Looking to salvage the finale of a three-game road trip, the Anaheim Ducks were outlasted by the Minnesota Wild 2-0 on Saturday afternoon at Grand Casino Arena. Anaheim dropped all three contests away from home, falling to 11-6-1 on the season and being held without a score for the first time.
The opening goal of the game was delivered via Minnesota’s Marcus Johansson, who used a nifty finish to get the Wild on the board less than a minute into the second period. It was his seventh score of the season, coming on a sharp assist from Matt Boldy.
Slow starts continue to persist as an area of improvement for Anaheim, having allowed their opponent to score the game’s first goal yet again. They have now done so 12 times throughout the first 18 games of the season, going 5-6-1 in such instances.
A physical opening period saw the Ducks let momentum slip into the hands of the Wild early, as a pair of high-sticking penalties committed by Mason McTavish left them fighting shorthanded. 14-year veteran Petr Mrazek and the Anaheim defense did a nice job killing the Minnesota power play, keeping things scoreless through the opening 20 minutes.
Mrazek finished with 28 saves on 29 Minnesota shots, suffering his first loss of the season. It was the fourth start of the season defending the net for the 33-year-old, who had last appeared in Anaheim’s 4-3 overtime victory against the Golden Knights on Nov. 8.
Nick Wosika-Imagn Images
Penalties were an issue for the Ducks on Saturday, with five of them ultimately giving the Wild plenty of power play opportunities. Minnesota’s 19 power play goals this season are the second-most in the NHL, leaving Anaheim fortunate that the deficit did not increase.
Despite a lack of offense, Mrazek stood firm throughout the final 20 minutes as his squad fought to find an equalizer. However, the Wild continued to leave them looking answerless, as Jesper Wallstedt put together a strong shutout performance.
Wallstedt saved all 28 shots that he saw en route to earning his fourth victory of the season (4-0-2). The 23-year-old has now gone two straight games without allowing a score, serving as a key piece in the Minnesota victory on Saturday.
Matt Boldy found the net late in the third period on an empty-net score as the Ducks desperately fought to find a clutch score. It was the 10th score of the season for the forward, who moved into a tie with Kirill Kaprizov for the team lead.
Following a seven-game winning streak that left Anaheim atop the Pacific Division, their fortunes have quickly begun to spin back in the opposite direction. A three-game skid leaves them just a single point ahead of the Kings, with a chance to drop into second place depending on how Los Angeles finishes against the Ottawa Senators.
The Ducks will now return home for a much-needed six-game homestand, beginning on Monday evening against the Utah Mammoth. Utah (10-7-1) has won just a single game out of its last five, giving Anaheim a promising chance to get back in the win column and put an end to its first losing streak of the year.
Puck drop is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. PT.