Anaheim Ducks Falter Again, Fall 2-1 to Vancouver Canucks in Shootout

Nov 9, 2014; Anaheim, CA, USA; Anaheim Ducks defenseman Sami Vatanen (45) celebrates with the bench after he scores a goal against the Vancouver Canucks during the second period at Honda Center. Mandatory Credit: Kelvin Kuo-USA TODAY Sports

In a week full of roster chaos, the Anaheim Ducks were given another hurdle on Sunday against the Vancouver Canucks. During warm-ups, it was announced that both Cam Fowler and Francois Beauchemin would miss Sunday’s game. Fowler suffered a lower-body injury on Friday’s shootout loss to the Coyotes, possibly to the left knee he suffered an MCL sprain to in March. Beauchemin, on the other hand, had been battling the same flu-like symptoms that star winger Corey Perry had been. Perry was placed on Injured Reserve before the game retroactive to Wednesday, meaning he would not be able to return until next Wednesday.

Despite the injuries, the Canucks had their own injury woes to deal with. Radim Vrbata, who signed with Vancouver in free agency and played on the top line with the famous Sedin twins, was out for the game after suffering this was also a special game for two players. For centers Ryan Kesler and Nick Bonino, this was the first game against the team that traded them. The Ducks dealt Bonino, defenseman Luca Sbisa (who was scratched Sunday), and 2014 1st and 3rd round picks for Kesler and a 2015 3rd round pick on June 27th in an attempt to improve the team.

The physical, rough nature of the game was set from the opening faceoff, as Ducks forward Patrick Maroon and Canucks defenseman Kevin Bieksa dropped the gloves three seconds into the game. That would not be the only bout, as in the second period, Ducks defenseman Josh Manson and Canucks blue-liner Ryan Stanton would drop the mitts once more. The teams combined for 51 hits, 29 of which were dealt by Anaheim players.

The Ducks only had one power-play opportunity on the night, but the team cashed in the Dan Hamhuis hooking minor almost instantly. Kesler and Bonino squared off in the faceoff circle, and Sami Vatanen got to the puck and fired a wrister past Eddie Lack to give Anaheim a 1-0 lead at 2:37 in the second period. The Ducks took three seconds to win the faceoff and get the shot off. That was Vatanen’s fourth goal and tenth point of the season, all of which have come on the power-play. His four power-play goals are tied with Perry for the most on the team and tied for the NHL lead among defensemen with Dallas Stars blue-liner Trevor Daley. Vatanen’s ten power-play points are tops among NHL defensemen (entering the game, Vatanen’s nine power-play tallies was tied with Arizona Coyotes defenseman Keith Yandle for most among defensemen).

On Friday, a lull and lapse in concentration in the second period ultimately cost the Ducks two points, as Arizona scored twice in 58 seconds to tie the game at 2 before taking the game in the shootout. On Sunday, the Ducks again lost focus in the second period. Bonino left a drop pass for Alexandre Burrows, who shot the puck on Frederik Andersen. The rebound fell to the wall, where Hamhuis fired a shot that Burrows tipped through Andersen’s five-hole. Burrows’ third goal of the season tied the game at one at the 11:49 mark of the second period, while Bonino picked up his sixth assist of the season, moving him into a tie with Vrbata for third on the team in scoring.

The Ducks really lost control of the game and let Vancouver back in it. In the first period, Anaheim outshot Vancouver 11-9. That number was extended to 14-9 in the second period, yet Vancouver outshot the Ducks 25-8 for the rest of regulation, including getting the first 12 shots on goal before Anaheim could get their 15th. The Ducks turned it on in overtime, registering seven of the eight total shots on goal in the five-minute extra session, but Lack weathered the storm, and it went to the shootout.

Ducks captain Ryan Getzlaf was the first to go in the shootout, and he tried sliding the puck under Lack, but he closed the gap just in time to stop him. Bonino, on the other end, squeezed the puck through Andersen, who lifted his right pad at the last second, giving the former Duck the chance to slip the puck in. Jakob Silfverberg drew the next shot, but rang his signature wrister off the crossbar. Chris Higgins went for Vancouver, but Andersen denied him with his right pad. That set the stage for Kesler to extend the shootout against his former club. Unfortunately, Kesler rang his shot off the post, giving Vancouver a 1-0 victory in the shootout and a 2-1 victory in the game. Bonino ended the game with an assist on Vancouver’s only goal, as well as the shootout winner. Meanwhile, this was Lack’s first win of the season and first start where he gave up fewer than three goals.

Anaheim’s lack of focus in the middle of games is concerning. The team dropped its third consecutive game, with all the losses coming after regulation. Throughout this homestand, the Ducks have not played a full 60 minutes of good hockey in regulation, and they have left all three games without the full two points. The team played about 30 minutes of solid hockey in regulation against the Islanders, 55 against the Coyotes, and 25 against the Canucks. Yes, the team is shorthanded, but on Sunday, the 18 skaters out there controlled play and was on its way to having a very good game against the Canucks. However, the team let up its intensity and let Vancouver get back into the game. Shorthanded or not, there are no excuses: every team suffers injuries, and this team had a lead and was thoroughly outplaying its opposition. This level of play was costly, and Anaheim was fortunate to even earn a point, as Andersen was spectacular for the Ducks.

As always, here are my three stars for the game.

Nov 9, 2014; Anaheim, CA, USA; Anaheim Ducks right wing Devante Smith-Pelly (12) and Vancouver Canucks defenseman Alexander Edler (23) battle for the puck during the first period at Honda Center. Mandatory Credit: Kelvin Kuo-USA TODAY Sports

Third Star: Devante Smith-Pelly, RW (6 SOG, 4 Hits, 19:00 TOI)

Devante Smith-Pelly was terrific, really throwing his weight around in another game dictated by the forecheck. He had numerous thunderous hits, including a couple on Hamhuis and one on Alexander Edler in the first period alone. Smith-Pelly finished with four hits, extending his team-leading total to 46. Smith-Pelly also played 19 minutes on the top line with Getzlaf, generating six of Anaheim’s 29 shots on goal. Smith-Pelly has had strong games and has really carved out his niche on the Ducks’ roster as a physical player who can create strong offensive chances. He continues to make his case to be the top-line winger with Getzlaf and Perry, and he should be a valuable player for Anaheim moving forward.

Nov 9, 2014; Anaheim, CA, USA; Vancouver Canucks left wing Alex Burrows (14) moves the puck between Anaheim Ducks center Ryan Kesler (17) and defenseman Bryan Allen (5) during the second period at Honda Center. Mandatory Credit: Kelvin Kuo-USA TODAY Sports

Second Star: Ryan Kesler, C (1 A, 2 SOG, 3 Hits, 66.67 FO%, 67.65 CF% (5-on-5), 22:09 TOI)

Kesler did it all for Anaheim. He got an assist on Vatanen’s power-play goal for winning the faceoff, where he was 14 for 21 on the night. He got physical in the corners and was constantly winning puck battles. With him on the ice during 5-on-5 play, the Ducks shot the puck 23 times, as opposed to only 11 times against. He played the 4th most minutes on the team and the most among all forwards. Most impressively, he matched up against the line of Daniel Sedin, Henrik Sedin, and Jannik Hansen, holding that trio to just six shots on goal and no points. He won 11 of 18 faceoffs against Henrik and was an overall force for Anaheim against his former team. Kesler has made the second line of he, Silfverberg, and Matt Beleskey the most dangerous trio on the Ducks since they came together on Friday. The great play carried over on Sunday, and Kesler deserves to be recognized for a tremendous performance.

Nov 9, 2014; Anaheim, CA, USA; Anaheim Ducks defenseman Sami Vatanen (45) moves the puck against the Vancouver Canucks during the third period at Honda Center. The Vancouver Canucks defeated the Anaheim Ducks in a shootout with a final score of 2-1. Mandatory Credit: Kelvin Kuo-USA TODAY Sports

Up next for the Anaheim Ducks is a huge test, as the team squares off on Wednesday against the defending Stanley Cup champions, the Los Angeles Kings. This will be the first meeting since the 6-2 shellacking in Game 7 that eliminated the Ducks from the playoffs, while Los Angeles eventually went on to win the Stanley Cup. In an effort to revamp the team and give it a better chance of beating Los Angeles, general manager Bob Murray spent his offseason getting younger, giving roster spots to players such as Smith-Pelly, Vatanen, Andersen, William Karlsson, and Emerson Etem over players such as Daniel Winnik, Stephane Robidas, Jonas Hiller, and Saku Koivu. He acquired Kesler and Nate Thompson to give the Ducks more strength at center, an area the Kings exposed as a weakness in the postseason, both in faceoffs and in four-line play.

The Kings are 8-4-3 on the season after defeating the Canucks 5-1 on Saturday, but their 19 points are only fourth in the Pacific Division (behind Anaheim, Vancouver, and Calgary) and seventh in the Western Conference. However, the Kings are a team that has proven that seeding and regular-season records do not mean anything: they were the first North American 8-seed to win a championship during their 2012 Stanley Cup run. The Kings also won last season as the third seed in the Pacific and sixth best team in the Western Conference (by points) and are 8-1 in playoff series where they do not have home-ice advantage since 2012 (with the one loss to the 2013 Stanley Cup champion Chicago Blackhawks in the Western Conference Finals).

Los Angeles is a team predicated on strong team defense. They have only allowed 30 goals, fewest in the Pacific Division and tied for 6th in the NHL. This has helped them overcome some goal-scoring issues, as the Kings are tied for 24th in goals scored with 37. Tyler Toffoli leads the Kings with seven goals, ten assists, and 17 points. Toffoli also has a +14 rating, which tops the team and is second in the entire NHL (only behind Nashville Predators forward Filip Forsberg). Linemate Tanner Pearson also has seven goals, tied with Toffoli, and is a terrific +13. At this pace, Pearson could be a candidate for the Calder Trophy for top rookie. Drew Doughty and Alec Martinez have six points apiece to lead Kings’ defensemen: Martinez leads their defensemen with two goals, while Doughty leads them with six assists and 28:06 of ice time, second in the NHL only to Minnesota Wild defenseman Ryan Suter. Jonathan Quick is having another solid season, sporting a 7-3-3 record with a 1.86 GAA and .943 SV%. The Kings do not have a game between this past Saturday’s victory over Vancouver and Wednesday’s primetime showdown against the Ducks.

Point Streaks, General Notes:

Kesler and Vatanen each extended their point streaks to three game after the Ducks’ power-play goal in the second period. The Ducks have also scored power-play goals in each of their past three games and have converted 42.9% of their power-plays during this homestand (3/7). Vatanen has points on all three power-play goals (1 G, 2 A), while Kesler has two assists.

Without Fowler or Beauchemin in the lineup, Hampus Lindholm took the directive of being the anchor on the blue-line, playing 25:04 to lead all Anaheim skaters. Vatanen was second, playing 24:28 while Bryan Allen played 22:10.

Vatanen had three more blocked shots on Sunday, extending his team-leading total to 33 and putting him in a tie for 11th among all NHL players.

Dany Heatley drew in for Rickard Rakell, but only played 10:24. He got top-line opportunities with Getzlaf while Maroon was serving his fighting major, but Heatley has continued to struggle, only playing fourth line minutes after Maroon exited the box.