Anaheim Ducks defenseman Tristan Luneau was having his best game in the National League, taking advantage of the opportunity to open his scoring.
On Thursday night, the Quebec native scored his first career goal in a 5-4 loss to the Washington Capitals.
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The Gatineau Olympic product won his own throw, beating goalie Darcy Kuemper. He had previously made an intelligent move to slow down the Caps’ exit from the zone.
“All my teammates congratulated me and were happy for me. “These are elements that make the moment even more valuable,” Luneau said during news conferences following the confrontation.
The Victoriaville native also provided an assist on Brock McGinn’s score later in the game.
“We can see how [Luneau] is dynamic offensively and how confident he is when he has the puck, Ducks head coach Greg Cronin said. He’s not looking for safe games. If it happens in front of him, he can make the move that isn’t dangerous. However, he takes the opportunity to create scoring opportunities when he sees that the game is open in front of him. It is a convenient weapon among our defenders.”
Luneau was drafted in the second round (53rd overall) of the 2022 amateur auction and is still a junior. The Ducks can test him out for nine games before he burns out the first year of his contract. The game against the Capitals was his fifth game of the season. In early November, the California organization bought time by sending Luneau to the San Diego Gulls of the American League for conditioning.
Many believe the Ducks intend to keep the back until December and allow him to represent Canada at the U20 World Hockey Championships before moving him back to junior level.