The Anaheim Ducks suffered another heartbreaking shootout loss at the Honda Center on Friday night. This time it was the Pittsburgh Penguins taking advantage of the skills competition to get past the NHL's top team.
Unlike the SO loss to the Montreal Canadiens on Wednesday night, this was a game the Ducks should have won. Anaheim dominated the first two periods, out shooting the Pens 23-7 through 40 minutes. The pesky Pens were not to be denied. They clawed their way back from two one-goal deficits to force overtime and steal the game in the exhibition round.
The Ducks definitely had their chances to win the game, including a couple golden ones late in overtime.
I billed this game as a possible Finals preview and for a lack of better words, it was rather ho-hum. Pittsburgh was playing the second half of a back-to-back and that appeared to play a significant role in their performance. With that said, they pulled out the win and earned that valuable second point.
I don't want to dwell on the negative. We see enough of that as sports fans. It seems as though bi-polarism (is that a word) is what sports fans know best. When our team wins...they are Cup bound and when they lose...they flat out s#$@.
So let's stay upbeat, shall we?
I have complied a list of 10 positive takeaways that should make last night's game seem a little easier to swallow.
1. Corey Perry scored goals 33 and 34. Perry is now all alone in second place among NHL goal scorers. Alex Ovechkin leads the league with 44 goals.2. Ryan Getzlaf had two assists. It was his first multi-point game since he collected two goals and an assist against Nashville back on Feb. 8.
3. Anaheim's defense held the Penguins to only 17 shots, a season low for high-flying Pittsburgh.
4. The Perry, Getzlaf and Kyle Palmieri line combined for five points and finished a plus-6.
5. Despite the loss, Jonas Hiller still has 26 wins, (26-9-6) He's only four wins shy of matching a career best (30-23-4 in 2009-10)
6. Anaheim has at least 31 shots in three consecutive games.
7. The back-to-back shootouts are the Ducks first shootouts since NOV. 30 - Dec. 6, when Anaheim participated in three straight shootouts. In case you were wondering...The Ducks lost the first two before finally winning the third. (Ducks are 3-5 in the shootout this season)
8. The Ducks have points in 28 of 33 games at Honda Center.
9. Anaheim has points in all four games since the Olympic break.
10. Finally, thanks to the point earned, the Ducks now have 93 points and remain one point ahead of the St. Louis Blues (92) in the race for the President's Trophy.
See...not so bad right?
Oh, one last thing....there was a fight too!
Thanks for reading!
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