Recap: Grant, Jones Lead Ducks to Preseason Comeback Win over Kings

The Ducks stormed back from a second-period deficit in a rollercoaster game against the Los Angeles Kings at Honda Center, earning a 5-4 comeback victory over their Southern California rivals in the second of three 2022 preseason installments of the Freeway Face-Off.
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With the win, Anaheim improved to 4-2-0 in the exhibition season, with three victories in as many games on home ice. The Ducks conclude their preseason schedule Saturday afternoon at Crypto.com Arena.
The trio of Derek Grant, Pavol Regenda and Max Jones were the life of Anaheim's offense throughout the night, combining for 10 points and scoring each of the first four goals for the home side.
"I think we kept things simple," Grant said of the line's success. "We had a good forecheck going. Turned over some pucks and then we had guys going to the net...We're straight-line, hard on the forecheck. If we play within the system, we'll get rewarded."
"We relied on each other," Jones said. "We trusted each other and we held each other accountable to work hard. The game just really came easy tonight."
Grant led the way with four points, helping the Ducks bounce back from a two-goal second period deficit. The veteran forward scored Anaheim's first goal in the opening period and added three assists in the middle frame.
Jones (2-1=3), Regenda (1-2=3) and John Klingberg (0-2=2) posted multi-point games. Frank Vatrano also scored for the Ducks. Jamie Drysdale, Dmitry Kulikov and Troy Terry added assists.
"We had a number of players play how we want to play, as a team," head coach Dallas Eakins said. "We're really trying to hammer on that, it's about the team, the team, the team. I think Granter [Derek Grant], and Jonesy [Max Jones], and Regenda [Pavol Regenda] for the most part, played a game, that that's how we wanna play. It's not a complicated one. It's a simple one, that takes a whole lot of will and commitment, and they did that, and their line was rewarded, as our team was."
Anthony Stolarz made 32 saves in his second start of the preseason.
After scoring twice in LA's 2-1 win Sunday, the Kings' power play unit continued to give the Ducks fits in the early going. After the Kings worked the puck around the perimeter of the zone, All-Star winger Adrian Kempe zipped a shot on net from the right faceoff circle. Stolarz made the initial stop but the rebound sat free for Gabriel Vilardi, who slammed it into the open cage to give the visitors the evening's first lead.
A former first-round pick now fighting for a spot on the Kings opening night roster, Vilardi notched 38 points in 39 games with the Ontario Reign (AHL) last season and seven points in 25 NHL games.
Anaheim responded just over two minutes later on a fortunate bounce. Regenda carried the puck over the blue line, leaving it behind for a trailing Grant, who quickly fired it towards the net with Jones crashing towards the crease. Kings defenseman Jordan Spence tried to stop the centering attempt, but instead deflected it away from the sliding Kings netminder Cal Petersen and into the net, tying the game at one.

Grant has scored in each of his last two preseason games after matching a career best with 15 goals last season.
The flood gates opened early in the middle frame as the teams traded tallies throughout the period to head to the second intermission deadlocked at four.
The first half of the period belonged to the Kings, who quickly reclaimed the lead with a couple of quick goals just 33 seconds apart.
Vilardi struck again to put LA back ahead when he ripped the puck off Kulikov's stick down low, spun towards the net and fired a wrister past Stolarz to the glove side.
Kaliyev scored on the next shift, taking a centering pass from Carl Grundstrom stationed in the corner and firing it by Stolarz's blocker while unchecked in the slot.
The Ducks temporarily got back within a goal when Jones beat Petersen from distance, hammering a slapshot off a pass from Drysdale that tipped through traffic and by the screened LA netminder.

The one-goal deficit would prove short-lived though as the Kings went right back to work offensively, restoring their two-goal cushion on a blast by Bjornfot from the left faceoff circle.
Bjornfot has one goal in 106 career NHL regular season games, scored against the Ducks in May 2021.
The Ducks kept working despite the deficit and later in the period started to turn the tide back within a couple of prolonged shifts in the Kings defensive zone and some sharp passing by the suddenly unstoppable trio of Grant, Jones and Regenda.
"I'm not even really worried about the goals or points or whatnot," Jones said. "I'm having fun again. It's not like I didn't before, but there's just another feeling I have right now coming to the rink that I missed out on last year. It's been a lot of fun. And I think with that, I know what I can do and if I play with emotion and have fun, I think that also makes the game easier."
Jones scored his second of the night to bring the Ducks back within one, converting a gorgeous no-look between the legs pass from Grant that the centerman could not have hand-placed any better. Jones got all of his one-timer before Petersen could get set, whipping it home and immediately pointing to his linemate in celebration.

"It was kind of a slow-developing play," Grant said. "[Regenda] did a good job working to get that puck down to me and I saw [Jones] sitting there for him. He moved into a good spot, so I just tried to get in an area for him and he made a good shot."
Grant then got Regenda in on the fun, taking a stretch pass from Kulikov on left wing before lofting a centering feed to Regenda sprinting down the middle, who snapped it past Petersen to cap a wild period and level the score at four.

"They came out quick in that second period and we obviously had to clean up," Grant said. "Some of those goals were preventable. We did a good job, stuck with it, played right through and [Stolarz] made some big saves for us when he needed to, and we just grinded it out."
The Ducks carried that new found momentum right over into the third, taking control of the game on consecutive well-executed power plays.
The first of those man advantages proved successful, with Vatrano showing off the lethal shooting ability that drew Anaheim to him this summer. The 28-year-old winger took a pass from fellow offseason acquisition Klingberg, settling the puck down above the right circle before firing a low shot through the bodies in front of Petersen and in, giving the Ducks their first and only lead of the night.

Vatrano has scored in each of his last two preseason games, both times beating goaltenders from distance. He and Jones co-led Anaheim with four shots on net.
The second of those power plays would not accomplish the intended goal, but not for a lack of trying. Anaheim hemmed the Kings deep in the zone for the vast majority of the two minutes with several close calls nearly pushing the lead to two, but Petersen stood tall to keep it a one-goal game.
The Ducks locked it down defensively from there, protecting the middle of the ice in their own zone and preventing the Kings from many quality looks at tying the game.
The Ducks conclude their preseason schedule Saturday afternoon against the Kings at Crypto.com Arena.