Preview: Ducks Shoot for Fourth Straight Win Tonight vs. Sabres
The Ducks will bring their three-game winning streak back to home ice tonight, hosting the Buffalo Sabres at Honda Center in the opener of a two-game homestand.
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Anaheim capped a successful back-to-back performance Tuesday with a comeback 3-2 victory over the Chicago Blackhawks at United Center. The Ducks trailed 2-1 entering the third period before the club’s top line of Leo Carlsson, Trevor Zegras and Alex Killorn took over for the game-tying and go-ahead goals.
“IIn my career, it’s one of the tougher back-to-backs we’ve played in just from the travel standpoint, so great win to come back,” Killorn said. “We’re showing some resiliency in these wins. We’ve had two comeback wins in the last couple in the past couple of games. It’s great. You know what? Our team is starting to gel. We’re starting to get some chemistry within the lines. We’re not scoring a ton of goals, but we’re not allowing a ton to go in. Our defensive play has been great.”
Highlights from Anaheim’s 3-2 win in Chicago
The win, Anaheim’s third in a row and fourth in the last five games, pushed the club to 8-8-2 on the season and 4-3-2 on the road.
“We played a simple game, that was the key,” Carlsson said. “Playing a simple, north-south game. Got pucks deep and finished our chances.”
Killorn, Carlsson and Zegras led the way in the third period, tying the score at three after a long power-play shift in the offensive zone and providing the decisive goal moments later on a backdoor pass from Killorn to Carlsson.
Alex Killorn, Leo Carlsson on Anaheim’s comeback win in Chicago
“I really love it when he gets to go to the net,” Killorn said of his centerman. “He’s such a talented player. He can score a lot of goals going to the net. I’m so happy he got that one.”
“I’ve said it for years: The power play may not score a goal, but it generates a lot of positive energy offensively,” head coach Greg Cronin added. “We weren’t getting that earlier this year, and now we’re getting that.”
The Ducks now turn their attention to the visiting Sabres, who visit Orange County looking to build on a 1-0 victory Tuesday night over the Kings to kick off a California road trip.
“Every game, you’re learning something, right?” winger Jason Zucker, who scored the game’s only goal, told NHL.com’s Dan Greenspan. “Whether you’re winning or losing, you’re not playing a perfect game. And even tonight, I thought our second period start was horrible. But we were able to kind of turn it around in the third, have a better start to the third and get back after it. So whether we win or we lose, we’re trying to learn from it and take it to the next game.”
Tonight’s game could also mark the third NHL meeting between Sabres forward Tage Thompson and his dad, Ducks assistant coach Brent Thompson, but it remains to be seen if the injured centerman will be in Buffalo’s lineup. The Ducks won both meetings last season. but Tage found the scoresheet in both games.
Buffalo (9-9-1, 19 points) sits fifth in the Atlantic Division.