens. But why shouldn’t this well-run, well-coached, talented team make a deep playoff run … and, perhaps, even have a chance to hang a banner in its new arena? (So, if you’re a Lakers fan and you’re confronted with a Clippers-Celtics final, who do you root for?)

5. Angel City (12): ACFC, along with the San Diego Wave, showed the people who run the National Women’s Soccer League that avoiding Southern California all those years was a grave mistake. The L.A. team’s average home attendance in its two seasons: 19,105 in 2022, 19,756 in 2023. Any surprise that the league is about to expand to the Bay Area in 2024?

6. (tie) UCLA women’s basketball and USC women’s basketball (not ranked in 2023): It’s a perfect storm, with the surge in interest in women’s sports and particularly women’s college basketball dovetailing with two championship-caliber teams. The line wrapped around Pauley Pavilion waiting to get in before the teams’ first meeting on Dec. 30 was an eloquent statement all by itself.

8. USC football (3): The high hopes built in 2022 came crashing down in 2023, as a team of mercenaries played like it down the stretch. But the Trojan fan base has regained its passion and expectations and, yes, a little bit of swagger after a dreary decade.

9. Chargers (6): Could this fan base ever use some swagger? They might get their wish, if Jim Harbaugh does what the multitudes expect.

10. LAFC (4): They might not have been able to defend their MLS Cup title, but this is a well-run team with a passionate fan base that is going to be a factor for a while.

11. UCLA men’s basketball (5): The young Bruins might indeed have a run in them down the stretch, and it’s pretty well established that Mick Cronin won’t let this program wither. But it’s been almost three decades since the last banner, and this is another fan base that has trouble settling.

12. Kings (10): A year ago – heck, six weeks ago – they seemed to be building toward a shot at another Stanley Cup, a decade after their last one. But the recent whopper of a slump has called into question not only players’ effort and coaching but the way General Manager Rob Blake built this roster. The most devoted fans in this market deserve better.

13. Angels (9): Arte Moreno and the rest of his organization should feel fortunate that so many fans still care about this team. There’s little reason to expect improvement unless new Manager Ron Washington is indeed a miracle worker.

14. USC men’s basketball (11): A promising season has turned sour, and is there any real evidence that the USC faithful notice or care? They average 6,228 at home, and their best home crowds were a 10,300 sellout against UCLA and 9,806 against Long Beach State – and how many of those were there early to await JuJu Watkins and the USC women in the nightcap?

15. UCLA football (14): Yes, they were 8-5, and yes, they beat Boise State in the Gronk Bowl at SoFi Stadium, but the Chip Kelly era remains distinguished by a lack of fan passion.

16. Galaxy (13): They were once MLS’ flagship franchise. Now they’re an afterthought in their own town and starting over.

17. Ducks (16): Rebuilds are difficult, especially two or three seasons in. The Ducks are now six seasons removed from their last playoff berth and finally seem to be moving forward, slowly.

18. Sparks (15): And here, a rebuild is just beginning. This is another former flagship franchise trying to find its way again, and at least they’ll have a No.2 draft pick to work with.

jalexander@scng.com

Ducks have felt Troy Terry’s impact in win column

Andrew Knoll — Tue, 30 Jan 2024 23:58:01 +0000

The Ducks will host the San Jose Sharks on Wednesday night in their final game before the All-Star break.

That pause will leave them out of action, with the exception of their lone All-Star selection Frank Vatrano, until Feb. 9 when they host the Edmonton Oilers.

In that game, Edmonton could break the more than three-decades-old NHL record for most consecutive wins. The Ducks remain a long way from such aspirations, but they have been buoyed of late by a mix of familiar and fresh faces as they navigate a voyage that’s been destabilized by close losses and extended absences due to injury.

On their brief road trip, the Ducks stole a point in Dallas and turned in a tenacious effort in Minnesota, weathering a stormy second period that was bookended by outstanding frames, leading to a 3-2 victory.

“For four straight games we’ve had really good first periods, and then we absorbed too much of the game in the second period, and part of that’s taking penalties,” Coach Greg Cronin said by phone. “I thought our response in the third period in Minnesota was good footing to move forward from in a positive way.”

From good footing to great footwork, mainstay Troy Terry has been on fire for more than a month and newcomer Olen Zellweger has infused youthful energy – and legs – into the banged-up Ducks’ game in all three zones.

Terry has 22 points in his past 23 contests, including 13 in 11 January games. Not only has he become capable of carrying a line by himself, a distinction reserved for rookie center Leo Carlsson and no one else of late, Terry’s impact has been felt in the win column this year. In the 17 victories the Ducks have earned with Terry in the lineup, he’s poured in 20 points with a plus-10 rating. In 29 losses, he’s had just 15 points with a minus-14 rating.

Early in the season, Cronin said Terry was making massive adjustments to his game, carrying the puck less and moving off it more quickly, effectively reorienting his attack style. That transformation has borne fruit and Terry’s transition capabilities have soared, too.

Also dictating tempo has been Zellweger, a rookie call-up who has made a quick impression. Against Minnesota, he had a puck retrieval so swift and efficient that it caused Brandon Duhaime to whiff completely, sending the Wild forward banging into the end boards.

For the small-ish Zellweger, much like Tampa Bay Lightning winger and Hart Trophy winner Nikita Kucherov, such economical skating and brilliant elusiveness might be matters of survival. He might lack the size and strength to absorb checks from oncoming opponents, but they cannot hit what they cannot catch.

“He’s obviously a pretty dynamic skater, right? Usually those guys will be able to use that skating to avoid the forecheckers, and he has to,” Cronin said. “His ability to move proactively against a forechecker is a critical part of his breakout ability and it transfers over to the blue line as well, where he can move laterally and avoid checkers that are moving toward him.”

Next up for Terry, Zellweger and the whole flock will be the last-place Sharks, who beat the Ducks 5-3 in a bizarre affair on Jan. 20 that saw the Ducks cede just seven shots on net through 40 minutes. The solution for turning around the result for the typically detail-delving Cronin was simple: finish your copious number of scoring opportunities.

“After two periods the shots were [20-7]. We didn’t score. We had plenty of chances but we couldn’t capitalize,” Cronin said. “They came out in the third period and had a hard burst to get a couple goals, putting us in chase mode. We just have to be able to convert the chances that we generate into goals.”

SHARKS AT DUCKS

When: Wednesday, 7:30 p.m.

Where: Honda Center

TV: Bally Sports SoCal

Troy Terry scores twice, Ducks rally with 2-goal 3rd to beat Wild

The Associated Press — Sun, 28 Jan 2024 06:47:25 +0000

Anaheim Ducks right wing Brett Leason (20) and Minnesota Wild defenseman Brock Faber battle for the puck during the second period of an NHL hockey game Saturday, Jan. 27, 2024, in St. Paul, Minn. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)
Anaheim Ducks goaltender Lukas Dostal gives up a goal to Minnesota Wild defenseman Jon Merrill, not seen, during the first period of an NHL hockey game Saturday, Jan. 27, 2024, in St. Paul, Minn. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)
Minnesota Wild left wing Kirill Kaprizov (97) skates with the puck as Anaheim Ducks center Leo Carlsson, back, follows during the second period of an NHL hockey game Saturday, Jan. 27, 2024, in St. Paul, Minn. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)
Minnesota Wild defensemen Jon Merrill, right, celebrates with Dakota Mermis (6) after scoring against the Anaheim Ducks during the first period of an NHL hockey game Saturday, Jan. 27, 2024, in St. Paul, Minn. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)
Anaheim Ducks goaltender Lukas Dostal (1) looks at the video board after a goal by Minnesota Wild left wing Kirill Kaprizov during the first period of an NHL hockey game Saturday, Jan. 27, 2024, in St. Paul, Minn. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)
Minnesota Wild right wing Mats Zuccarello, left, and goaltender Filip Gustavsson (32) defend against Anaheim Ducks center Sam Carrick (39) during the second period of an NHL hockey game Saturday, Jan. 27, 2024, in St. Paul, Minn. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)
Minnesota Wild right wing Mats Zuccarello, left, and Anaheim Ducks center Sam Carrick (39) battle for the puck during the second period of an NHL hockey game Saturday, Jan. 27, 2024, in St. Paul, Minn. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)
Anaheim Ducks center Leo Carlsson, left, and Minnesota Wild defenseman Jonas Brodin (25) battle for the puck during the second period of an NHL hockey game Saturday, Jan. 27, 2024, in St. Paul, Minn. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)
Minnesota Wild goaltender Filip Gustavsson (32) stops the puck during the second period of an NHL hockey game against the Anaheim Ducks, Saturday, Jan. 27, 2024, in St. Paul, Minn. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)
Anaheim Ducks right wing Troy Terry, right, celebrates with center Leo Carlsson (91) after scoring during the third period of an NHL hockey game against the Minnesota Wild, Saturday, Jan. 27, 2024, in St. Paul, Minn. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)

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By MIKE COOK (Associated Press)

ST. PAUL, Minn. — Troy Terry scored his second goal of the game with 8:20 left to break a tie and Ducks beat Minnesota 3-2 on Saturday night to end a 13-game losing streak against the Wild.

A few seconds after exiting the penalty box, Terry gathered a puck in the neutral zone. His shot from the left circle was blocked by Ryan Hartman, but Terry followed the rebound and beat Filip Gustavsson from the slot.

“It was funny, I was getting heckled in the penalty box a little bit, which is normal, just fans being funny, and it wasn’t too mean, but it was funny,” Terry said. “So I just came out of the box and saw that we had a turnover and it worked out.”

Ryan Strome tied it at 6:45 of the third, Adam Henrique had two assists and Lukas Dostal made 36 saves. The Ducks played their fifth game in eight days, and the final game of a stretch of eight of 10 on the road.

Kirill Kaprizov and Jon Merrill scored for Minnesota and Gustavsson stopped 22 shots. Minnesota has blown third period leads in back-to-back games after going 14-0-1 in its first 15 games leading after 40 minutes. Nashville scored three times in the final frame Thursday night in a 3-2 win.

Wild coach John Hynes said sloppiness and missed assignments cost his team in both games going into a 10-day break for its bye and the All-Star break.

“The guys gotta get some rest and they gotta reset. But I can tell you for sure when we get back that some of these attention to detail things without the puck are going to be addressed Day 1,” he said.

Strome tied it by outmuscling Brock Faber in front and redirecting a rising shot from Radko Gudas. Kaprizov slapped home a feed from Mats Zuccarello for an early Minnesota lead, but Terry countered for the Ducks less than two minutes later.

“I wish I had a really good answer for what we need, but I think the easiest way to put it right now is you feel like you have a play, and then you give up a goal, another one, a breakaway … we’ve gotta play smarter. We’ve got to keep the puck out of the net first and then the transition is gonna come,” said Mats Zuccarello, who had two assists.

Playing its final contest of a three-game homestand, in which it won just once, Minnesota is six points out of the final Western Conference playoff spot, a gap Wild players know could increase during their time off.

“Never know when you get a hot streak or we find something to put a lot of games together or play massively better the next games. So we’ll see what happens,” Gustavsson said.

Minnesota had the first 14 shots of the second period and appeared to take a 3-1 lead early in a mostly dominant frame, but the Ducks took their timeout before challenging that a Wild player was offside. After a lengthy video review the officials agreed.

“That was big,” Anaheim coach Greg Cronin said. “Brett Ferguson is our video guy and he called it right away. We couldn’t get a good angle from the bench, there were a number of different angles, but he was really confident the angle he had showed it.”

UP NEXT

Ducks: Host San Jose on Wednesday night.

Wild: At Chicago on Feb. 7.

Ducks to get first look at Wild rookie defenseman Brock Faber

Andrew Knoll — Fri, 26 Jan 2024 23:05:16 +0000

Early in the season, the Ducks’ visit to Minnesota to confront the Wild on Saturday might have been billed as a showcase of stellar young defensemen, most of whom were on the Ducks’ side of the lineup sheet.

But as fate would have it, the most prominent (and perhaps the only) young blue liner’s number circled on a whiteboard will be that of Minnesota’s Brock Faber.

He has emerged as a short-odds contender for the Calder Trophy as the NHL Rookie of the Year, with the second-best shot at the award on most sportsbooks’ ledgers behind wunderkind and 2023 top overall pick Connor Bedard. Faber, local fans might recall, was a prospect in the Kings’ system before he and a first-round draft pick were traded to Minnesota in exchange for dynamic winger Kevin Fiala.

The Ducks, who lost to the Dallas Stars, 4-3 in overtime, on Thursday night, are without their most promising rookie defenders, Pavel Mintyukov and Tristan Luneau, due to injuries. They traded the more established Jamie Drysdale to Philadelphia earlier this month. They will have Olen Zellweger in their midst, however, and Jackson LaCombe, who skated with Faber at the University of Minnesota through last season.

LaCombe ran the Golden Gophers’ power play, but he has hit rough seas on his maiden voyage, while Faber has found new levels to his offense in the NHL.

“That started with [now former Wild coach] Dean Evason and his staff, they identified power-play potential in him and carved out an offensive role, and it’s translated, he’s having a hell of a year,” Ducks coach Greg Cronin said via phone.

Faber has racked up 29 points, 11 on the power play, while placing in the top 10 in minutes per game league-wide as a rookie. That’s the sort of excellence the Ducks hope to be getting from Mintyukov and Luneau in their first complete seasons, and have seen in glimpses earlier this season.

Presently, Zellweger is up with the club, whose immediate contributions Cronin called a “pleasant surprise,” praising his assertiveness, tempo and ability to create scoring opportunities. Zellweger held his own against a heavy, deep and skilled Dallas club and had notched a point in his NHL debut against Buffalo.

In the Dallas game, veteran Jakob Silfverberg’s hands stayed hot, producing his second straight multipoint effort. He had three goals and an assist against Dallas and Buffalo combined after compiling just eight points in 45 prior appearances. He and another veteran forward, Adam Henrique, had “stepped up” of late, Cronin opined via phone.

Yet Cronin also pointed out postgame Thursday that one could count on one hand the number of times the Ducks have had the same lineup from game to game, with injuries creating a near-total lack of continuity. Against Dallas, veteran goalie John Gibson and some timely scoring might have stolen a point in a game that saw the Ducks absorb heavy fire and struggle territorially for significant stretches.

“Analytically, you chop it up any way you want, they deserved to win the game,” said Cronin, who has seldom if ever shied away from an honest evaluation.

In Minnesota, they’ll face not only Faber but also prolific winger Kirill Kaprizov and imposing center Joel Eriksson Ek. Mats Zuccarello and Matt Boldy have been staples of secondary scoring, and have been joined by former lottery pick Marco Rossi in his first full NHL campaign.

DUCKS AT WILD

When: Saturday, 6 p.m. PT

Where: Xcel Energy Center, Saint Paul, Minn.

TV: Bally Sports West

Ducks fall to Stars in OT, their 11th consecutive loss in Dallas

The Associated Press — Fri, 26 Jan 2024 04:23:24 +0000

Ducks goaltender John Gibson, left, blocks a shot by Dallas Stars center Roope Hintz, right, during the first period on Thursday night in Dallas. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)
Ducks defenseman Cam Fowler, left, deflects a shot by Dallas Stars center Matt Duchene, right, during the first period on Thursday night in Dallas. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)
The Dallas Stars’ Matt Duchene, center, Tyler Seguin, left, and Thomas Harley celebrate Duchene’s goal during the first period of their game against the Ducks on Thursday night in Dallas. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)
Ducks right wing Frank Vatrano, left, looks to take control of the puck in front of Dallas Stars center Radek Faksa on Thursday night in Dallas. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)
Ducks goaltender John Gibson, gets help from defenseman Olen Zellweger, rear, on a shot attempt by Dallas Stars left wing Jason Robertson (21) during the first period on Thursday night in Dallas. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)
The Ducks’ Radko Gudas watches a face-off during their game against the Dallas Stars on Thursday night in Dallas. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)
Dallas Stars defenseman Miro Heiskanen looks to pass the puck during the first period of their game against the Ducks on Thursday night in Dallas. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)
Ducks goaltender John Gibson, left, reaches out to defend against a shot by Dallas Stars center Tyler Seguin (91) as Sam Carrick helps defend on the play during the first period on Thursday night in Dallas. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)
Ducks center Mason McTavish controls the puck during their game against the Dallas Stars on Thursday night in Dallas. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)
Dallas Stars center Wyatt Johnston (53) takes control of the puck in front of Ducks goaltender John Gibso, left, during the first period on Thursday night in Dallas. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)
Ducks right wing Troy Terry smiles after scoring a goal during the second period of their game against the Dallas Stars on Thursday night in Dallas. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)
Dallas Stars goaltender Jake Oettinger, left, Ducks center Leo Carlsson (91) and Stars defenseman Thomas Harley (55) watch the puck during the second period on Thursday night in Dallas. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)
Ducks center Adam Henrique shoots during the second period of their game against the Dallas Stars on Thursday night in Dallas. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)
Dallas Stars defenseman Nils Lundkvist, left, Ducks left wing Ross Johnston (44) and Stars center Matt Duchene (95) compete to take control of the puck during the second period on Thursday night in Dallas. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)
The Ducks’ Jakob Silfverberg, bottom, and Mason McTavish celebrate after Silfverberg scored a go-ahead goal during the third period of their game against the Dallas Stars on Thursday night in Dallas. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)
Dallas Stars defenseman Ryan Suter, right, strips the puck from Ducks right wing Troy Terry during the second period on Thursday night in Dallas. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)
The Ducks’ Radko Gudas, left, and the Dallas Stars’ Jamie Benn look at official Jean Hebert (15) as he issues each of them a penalty during the third period on Thursday night in Dallas. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)
The Dallas Stars’ Matt Duchene, right, makes a pass in front of Ducks defenseman Jackson LaCombe on Thursday night in Dallas. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)
The Dallas Stars’ Jason Robertson, left, and Miro Heiskanen celebrate after Heiskanen scored a goal to tie their game against the Ducks during the third period on Thursday night in Dallas. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)
Dallas Stars right wing Evgenii Dadonov, right, looks to pass the puck as Ducks defenseman Olen Zellweger defends during the first period on Thursday night in Dallas. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)
Ducks goaltender John Gibson clears the puck during their game against the Dallas Stars on Thursday night in Dallas. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)
Dallas Stars left wing Mason Marchment makes a pass during their game against the Ducks on Thursday night in Dallas. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)
Dallas Stars defenseman Thomas Harley, left, scores the game-winning goal past Ducks goaltender John Gibson 38 seconds into overtime on Thursday night in Dallas. The Stars won, 4-3. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)
Dallas Stars defenseman Thomas Harley (55) and Roope Hintz (24) celebrate next to Ducks defenseman Jackson LaCombe (60) after Harley scored in overtime to give them a 4-3 victory on Thursday night in Dallas. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)
The Dallas Stars’ Thomas Harley (55), Roope Hintz (24) and Joe Pavelski (16) celebrate Harley’s game-winning overtime goal against the Ducks on Thursday night in Dallas. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)

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By STEPHEN HAWKINS AP Sports Writer

DALLAS — One of these days, the Ducks will win a game in Dallas again. It didn’t happen on Thursday night.

Thomas Harley scored 38 seconds into overtime and the Dallas Stars beat the Ducks, 4-3, their 11th consecutive home win against the Ducks in a streak that dates to October 20215.

“Just kept skating,” said Harley, who skated hard to the middle of the right circle before unleashing his game-winner. He also had the primary assist on fellow defenseman Miro Heiskanen’s tying goal midway through the third period.

“He’s been great all year like that, his ability to skate,” Dallas coach Pete DeBoer said. “I think he blew by everybody on the ice there from goal line to goal line. So, pretty impressive for a young defenseman to skate like that.”

Heiskanen tied it midway through the third period in his return to the Dallas lineup after missing 10 games with a lower-body injury.

Ducks goalie John Gibson stopped 40 shots in regulation, but the only Stars shot in overtime was Harley’s wrister from about 30 feet. It was the 22-year-old defenseman’s 10th goal this season, and his second OT winner.

“I feel like every time we play him, he gives them a chance to win,” DeBoer said of Gibson.

Jake Oettinger made 21 saves in the Dallas net, needing only one in overtime.

The Ducks scored go-ahead goals early in both the second and third periods, though the Stars eventually answered both times.

The Ducks took a 2-1 lead on Troy Terry’s 12th goal of the season, which came 1:28 into the second period. They scored even quicker in the third, on Jakob Silfverberg’s shot from just in front of Oettinger only 12 seconds into the period for a 3-2 lead.

In between those, Dallas tied the score at 2-all on Craig Smith’s goal when he knocked in a loose puck that Gibson gloved while falling with one of his teammates in net. But a replay review determined the glove and puck had fully crossed the line for a good goal.

That ended a wild sequence in which a puck off Gibson was sitting in front of a wide-open net before teammates Jackson LaCombe and Ross Johnston got there to knock it away, but Smith was able to score with a quick wrister.

Matt Duchene’s 16th goal only 2:22 into the game put Dallas up 1-0, with Tyler Seguin getting the secondary assist. That was Seguin’s 652nd career point with the Stars, putting him alone in fifth place on the franchise list by breaking a tie with Dino Ciccarelli.

Urho Vaakanainen tied the score with about five minutes left in the first, about a minute after Dallas thought it had a 2-0 lead. A shot by Jani Hakanpaa appeared to go into and bounce out of the net, though officials immediately signaled no goal and replays showed the puck actually ricocheted off the left post.

“Well, I thought the first period was good for us. I mean, I think they had more chances, but they just took the game over in the second period with possession time,” Ducks coach Greg Cronin said. “We got caught on the ice too long. And when that happens, you get tired legs. And I think they rode momentum all the way through the third period.”

The Stars’ home streak against the Ducks matches the club’s longest active streak at the American Airlines Center versus any team. They won their 11th in a row there over the Detroit Red Wings two weeks before Christmas.

UP NEXT

The Ducks play at Minnesota on Saturday at 6 p.m. PT, their eighth road game in a 10-game stretch.

Ducks defenseman Olen Zellweger flashes skills in successful NHL debut

Andrew Knoll — Wed, 24 Jan 2024 22:51:31 +0000

The Ducks flew in formation for a two-game trip with reason to soar a little higher than usual following a win and an auspicious debut from a top prospect that provided wind beneath their wings.

They’ll face the Dallas Stars on Thursday night and then travel to the Stars’ original home, Minnesota, to take on the franchise that filled that void in the State of Hockey, the Wild, on Saturday.

Accompanying them on the journey will be defenseman Olen Zellweger, who recorded an assist in his first NHL game, a 4-2 victory over the Buffalo Sabres on Tuesday night. That was a game in which veteran winger Jakob Silfverberg doubled his season goal total with a pair, and one Ducks coach Greg Cronin deemed “a good baptism” for Zellweger.

“He played tenacious defense and managed our zone well. He was also efficient with the puck,” Cronin said via text. “He has that lateral quickness and speed that we need.”

Zellweger, 20, was the latest duckling to integrate effectively into a group with a multitude of moving parts this season.

“The pace is a little faster, there’s a little less time out there with the puck on your stick, but overall I think guys make a lot of high-skill plays and they’re looking to hit when you’re joining the rush as a defenseman,” Zellweger said in his comparison of the NHL and American Hockey League levels.

Zellweger was one of three Ducks who captured his Canadian junior league’s award for its top defensemen, which represented a clean sweep of the three top-level leagues. He earned that honor in the Western Hockey League last year.

At the moment, with Pavel Mintyukov recovering from a separated shoulder and Tristan Luneau appearing unlikely to play for the Ducks again this season, Zellweger was the only one of the three available. The thinness of the crop of young stallions in Cronin’s stable has been even more pronounced after the Ducks dealt Jamie Drysdale to Philadelphia, where he scored his first goal as a Flyer in a 6-3 loss to Tampa Bay on Tuesday.

Zellweger built on an impressive minor pro campaign to date, his first, in which he had scored 25 points in 34 games. On Tuesday, he picked up a primary assist on the power play by threading a shot through traffic to create a rebound for hard-nosed Sam Carrick’s rebound tally.

“One of my better skills is finding that (shooting) lane, especially from the blue line. It’s something I’ve worked on and I feel a calmness looking for that lane,” Zellweger said.

Zellweger’s ability to generate speed through all three zones and break out pucks exhibit some of the same qualities the Ducks lost when they moved Drysdale for renowned forward prospect Cutter Gauthier. Gauthier will compete in this weekend’s Beanpot series as his team, Boston College, takes on archrival Boston University in a matchup of the two top-ranked college teams in the nation.

The build, stature and fearlessness of Zellweger (listed at 5-foot-10, 189 pounds) might remind fans of former Duck Sami Vatanen. Yet Zellweger’s skill level appears higher than Vatanen’s, and his power-play capabilities might ultimately exceed those of Drysdale, who has already grown a bit in that area in his short time with Philly.

Zellweger’s game is well-suited for the modern NHL. Along with Montreal Canadiens prospect Lane Hutson, he’s among the most intriguing undersized young defense prospects in the world. His pivoting and edge work complement his acceleration and velocity, while he has the puck skills to convert threats into guarantees offensively.

If Zellweger and any on-looking prospects want an exemplar to model their games after, perhaps Dallas’ Miro Heiskanen would qualify. His four-way mobility, effectiveness on zone entries and all-around dependability have made him a marvelously multifaceted tool in Coach Peter DeBoer’s kit.

Heiskanen continues to be the Stars’ engine on the back end but they’ve enriched their forward depth. Arcadia native Jason Robertson still paces the team offensively, but the addition of veteran Matt Duchene as well as the emergence of Wyatt Johnson and Mason Marchment have balanced their once top-heavy forward group.

DUCKS AT STARS

When: Thursday, 5 p.m. PT

Where: American Airlines Arena, Dallas

TV: Bally Sports SoCal