The Anaheim Ducks will try to snap a seven-game losing streak when they open a two-game homestand Thursday night against the Washington Capitals.
The Ducks flew out of the gate with an impressive 9-6-0 start this season before losing 8-2 to the Colorado Avalanche on Nov. 15 in Denver. That kicked off the seven-game skid that is the longest active losing streak in the NHL.
Anaheim has played without star center Trevor Zegras and defenseman Jamie Drysdale, both sidelined indefinitely with lower-body injuries, during the skid. The Ducks have been outscored 33-12 in the losing streak, including a 3-1 road loss to the Vancouver Canucks on Tuesday.
Despite the Ducks outshooting the Canucks 27-12 over the first two periods, the contest was tied 1-1 heading into the third frame.
Elias Pettersson scored what proved to be the game-winner just 32 seconds into the final period, and Brock Boeser sealed it with an empty-netter. It was Boeser’s second goal of the game, and it came a little less than two minutes after Mason McTavish nearly tied it with a shot that caromed off the goalpost.
“That was unbelievable,” Anaheim coach Greg Cronin said of McTavish’s attempt. “You could see it from the bench; the net was wide open and I saw it going in and I expected the light to go on and it’s kind of a shock. But we’ve got to score more than one or two goals a game. You’re not going to win games doing that.”
Anaheim has scored more than two goals just once during the losing streak, a 4-3 home loss to the Montreal Canadiens on Nov. 22. Three times the Ducks have scored just one goal.
“Our guys fought hard all game,” defenseman Cam Fowler said of the defeat at Vancouver. “I think (we’re) still looking for that consistency for a full 60 minutes. I think we took the foot off the gas a little bit in the third period. That was really the end of the game.”
Fowler said it’s important for Anaheim to focus on the positives while trying to snap the streak.
“Take a look at the video and the film and try to correct the things that need to be corrected in order to find a win,” Fowler said. “To get off the streak that we’re on, go back home and get settled and come out with a really good effort against Washington and try to turn this thing around.”
The Capitals will play the second game of a back-to-back set in Southern California that began with a 2-1 victory over the Los Angeles Kings on Wednesday. The result snapped the Capitals’ two-game losing streak.
Charlie Lindgren finished with 38 saves to pick up his fifth win in his past six games, and Anthony Mantha and Connor McMichael each had a goal and an assist for the Capitals. Washington won a big coaches’ challenge on an Anze Kopitar goal that would have tied it 2-2 with 8:50 remaining. Replays confirmed the play was offside.
Washington won despite being outshot 39-15.
“That’s a really good hockey team over there,” said Lindgren, who was selected the first star of the game. “That’s probably the best team we’ve seen all year top to bottom. They’ve got so many good players. We did what we had to do tonight to get two points. Come into a tough building, a tough place to win, and (found) a way to get two points. It’s a character win.”
Washington improved to 7-3-1 in November with its seventh comeback win of the season.
“It was a big win,” Capitals coach Spencer Carbery said. “To come into this building, against one of the best teams in the league, to perform the way that we did through the first two periods, and then to defend our butts off in that third period. Chuckie (Lindgren) bailed us out on a number of occasions. … Phenomenal performance to get us two points tonight.”
