The Anaheim Ducks suffered their fourth consecutive defeat on Tuesday night, falling 4-2 to the Montreal Canadiens at Honda Center. The Ducks, who have been struggling to score goals and generate offense, were outshot 36-24 by the Canadiens, who snapped their four-game losing streak.
Ducks fall behind early, unable to catch up
The Canadiens opened the scoring at 6:34 of the first period when Nick Suzuki beat Ducks goalie John Gibson with a wrist shot from the right circle. Suzuki, who had a goal and an assist in the game, has been one of the bright spots for the Canadiens this season, leading the team with 11 points (five goals, six assists) in 12 games.
The Ducks responded with a power-play goal at 10:28 when Troy Terry tipped in a shot by Cam Fowler for his third goal of the season. Terry, who has been playing on the top line with Ryan Getzlaf and Rickard Rakell, extended his point streak to seven games, the longest active streak in the NHL.
The Canadiens regained the lead at 15:10 when Tyler Toffoli scored his sixth goal of the season on a breakaway. Toffoli, who signed a four-year contract with the Canadiens in the offseason, has been a thorn in the Ducks’ side, scoring 10 goals in his last 10 games against them.
The Ducks had a chance to tie the game late in the first period when they had a 5-on-3 power play for 1:17, but they failed to capitalize on the opportunity.
Canadiens dominated the second period, and add insurance goal in the third
The second period was all Canadiens, as they outshot the Ducks 16-5 and added two more goals to their lead. At 7:35, Josh Anderson scored his seventh goal of the season on a rebound after Gibson made a save on Jonathan Drouin. Anderson, who was acquired from the Columbus Blue Jackets in exchange for Max Domi in the offseason, has been a physical presence and a scoring threat for the Canadiens.
At 16:58, Jesperi Kotkaniemi scored his first goal of the season on a deflection of a shot by Brett Kulak. Kotkaniemi, who was the third overall pick in the 2018 NHL Draft, has been playing on the fourth line for the Canadiens, but he showed his skill and potential in the goal.
The Ducks tried to mount a comeback in the third period, but they could only manage one goal when Adam Henrique scored his fourth goal of the season at 10:33. Henrique, who has been one of the few consistent scorers for the Ducks, has four goals and two assists in his last six games.
The Canadiens sealed the win with an empty-net goal by Joel Armia at 18:55, his third goal of the season.
Ducks coach frustrated with team’s performance, Canadiens coach relieved with win
After the game, Ducks coach Dallas Eakins expressed his frustration with his team’s lack of offense and execution. He said that the Ducks need to find a way to score more goals, especially at even strength, where they have only scored 14 goals in 12 games, the fewest in the NHL.
Eakins also said that the Ducks need to improve their power play, which went 1-for-6 in the game and is ranked 28th in the NHL with a 10.3 percent success rate. He said that the Ducks need to shoot more, create more traffic in front of the net, and capitalize on their chances.
On the other hand, Canadiens coach Dominique Ducharme was relieved with his team’s win, which ended their longest losing streak since 2021-22. He said that the Canadiens played a solid game, controlling the puck and generating chances. He praised the performance of his goaltender, Jake Allen, who made 22 saves and improved his record to 5-1-0 this season.
Ducharme also said that he was happy with the contributions of his young players, such as Suzuki, Kotkaniemi, and Cole Caufield, who made his NHL debut in the game. Caufield, who was the 15th overall pick in the 2019 NHL Draft, played 15:40 and had two shots on goal. Ducharme said that Caufield showed his speed, skill, and confidence in his first game and that he expects him to grow and improve as he gets more experience.
