The Detroit Red Wings will visit the Anaheim Ducks on Friday riding a three-game winning streak, but knowing their last win was a close shave.
The Red Wings, who sit atop the Atlantic Division, are coming off a resounding 4-3 shootout victory over the Los Angeles Kings on Thursday.
Detroit appeared to have the game in hand as it led 3-1 with just over two minutes left in regulation, but the Kings scored two goals 40 seconds apart – both with the goaltender pulled for the extra attacker – to force overtime. The Red Wings regrouped to claim the extra point.
“Obviously we don’t want that to happen, but to fight that, to be successful (shorthanded) in overtime and win in a shootout, it’s great,” said Detroit forward Alex DeBrincat, who scored in a third straight game and added an assist. “Two points is two points, and it doesn’t matter how you get them.”
The Red Wings are also hoping the matchup kicks off Marco Kasper. The 21-year-old forward, who scored 19 goals last season, ended an eight-game goal drought with a two-goal outing in Los Angeles.
“He’s a competitive player who puts some pressure on himself,” coach Todd McLellan said. “Maybe it will really help him advance, but we count on him, and we forget that he is 20, 21 years old. You would think he was 27 years old the way he played last year.”
The game will mark the return to Anaheim of goaltender John Gibson, who is expected to get the start in net. Gibson spent 12 seasons as the Ducks’ No. 1 goaltender before being traded to the Red Wings this summer.
The Ducks return home after finishing a 3-1-1 road trip. Anaheim earned a 3-2 shootout victory over the defending Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers on Tuesday to complete the trek.
It wasn’t just the Ducks getting the win over Florida that made everyone happy. That’s how they did it.
Similar to the Red Wings’ victory on Thursday, Anaheim gave up a two-goal lead in the third period but recovered enough to earn the victory, even killing a Florida power play in overtime.
“We lost a tough game the other night and I liked our response,” Ducks coach Joel Quenneville said, referring to a 4-3 loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning. “We held on, found a way to get the extra (point) there.”
The Ducks, entering a three-game homestand, appear to be a different team than the one Gibson was a part of in recent seasons. After spending a handful of campaigns at or near the bottom of the league, Anaheim is hoping to finish a strong October.
Anaheim is 5-3-1 early, including an impressive 4-2-1 mark on the road. On offense, Troy Terry scored seven points (three goals, four assists) during a streak of five consecutive games with at least one point. Leo Carlsson, who is coming off a one-goal, one-assist performance; and Cutter Gauthier, who has a team-best six goals.
Collectively, the Ducks are gaining strength.
“When you recap the road trip, I think we did a great job,” guard Lukas Dostal said. “We’re going to keep moving forward. I felt (Tuesday) was our best game of the season.”
–Field level media
