Their forecheck was strong. Their play around the net, relentless. And even though they fell behind early to a dynamic team with three offensive stars playing some of their best hockey (four-game winning streak), it didn’t matter.
The Ducks survived a late Pittsburgh Penguins surge and used two breakaway goals to hold on 5-3 on Wednesday before 17,291 at Honda Centre.
“It was disappointing, obviously, that we took two penalties and they scored two goals to make it exciting. ... We shot ourselves in the foot with two undisciplined penalties. I don’t know any other way to describe it,” said coach Randy Caryle.
“We had a neat and tidy game and we gave them life. We gave them an opportunity. And when you continue to give teams opportunities, they’re going to make you pay.”
Especially a team like the Penguins, who boast three offensive stars in Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and Phil Kessel, and it was he who was involved on both late-game goals as they threatened to tie the once seemingly out-of-reach contest.
First, he ripped a beautiful snap shot top shelf over Gibson, and later on found Jake Guentzel, who bent the wrister around the goaltender’s right arm.
The Pens almost tied it shortly after but a sprawling Gibson slid over to the other side of the crease to stop the Conor Sheary attempt with his glove while laying face first on the ice.
The victory completed the season sweep over the Pens for the first time since the 2001-02 season, and earned the Ducks standings points in six of their last eight games.
The Penguins got on the board late in the first period after Kevin Bieksa and Cam Fowler combined for a costly turnover in the defensive zone with Malkin there to collect the puck and snipe it home.
The Pens would chase the game for the majority of the contest, though.
All-star winger Rickard Rakell deflected a Francois Beaucheim point blast that was first redirected by Ryan Getzlaf early in the second to tie it up. Less than 90 seconds later, Adam Henrique executed a perfect wraparound goal off his own rebound to take the lead.
The Ducks didn’t let up from there and ratcheted up the pressure on the forecheck. And when the Penguins’ league-best power play took the ice at the midway point of the second period, it was instead the Ducks who scored on a Chris Wagner breakaway with backup goalie Tristan Jarry beat through the five hole.
It was one of four breakaway chances for the Ducks (two of them on the penalty kill, two of them goals). Ondrej Kase converted the other such opportunity after he burst through the offensive zone untouched and beat Jarry with a double-deke on the breakaway
“They take chances,” Wagner said, “and they play run-and-gun so you’re going to get your chances and tonight we buried a good amount of them and that’s what got us the W.”
When Ondrej Kase was able to, it seemed like it was all but a wrap after a fourth unanswered goal. Now, the Ducks need more performances like this, less the late parade to the penalty box.
Bruins beat Canadiens 4-1
The Bruins showed former coach Claude Julien what a changed style looks like in
Boston.
David Pastrnak and Ryan Spooner each scored an early goal, Tuukka Rask stopped 21 shots and the Bruins beat Montreal 4-1 on Wednesday night in Canadiens coach Julien’s return to Boston for the first time since he was fired nearly a year ago.
Dismissed last February 7 in his 10th season, Julien – who led the Bruins to the 2011 Stanley Cup championship – was replaced by assistant and current Bruins coach Bruce Cassidy, who opted for more up-tempo, charge-into-the-zone play from his defensemen as opposed to Julien’s mostly defensive-minded style.
“We’re trying to play with pace and have guys that can play that way,” said Bruins defenseman Adam McQuaid, who was back after missing 36 games with a broken leg.
“It’s an advantage that way. I think everyone tries to play at their strength. We’ve been a little bit more up-tempo.”
