Thrilling Showdown: Kings Narrowly Fall 2-1 to Ducks in Intense Game

On Saturday night, the Anaheim Ducks went up against the Los Angeles Kings at Crypto.com Arena. This was the third Freeway Face-Off of the season. The Kings came in with a record of 29-17-7, while the Ducks were at 24-24-6. In a nail-biting match that went to a shootout, the Ducks managed to edge out the Kings 2-1.

David Rittich was in goal for the Kings, while Lukáš Dostál defended the net for the Ducks. Before the game, the Kings celebrated Trevor Lewis’s milestone of 1,000 games with a special tribute video. In other news, Drew Doughty was selected for Team Canada in the upcoming 2025 Four Nations Face-Off.

Scoreless Start

The first period saw both goalies on their A-game, making several impressive saves. The Kings had their first power play when Isac Lundeström was called for tripping, but they couldn’t take advantage. After a frenzied first 20 minutes, both teams headed to the locker room without a goal.

Missed Chances in the Second

The second period picked up where the first left off, with no scoring in sight. Dostál continued to shine, turning away multiple quality shots from the Kings. The Ducks earned a power play but didn’t capitalize on it. At the end of the second, shots on goal favored the Kings 23-19, and they also led in hits and face-offs won.

Exciting Third Period

As the final period began, Anže Kopitar tried to put the Kings on the board but was blocked by Dostál. The Kings had another chance on the power play due to a hooking call on Ryan Strome, but once more, they missed. Midway through the period, Brian Dumoulin scored with a wrist shot, giving the Ducks a 1-0 lead. In a thrilling finish, Adrian Kempe tied the game 1-1 with a slick backhand shot just as time was running out.

Overtime Drama

Overtime was all about the goalies. Both Rittich and Dostál made incredible saves as chances came and went. The game remained tied, leading to a shootout. In the shootout, Kempe and Kevin Fiala couldn’t score, but Trevor Zegras found the net. Leo Carlsson then sealed the win for the Ducks with the game-winning shot.