ANAHEIM — The Ducks suffered losses on multiple levels on Wednesday night at Honda Center, where they were suffocated by the Vegas Golden Knights, 4-1, in a match that saw forward Trevor Zegras sustain what appeared to be a serious lower-body injury.
The Ducks dropped to 0-3-0 this season and 8-21-5 all-time against the Golden Knights, who entered the NHL in the same season when the Ducks last qualified for the playoffs (2017-18).
Jackson LaCombe deposited the Ducks’ only goal. John Gibson earned his second straight regulation loss after starting off 4-0-1, stopping 30 of 33 shots.
Former Ducks were at the fore for Vegas, who got two goals from Shea Theodore and another from William Karlsson, as well as a tally from Alexander Holtz. Team-leading scorer Jack Eichel, Tomáš Hertl and Victor Olofsson contributed two assists apiece, and Ilya Samsonov had 19 saves.
Though the third period was not without its highlights – Frank Vatrano was a fixture in the slot and Gibson made a phenomenal save on an unmarked Eichel from close range – the Ducks ultimately fell for the fourth time in six games.
That result was reified when Theodore tacked on an empty-net goal 44 seconds before the final horn.
Vegas had effectively closed the deal 3:05 into the final frame. Theodore’s outlet pass for Tomáš Hertl allowed Hertl to draw his Czech countryman Radko Gudas to him at the right-wing boards before turning a pass to former King Tanner Pearson. Pearson and Holtz executed a two-on-one so precise that it drew both Gibson and Brian Dumoulin far enough out of position that Holtz could have blown the puck into the net.
Though the second period was a stalemate on the scoreboard – Vegas struck at 6:38 but the Ducks clawed back that goal with 1:59 left – it began beyond inauspiciously for the Ducks.
Just 40 seconds into the frame, Zegras went down. After losing a faceoff to Karlsson, Zegras fell to the ice and immediately signaled to the Ducks’ bench. He had an apparent left leg injury, which could be of particular concern since the 23-year-old had his left ankle surgically repaired after breaking it in Nashville last season.
LaCombe gave the Ducks life with his late-period wrist shot through Mason McTavish’s screen. It was the second-year defenseman’s third goal of the campaign and his second in two games.
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It only halved the Ducks’ deficit, thanks to Theodore. Drew Helleson’s miscalculation at the defensive blue line gave Eichel and Olofsson a two-on-one rush. Although Gibson made the initial save on Olofsson’s rocket of a one-timer, Theodore’s followup bid whizzed past both Gibson and Helleson, who had hustled back into the play just in time to be scored upon.
The divisional rivals battled through 20 competitive minutes, with Vegas surging early and then again to close the period, including its only goal with 3:34 remaining.
Victor Olofsson turned the puck high for Nicolas Hague, whose point shot through traffic left a rebound at the side of the net that Karlsson stabbed at to draw first blood.
More to come on this story.