Without any more notable offseason news yet, cough Gauthier cough, our retrospective look at great moments in Anaheim Ducks lore continues with the most electric goals in franchise history. While there may be some overlap with some of the most iconic moments in Ducks history, these goals capture moments in time that reflect different eras of the franchise; spanning from the rise to contender status, the peak of winning the Stanley Cup, years of consistent playoff appearances, and the lulls of an arduous rebuild.
June 7, 2003
This goal has been highlighted ad nauseum but is a flashpoint moment for the Ducks franchise, and one worth remembering. Game 6, Stanley Cup Final against the New Jersey Devils. Paul Kariya. I'll let Gary Thorne and the clip do the rest of the talking.
May 20, 2007
The Detroit Red Wings were always the metaphorical thorn in the side for the Ducks. In 32 playoff games against each other, the Red Wings lead the head-to-head matchup, with 18 wins versus the Ducks' 14. The Red Wings have also scored 93 goals compared to 78 for the Ducks. However, on the rare occasion the Ducks have been able to oust the Red Wings in the playoffs, good things have happened. In 2003, the Ducks went to the Stanley Cup Final, after beating the Red Wings in the quarterfinals. But on May 20th of 2007, Teemu Selanne scored probably the most important goal in franchise history for the Ducks. In overtime of Game 5 of the Western Conference Finals in Detroit, Andy McDonald strips the puck from Red Wings defender Andreas Lilja, which skips over to Selanne, who goes forehand/backhand over Dominik Hasek. With the victory, the Ducks took a commanding 3-2 series lead and never looked back.
April 22, 2011
Game 5 of the Western Conference Quarterfinals against the Nashville Predators. Bobby Ryan, the former 2005 second overall pick and Anaheim fan favorite, dangled through multiple Predators skaters, to give the Ducks the lead. While the Ducks ultimately lost the game and the series, Ryan's goal perfectly encapsulated the skill and scoring touch that endeared him to the Anaheim faithful. Even though he was ultimately traded to the Ottawa Senators in 2013, the trio of Ryan, Corey Perry, and Ryan Getzlaf of the early 2010s was a unique force of juxtaposing skill sets that has been unmatched since.
December 7, 2021
Fully entrenched in a rebuild, the Ducks were just two months into another slog through another lost season under the tutelage of Dallas Eakins. While the highs of the Stanley Cup playoff days were long gone, there were a few moments of brightness to be had. In game 27 of the 2021-22 season, Trevor Zegras pulled off one of the most incredible assists in not only Ducks history, but NHL history. From behind the Buffalo Sabres net, Zegras alley-ooped a pass to Sony Milano, who buried the goal out of mid-air. Zegras' astonished reaction only mirrored that of the commentators and anyone who was watching. Anaheim won the game, 2-0.
December 23, 2023
Flash forward a couple of years and the Ducks were still slowly lurching out from underneath the rebuild. Zegras is yet again a focal point for this goal, as he pulled off a lacrosse (Michigan) goal against the Seattle Kraken. The sure speed and efficiency, in how Zegras pulled off the move, is what sets this goal apart from almost all the others in Ducks history. The throwback eggplant and jade color scheme of the Ducks' 30th anniversary jerseys, only helped to amplify the excitement. Despite Zegras pulling the Ducks within a goal, they ultimately lost the game to the Kraken and Zegras' skill set has been missed ever since.
Honorable mentions
There are still many more Ducks goals that have a case to be included on this list. Perry's game winner in the Comeback on Katella comes to mind, as does his natural hat trick against the Los Angeles Kings in 2016. But, what else did we miss? Sound off with your favorite/most electric goals in Ducks history.
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