Recap: Vatrano, Dostal Power Ducks to 4-3 Win Over Devils

Frank Vatrano scored twice and Lukas Dostal made 51 saves, including a penalty shot denial of New Jersey's Jack Hughes with two seconds to play, guiding the Ducks to a 4-3 victory over the Devils tonight at Honda Center.

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With the second of back-to-back wins, the Ducks improved to 22-33-5 on the year and completed a two-game season sweep of the Devils. 

Vatrano led Anaheim offensively with his 28th and 29th goals of the season, tops on the team and tied for 17th in the NHL this season. Adam Henrique and Max Jones also scored. Mason McTavish, Gustav Lindstrom, Troy Terry, Jackson LaCombe and Radko Gudas added assists.

Meanwhile Dostal turned in one of the best performances of his young NHL career, denying 51-of-54 Devils shots and answering Hughes in the game's biggest moment for his ninth win of the season.

Timo Meier, Jack Hughes and Tyler Toffoli scored for the Devils, who fell to 30-26-4 on the season. Goaltenders Nico Daws and Akira Schmid combined for 19 saves.

Vatrano and McTavish teamed up to give the home side an early lead, turning a turnover on the forecheck into the night's first goal. With New Jersey trying to out of its defensive zone, McTavish took the puck away in the corner and fought through a Devils check to deliver a centering pass to Vatrano, who quickly fired his shot under Daws' blocker to put Anaheim ahead.

The goal made Vatrano the fifth-fastest player in franchise history to score 50 as a Duck, trailing only Teemu Selanne, Paul Kariya, Bobby Ryan and Petr Sykora. 

Vatrano has goals in back-to-back games and a career-best 29 on the season. The second-year Duck leads the team in points and goals.

With the assist, McTavish now has seven points in his last six games and 40 points in 52 games this season - his second full campaign in the NHL. McTavish also became the fourth Duck to reach 40 points this season, joining Vatrano, Troy Terry and Adam Henrique.

Meier briefly tied the game for New Jersey late in the first, punching home a rebound from the low slot after a great save by Dostal on former Kings winger Tyler Toffoli.

Signed to an eight-year extension by New Jersey last summer following a midseason trade from San Jose, Meier has totaled 27 points in 47 games this season. His 175 career goals are second all-time among Swiss born NHLers, behind only Nino Niederreiter.

The 1-1 score lasted all of 51 seconds though as Henrique once again victimized his original NHL team, this time restoring Anaheim's lead by beating Daws to the near post after another turnover deep in the Devils defensive zone.

Henrique, who scored his first career NHL hat trick in Anaheim's win at New Jersey in December, has points in four straight games and goals on back-to-back nights. 

With the goal, Henrique matched Scott Niedermayer for tenth-most points by a Duck. Henrique also ranks ninth in goals and owns the best shooting percentage in team history.

Jones has assists in two of his last three games.

McTavish left the game following the first period, seemingly shaken up from the play leading to the first goal, and did not return.

Jones would momentarily double the Ducks' lead late in the middle frame, redirecting Lindstrom's point shot from along the ice to up and over Daws' shoulder for a 3-1 Anaheim advantage.

Lindstrom has points in consecutive games (0-2=2) and three points, with a +9 rating, in his first 12 games as a Duck.

LaCombe also grabbed a helper, his third in the last two nights. His 12 points on the season are tied for sixth among rookie NHL defensemen. 

Hughes then quickly answered for New Jersey, beating Dostal from the high slot for a power-play goal while defenseman Urho Vaakanainen sat for interference. 

The goal clinched Hughes' third 20-goal season in the NHL. The former first-overall pick has points in three straight games and ranks second on the Devils in scoring and assists despite missing time to an upper-body injury.

Hughes' young brother, Luke, assisted on the power-play tally, marking the 10th time this season one sibling has assisted the other.

The back-and-forth action just continued from there though, with the momentum swinging back to the hosts on Vatrano's second of the night. As Anaheim charged ahead on the rush, Vatrano drove the net hard and accepted a pass from Terry, pulling the puck to his backhand and lifting it up high over the lunging netminder.

Vatrano is now one goal short of his first 30-goal campaign in the NHL.

Back from an upper-body injury, Terry has collected seven points in his last four games and is closing on his third straight 30-assist season. Across his last 20 games, Terry is tied for 20th in the NHL in scoring - with eight multi-point efforts in that span.

Schmid replaced Daws in net for New Jersey to start the third period.

Toffoli brought New Jersey again back within one on a power-play goal in the final minutes of the third period, finishing a rebound chance from the side of the net after Luke Hughes had hit the post.

The Devils would then be awarded a penalty shot with two seconds to play, as referees ruled Vatrano to have deliberated knocked off the Ducks net, but Dostal denied Jack Hughes on the chance, sealing Anaheim's win.

Anaheim continues a five-game homestand Sunday against Vancouver.