Recap: Ducks Clip Kings 2-1 in Another Thriller at Honda Center
© Debora Robinson/Getty Images
On an evening when the Ducks celebrated the return of Andrew Cogliano, they also celebrated a triumphant victory over their bitter rivals, an intense 2-1 win in front of an overflow crowd of 17,258 at a raucous Honda Center.
Ryan Kesler scored the eventual game-winner with just under eight minutes left, his third goal in 10 games since returning from a lengthy absence with a hip injury.
The Ducks had a chance to slam the door later in the period when goalie Jonathan Quick went off for an extra attacker with a minute and a half left, but Jakob Silfverberg missed wide on a try at the empty net soon afterward. Instead, the Ducks had to hold on for dear life while facing a barrage of LA slap shots during the anxious final seconds, many of which were blocked before they got to goalie John Gibson (23 saves).
The Ducks handed the Kings (24-17-5) their sixth straight loss, as the one-time Pacific Division leaders have tumbled down the division standings and are now tied with Anaheim (22-16-9) at 53 points, just short of the last playoff spot in the Western Conference. The Ducks have also won 16 of the last 23 in the regular season against LA.
After a scoreless 42 minutes, Anaheim finally got the game's first goal in workmanlike fashion, as Adam Henrique went crashing into the net and somehow got the puck to slide barely over the stripe.
The Kings evened things up soon afterward when Alex Iafallo punched in a rebound with the backhand just outside the crease.
But the Ducks went back in front with 7:39 left when Francois Beauchemin hammered a one-timer off a Cogliano feed, and it was deflected through by Kesler between the circles.
"I saw a turnover, and then Cogs passed to the point," Kesler said. "I was just trying to create separation and get my stick on it."
Cogliano returned to the lineup after serving a controversial two-game suspension for a hit on Adrian Kempe of these same Kings last Saturday in LA. The suspension, which was roundly protested by fans and the majority of hockey media, sadly put an end to Cogliano's "ironman" streak of 830 straight games, the fourth-longest in NHL history. He had never missed a game since making his NHL debut with Edmonton on October 4, 2007, and the streak included 502 games with Anaheim.
Fans showed an outpouring of support for Cogliano
on social media
and before the game with signs throughout the arena unabashedly declaring tonight his 831st straight game. The adoration reached a crescendo during the second timeout of the first period, when a video tribute transitioned into a live shot of Cogliano that brought a loud roar from the home crowd.
"It's important for me to take the time to express my gratitude of how special it's been over the last 48 hours and tonight," Cogliano said. "That was something I'll remember for the rest of my life and my career. This was probably one of the tougher parts of my career, but that evened it out for me in terms of support. The video, the fans. It's pretty special to have that done in my career. I really want to thank the people who took the effort. It means the world to me."
Added Ducks coach Randy Carlyle, "It shows the commitment not only he's made to the organization and to being a solid pro and represent the hockey club very professionally, it shows the appreciation they have for them. It's not easy to do to play 800-something games and not miss any. It's an unfortunate situation. A suspension takes him out of it. We all have our views on the suspension."
Anaheim came out firing early tonight, outshooting the Kings 13-1 first 10 minutes and 17-5 in a first period that yielded no goals.
The Ducks had two golden opportunities in the second period go by the wayside, as a Rickard Rakell's one-timer hit both posts and skittered across the goal line, and less than a minute later the puck slipped under goalie Quick and stayed on the stripe before being swept away. The Kings also hit the post on a wide open net with a little more than three minutes left in the period.
A sixth win in the last nine games (6-2-1) was also the second in less than a week against the Kings, including a 4-2 victory in LA last Saturday.
"We still have laxes in the game and turnovers in areas we shouldn't," Kesler said. "We're not perfect, and we're striving to be perfect. Today was a good step in the right direction."
The Ducks play their third game of a five-game homestand Sunday vs. San Jose, which will also be Angels Night at Honda Center.
"We're striving to garner as many points as we can until the All-Star Break," Carlyle said. "That's our mindset. We'll use that as a segment. We'll take a little bit of a break and then try to break down the month of February. Everybody knows March is one of the busiest schedules for any club in the NHL. There's only 10 days in April and then we're at the end of the season. There are only so many games left and these four-point games are paramount for us to climb into the playoff picture."
