The Anaheim Ducks (16-17-4) stormed back from a two-goal deficit to take down the Winnipeg Jets 4-3 in overtime on Thursday night (Jan. 2) at Canada Life Centre in downtown Winnipeg.
After falling behind by two goals to the Jets (27-11-2) in the first period, the Ducks managed to fight back not once, but twice to push the game to overtime and eventually come away with the win for their first of 2025.
Game Recap
The Jets opened the scoring in the first minute of the game on an unreal passing play between the trio of forwards on their top line. Gabriel Vilardi started the play by stealing the puck in the corner before feeding it to Kyle Connor who dropped it to Mark Scheifele, and he made no mistake to put the Jets up 1-0.
The Jets extended their lead to 2-0 courtesy of their captain, Adam Lowry, who buried a saucer pass from Alex Iafallo on an odd-man rush. It was Lowry’s 10th of the campaign, already placing him within five goals of his career high of 15, a mark he set in the 2016-17 season.
The Ducks cut into the lead shortly after, as a Radko Gudas point shot was deflected by Leo Carlsson, ricocheting off of the post before going off of Connor Hellebuyck’s leg and into the net to make it 2-1.
The Ducks evened things up 2-2 in the second period on a Troy Terry one-timer that snuck through the five-hole of Hellebuyck. He took a quick feed from Ryan Strome to tally his 12th goal of the season.
Alex Iafallo, who has been playing on the third line for the last two games in Mason Appleton’s absence, restored the Jets lead late in the third period with a wrap-around goal that beat John Gibson to the post to make it 3-2. The late lead was short-lived, however, as a Gudas shot found its way past Hellebuyck to even things up and quiet a Jets’ crowd that had just erupted.
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Terry played hero for the Ducks, much like he did in the game between to two teams on Dec. 18, wiring a wrist shot past Hellebuyck on a two-on-one to win the game. It was his second of the game and 13th of the season. All in, he finished with three points on the night.
TROY TERRY 🚨
— NHL (@NHL) January 3, 2025
He nets the @Energizer OT winner as the @AnaheimDucks leave Winnipeg with two points! pic.twitter.com/ELZdcQkA37
It marked the third-straight victory for the Ducks as they opened a brief two-game road trip. The Jets dropped their second straight game as they kicked off an eight-game homestand.
Gibson made 27 saves and picked up the win, his sixth of the season. Hellebuyck, who is just one win shy of 300 in his career, stopped 20 of 24 in the loss.
The Ducks now head west to face the Edmonton Oilers tomorrow night (Jan. 3), while the Jets remain at home to play the Detroit Red Wings on Saturday, Jan. 4.
