Recap: Ducks Fall 3-1 to Vegas in Final Game Before Holiday Break

The Ducks once again erased a third-period deficit but this time could not finish the job, tonight falling 3-1 to the division rival Vegas Golden Knights at T-Mobile Arena.

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The loss dropped Anaheim to 13-16-4 on the season and 7-6-3 away from home ice.

Mason McTavish scored the lone goal for Anaheim, briefly tying the game early in the third period. Radko Gudas and Robby Fabbri tallied assists. Lukas Dostal and John Gibson combined for 30 saves.

Tanner Pearson, Tomas Hertl and Keegan Kolesar scored for the Golden Knights, who improved to 23-8-3 on the season and extended their lead atop the Pacific Division. Goaltender Adin Hill earned his 15th win of the season with stops on 28-of-29 Anaheim attempts.

Ducks forward Brock McGinn left the game in the first period after an awkward collision with Vegas' Tomas Hertl on his initial shift. McGinn came back to the bench later in the period and skated short laps during a television timeout, seemingly testing an ailment, but immediately returned to the locker room and was soon announced out with a lower-body injury.

Gibson then departed the game later in the opening frame after taking a stick to the face from Vegas forward Tanner Laczynski. Gibson was helped off the ice and did not return with an upper-body injury. Laczynski was assessed a two-minute minor for interference on the play.

Unfortunately for the visitors though, it would be Vegas with the two best scoring chances of Anaheim's man-advantage, with Pearson beating Dostal blocker side from the high slot after the netminder had turned aside Kolesar on a breakaway.

The goal moved Pearson within two points of 300 for his NHL career, and matched his 2023-24 scoring output (13 points) in 20 fewer games.

That 1-0 score would last all the way until the opening moments of the third period, when McTavish drove the net, took a backdoor pass from Gudas and outwaited the sliding Hill for the tying goal.

McTavish has found the scoresheet in back-to-back games and now owns 14 points in 27 appearances this season.

With the assist, Fabbri has now collected five points in six games since returning from knee surgery.

Hertl would restore the Vegas lead with ten minutes to play though, beating his man to the net and lifting a backhanded bid past an outstretched Dostal in tight.

Kolesar capped the scoring with less than five minutes to go, sealing Vegas' 3-1 win.

The Ducks return from the holiday break to open a three-game homestand Saturday against Philadelphia.