Blues @ Ducks RECAP: Ducks Complete Homestand Sweep with Win Over the Blues
The Ducks returned to action on Sunday evening looking to extend their winning streak to four against a tough St Louis Blues team that sat atop the Central Division and were 7-1-1 on the season.
What more can you ask for from a team in a rebuilding season than to show the resilience after allowing a very early goal against a team that is expected to be a very serious playoff contender, and turn it around to fight back for a 4-1 win to close out a homestand sweep? The Ducks are fun, folks. This season will have plenty more special moments.
1st Period
The first period started about as poorly as a hockey game can start, with the Ducks turning the puck over in their own zone and Brandon Saad capitalizing on it to give the Blues the lead just 13 seconds into the contest. 1-0 Blues.
However, true to the Ducks of this year and unlike the Ducks of last year, they didn’t let one bad shift get them off their game and they were able to press and create opportunities. The result of the response was a couple of grade-A scoring opportunities, but Jordan Binnington was up to the task and kept the Ducks off the board.
Ivan Barbashev took a slashing penalty with five minutes remaining in the period, but despite a solid power play with some good looks and crisp puck movement, the Ducks still were unable to breakthrough.
At the end of the first period, the Blues led 1-0, while the Ducks held a slight shot on goal advantage of 9-8. Game plan for the 2nd: Keep on keepin’ on. Chances will continue to come.
2nd Period
The 2nd period started with the Blues owning the pace and a majority of the chances for the first five or so minutes. The Blues hit the post behind Gibson for the second time tonight during this flurry of chances, so the Ducks were lucky to remain only one down.
Breaking out from the defensive zone proved to be a challenge, but the Ducks were able to find a way to transition through the neutral zone and apply some pressure of their own. Finally, a breakout would end up being the breakthrough, as a great passing play and a fantastic setup from Derek Grant allowed Sam Carrick to pot an easy tap-in at the back post to tie the game. 1-1 tie!
The Blues got their first power play opportunity of the game with just under a minute remaining in the frame, and with a near miss and a great glove save by John Gibson, the Ducks were able to survive until intermission with the game tied at one apiece. Shots on goal were 20-15, but the Ducks were hanging in there against one of the top teams in the Western Conference early in the season. Encouraging stuff.
Game plan for the 3rd: Avoid the penalty box and continue to shoot the puck whenever you can. Max Comtois passed up a good shooting opportunity to try to make a pass on a rush earlier in the 2nd period and it didn’t pan out. Nobody liked that.
3rd Period
The Ducks killed off the remaining minute of power-play time for St Louis and proceeded to get a power play of their own, and you know what that means. It’s Troy Terry Time. Terry converts on a great pass from Cam Fowler and the Ducks would take their first lead of the game just 2:46 into the final frame in regulation. 2-1 Ducks!
Minutes later, a won faceoff turned into a point shot from Hampus Lindholm that was redirected by Sam Steel underneath the leg pads of Binnington, and just like that, the Ducks had a two-goal lead. 3-1 Ducks!
With just under five minutes left in regulation, the Blues pulled the goalie and began making their desperation push, forcing John Gibson to be under siege. A couple of timely saves and some clutch shot blocks from defensemen had the Ducks hanging in there, but Dallas Eakins was forced to use his timeout with 3:32 left in regulation to give his skaters a minute to breathe.
With 45 seconds left in regulation, David Perron lost an edge trying to move quickly through the neutral zone and Bo Groulx was able to walk in alone and score his first career NHL goal on an empty net to seal the deal. Not going to find an easier opportunity to pot your first. 4-1 Ducks!
Final Thoughts
I don’t know that there would’ve been anybody that predicted the Ducks would sweep any homestand this season longer than a game or two, but the Ducks have won four in a row and are feeling it. The offense is still firing on all cylinders, the defense is limiting high danger chances (there is still plenty of room for improvement here), and John Gibson is John Gibson. Trying really hard to not get too excited at this run the Ducks are having at the same time Vegas is really struggling from injuries in a season everybody labeled as wide open in the Pacific Division.
3 Stars
John Gibson
Troy Terry
Isac Lundestrom
Honorable Mention for Bo Groulx and his first career NHL goal
Up Next
The Ducks will now begin a quick two-game road trip to the Pacific Northwest and start with a matchup against the Vancouver Canucks for the first time since February 16th, 2020. They will be looking for their fifth (!!!!) consecutive victory and Troy Terry will be looking to extend his scoring streak to 12 games.