Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
The Anaheim Ducks avoid the dreaded Game 7 in the first round, but they couldn’t do it in the second.
Despite plenty of pressure in the final seconds, the Anaheim Ducks couldn’t get the tying goal as they fell to the Los Angeles Kings 2-1 in Game 6 at the Staples Center in Los Angeles.
Game 7 will be Friday night at Honda Center in Anaheim.
At the 8:16 mark in the first period, Anze Kopitar fed a wide open Jake Muzzin in front of Gibson to give the Kings a 1-0 lead. Muzzin drifted from the point straight down the middle of the Ducks’ zone before receiving the pass from Kopitar. The defenseman was wide open and fired it past John Gibson who had little time to react.
Despite only being out shot 8-5 in the first, the Ducks were on their heels for majority of the first 20 minutes. Los Angeles came out jumping, with plenty of pressure and physical play as they showed the desperation that comes from a team on the brink of elimination.
Anaheim came out in the second period equal to the task of matching LA’s intensity, but the scoreboard didn’t show it. Trevor Lewis scored his fourth goal of the postseason. Lewis came up the left wing one-on-one against Bryan Allen and the puck trickled through the five-hole of Gibson to put the Kings up 2-0.
But less than two minutes later, Anaheim got on the board courtesy of a nifty wraparound from Kyle Palmieri. It was Palmieri’s second goal of the playoffs.
The goal would pump some energy into the Ducks as they shutdown the Kings power play later on in the period and went into the locker room with only a one goal deficit.
The third period saw great chances for both teams, but no goals were scored as the Kings held on for a win that kept their season alive.
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