The Anaheim Ducks played host to the Calgary Flames on Sunday evening. They took a 3-2, come-from-behind shootout win over their rivals to extend their home win streak to eight games. Head coach Joel Quenneville was honored before the game for being the second coach in league history to reach 1,000 wins, and he now sits at 1,002. Here are three takeaways from the game.
Lukas Dostal Remains Strong
Goaltender Lukas Dostal was not given the nickname “the DostWall” for no reason. In last night’s game, he stopped 32 of 34 shots and stopped Matvei Gridin’s shootout attempt to give his team the win. This was win number 24 on the season, a new career high for the goalie. He eclipsed last season’s record of 23, with still nearly a quarter of the season to go. He received the “Bombay Jacket”, the locker room’s token given to the Player of the Game.
As the starting netminder, there are lots of games to be played for Dostal to add to that win total. He has an 11-1-0 record in his last 12 games. He is consistent, strong, and rarely makes mistakes. With an offensively-minded (and successful) team on his side for the first time, his job is slightly easier than it used to be. In this game, and throughout the season overall, Dostal is the team’s MVP.
Milestones and Big Performances Galore
A handful of players brought their best in this game, setting personal records, achieving milestones, and coming up big. Alongside Dostal’s personal best win record, Jackson LaCombe recorded his 100th career point with an assist on Cutter Gauthier’s second goal. Gauthier had the only two regulation goals for the team, and has five goals in the last five games.
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Leo Carlsson notched a point on Gauthier’s first goal, as well as a shootout goal. He has returned from injury and the Olympic break and is starting to look like himself again. Mason McTavish was the shootout hero, scoring in the third round. He is perfect in the shootout this season — five goals on five attempts. These players continue to contribute to the team consistently and are a large part of the Ducks’ success this season.
The Comeback Remains Alive
The Ducks are the masters of the comeback. Per the team’s television broadcast, this is the first team in franchise history to win three consecutive games where they trailed in the third period. They were down by one goal until about halfway through the final period, when Gauthier scored the game-tying goal. In the last two games, they’ve notched a 5-4 overtime win against the Winnipeg Jets and a 6-5 regulation win over the Edmonton Oilers, with a goal by Gauthier within the final two minutes.
The Ducks have an uncanny ability to come back from deficits. This has been a season-long trend, with the team posting 10 comeback wins. “I think we just have that belief in ourselves that we were never out of it,” rookie Beckett Sennecke said, adding, “and I think that’s kind of the biggest thing in these comeback wins is we never think we’re out of it, and we know we can score goals.”
The team now sits just two points behind the Vegas Golden Knights for first in the Pacific Division. They have a packed week ahead, facing the Colorado Avalanche, New York Islanders, Montreal Canadiens, and St. Louis Blues before embarking on a four-game Canadian roadtrip. Every point is critical at this time of the season, but if the team continues with this momentum, they should have no problem cruising through the rest of the season and straight into the playoffs.
