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Anaheim Ducks: Countdown to the Season Opener- Nick Ritchie

By Ciara Durant

ST. LOUIS, MO - NOVEMBER 29: Anaheim Ducks leftwing Nick Ritchie (37) during a NHL game between the Anaheim Ducks and the St. Louis Blues on November 29, 2017, at Scottrade Center, St. Louis, MO. Anaheim won, 3-2. (Photo by Keith Gillett/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
ST. LOUIS, MO - NOVEMBER 29: Anaheim Ducks leftwing Nick Ritchie (37) during a NHL game between the Anaheim Ducks and the St. Louis Blues on November 29, 2017, at Scottrade Center, St. Louis, MO. Anaheim won, 3-2. (Photo by Keith Gillett/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /
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ST. PAUL, MN – February 17: Nick Ritchie #37 of the Anaheim Ducks is congratulated by his teammates after scoring the winning goal in the overtime shootout against the Minnesota Wild at the Xcel Energy Center on February 17, 2018, in St. Paul, Minnesota. (Photo by Bruce Kluckhohn/NHLI via Getty Images
ST. PAUL, MN – February 17: Nick Ritchie #37 of the Anaheim Ducks is congratulated by his teammates after scoring the winning goal in the overtime shootout against the Minnesota Wild at the Xcel Energy Center on February 17, 2018, in St. Paul, Minnesota. (Photo by Bruce Kluckhohn/NHLI via Getty Images /

The Shootout of the Season

When the NHL first adopted the shootout, I was not a huge fan. Nevertheless, I have come to appreciate the shootout and why it was instituted in the first place. Still, that doesn’t mean that I am any less antsy during a shootout.

Shootout’s always leave me on the edge of my seat. It makes me nervous when the fate of a game comes down to whether or not a single player can outsmart the opposing team’s goaltender. The player, or the goalie, has one chance to change the outcome of the game. That is why the February 17, 2018 game against the Minnesota Wild stands out to me so much. My dad’s favorite team is Minnesota, so it also doesn’t help that my pride is on the line everytime the Ducks are pitted against the Wild.

The Ducks scored on an early Corey Perry goal, but their one-goal lead didn’t last long. Minnesota scored a goal late in the first period, at 15:36, tieing the game. The Wild scored their second goal at 7:56 of the second, giving them a 2-1 lead over the Anaheim Ducks. However, with Nick Ritchie and Hampus Lindholm on the assist, Ondrej Kase tied the game at 6:12 into the third period. When neither team was able to successfully score again, the game was sent into overtime.

Overtime passed without a goal, and the game was sent into a shootout. John Gibson was successful in blocking the first two shots. Things looked favorable for Anaheim when Ryan Getzlaf scored the first shootout goal. However, Devan Dubnyk stepped up his game in the net and saved the next two shots. After Niederreiter and Kase tied the shootout at 2-2, the game took a wild turn.

After 12 unsuccessful shootout attempts, Minnesota’s Mathew Dumba failed to get a goal past Gibson in the 11th round. The outcome of the game now rested in Nick Ritchie’s hands. With the puck on his stick, he powered down the ice. He rocketed a shot past Dubnyk, and the fate of the game was sealed. After 22 shot attempts, Anaheim finally won the game 3-2.

Not only did Nick Ritchie win the game for the Ducks, but he secured me bragging rights for the rest of the season.

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