The Anaheim Ducks were just 2:35 from upsetting the Minnesota Wild, but they lost 5-4 in a shootout Saturday in St. Paul.
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Kirill Kaprizov forced overtime at the very end of the duel. His companion Mats Zuccarello spotted him at goal for the umpteenth time and the spectacular Russian striker equalized by throwing himself onto the ice.
Trevor Zegras gave the visitors the lead on penalties, but shots from Kaprizov and Matt Boldy finally gave the fans a chance to celebrate at the Xcel Energy Center.
The Ducks thought they were headed for their seventh win of the season thanks to the skills of their offensive leaders. Ryan Strome, Troy Terry and Zegras all hit the mark in the duel, as did defender Cam Fowler.
However, the Californian team has once again left John Gibson to fend for himself. The American goalie stopped 43 pucks in the loss after having more shots than any other goalie since the start of the season.
Defender Calen Addison, quiet for the past few weeks after a stellar start to the season, set the tone for the game by opening the scoring with a one-timer. An assist on Joel Eriksson Ek’s goal in the third period gave Addison the lead among rookie defenders with 13 points.
Connor Dewar also threaded the needle for the Wild. In the episode, the sturdy Ryan Reaves scored his first point in the Minnesota team’s uniform.
It’s the Ducks’ fifth straight loss while the Wild extended their winning streak to three games.