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![Anaheim Ducks right wing Troy Terry, left, tries to get...]()
Anaheim Ducks right wing Troy Terry, left, tries to get a shot past Arizona Coyotes goaltender Connor Ingram during the second period of an NHL hockey game Saturday, Jan. 28, 2023, in Anaheim, Calif. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
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![Arizona Coyotes defenseman Troy Stecher, left, taunts Anaheim Ducks center...]()
Arizona Coyotes defenseman Troy Stecher, left, taunts Anaheim Ducks center Trevor Zegras after Zebras received a penalty during the second period of an NHL hockey game Saturday, Jan. 28, 2023, in Anaheim, Calif. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
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![Anaheim Ducks left wing Max Comtois, left, celebrates a goal...]()
Anaheim Ducks left wing Max Comtois, left, celebrates a goal by left wing Max Jones as Arizona Coyotes goaltender Connor Ingram looks into the net during the second period of an NHL hockey game Saturday, Jan. 28, 2023, in Anaheim, Calif. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
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![Arizona Coyotes center Nick Schmaltz, left, and Anaheim Ducks center...]()
Arizona Coyotes center Nick Schmaltz, left, and Anaheim Ducks center Ryan Strome dive for the puck during the second period of an NHL hockey game Saturday, Jan. 28, 2023, in Anaheim, Calif. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
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![Anaheim Ducks defenseman Simon Benoit, left, passes the puck while...]()
Anaheim Ducks defenseman Simon Benoit, left, passes the puck while under pressure from Arizona Coyotes defenseman Troy Stecher during the second period of an NHL hockey game Saturday, Jan. 28, 2023, in Anaheim, Calif. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
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![Arizona Coyotes left wing Nick Ritchie, left, scores on Anaheim...]()
Arizona Coyotes left wing Nick Ritchie, left, scores on Anaheim Ducks goaltender John Gibson, right, as left wing Nick Ritchie, second from left, and defenseman Cam Fowler watch during the first period of an NHL hockey game Saturday, Jan. 28, 2023, in Anaheim, Calif. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
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![Arizona Coyotes center Barrett Hayton, right, shoots the puck as...]()
Arizona Coyotes center Barrett Hayton, right, shoots the puck as Anaheim Ducks defenseman Dmitry Kulikov defends during the first period of an NHL hockey game Saturday, Jan. 28, 2023, in Anaheim, Calif. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
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![Anaheim Ducks center Trevor Zegras, center, dives for the puck...]()
Anaheim Ducks center Trevor Zegras, center, dives for the puck as Arizona Coyotes left wing Nick Ritchie, left, takes it and center Travis Boyd watches during the first period of an NHL hockey game Saturday, Jan. 28, 2023, in Anaheim, Calif. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
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![Arizona Coyotes defenseman Patrik Nemeth, left, tussles with Anaheim Ducks...]()
Arizona Coyotes defenseman Patrik Nemeth, left, tussles with Anaheim Ducks center Adam Henrique, second from left, as center Barrett Hayton, second from right, tussles with center Trevor Zegras during the second period of an NHL hockey game Saturday, Jan. 28, 2023, in Anaheim, Calif. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
ANAHEIM — Trevor Zegras smiled that irrepressible smile of someone who had scored the game-winning goal in a wild back-and-forth overtime.
“It was great – that’s how overtimes should be played,” said Zegras, who scored his 18th goal of the season. “Just back-and-forth breakaways, two-on-ones. That’s what the fans want to see.”
The Ducks prevailed 2–1 against the Arizona Coyotes in an emotion-laden game on Saturday night at Honda Center. They head into the break – off until Feb. 6 – on a three-game winning streak, their longest of the season. Zegras scored with 1:26 remaining in the go-for-broke overtime after Ducks defenseman John Klingberg stripped Coyotes forward Matias Maccelli of the puck.
But they wouldn’t have reached that point if not for Ducks goaltender John Gibson’s sensational sprawling save on Coyotes defenseman Jakob Chychrun earlier in overtime.
JOHN GIBSON, WHAT A SAVE!!!#FlyTogether pic.twitter.com/ewTAtXiDOM
— Hockey Daily 365 l NHL Highlights (@HockeyDaily365) January 29, 2023
“That save Gibby made should be on every highlight reel for the rest of the year, every night,” Ducks coach Dallas Eakins said. “Exciting overtime on an exciting night.”
Said Zegras: “Got to see some breakaways at both ends. Obviously, Gibby’s save was ridiculous. The way he’s able to handle the puck, and on that last goal, and him passing it up was tremendous. Cheers to those guys, for sure.”
At this point, it’s hard for Gibson’s teammates to try to rank his saves.
“I’ve lost at this point, honestly,” Zegras said. “It’s every game he’s doing something crazy.”
There were a host of skirmishes after the whistle throughout the game, and the Ducks’ Zegras and Coyotes defenseman Troy Stecher exchanged words in the second period with Stecher especially livid. Zegras received a 10-minute misconduct.
“I’m not sure – it was pretty standard trash talk,” Zegras said. “If he wants to act like that, it’s totally fine.”
Said Eakins: “Have at it. This is a game, if you can throw the other team off-kilter, throw ‘em off. I said it to (Ducks assistant coach) Newell Brown on the bench: He (Zegras) is right in their head. They’re all messed up and they’re going to be even madder when he scores the winner.”
Usually, the last game before a break is a struggle. Looking ahead to vacation – long or short – eventually works its way and takes up residence in the head of almost everyone. Professional athletes included.
That’s why you see particularly unexpected results just before the Christmas break or the All-Star break.
“The team that can get their head into it the fastest and not be thinking about their flight to wherever they’re going to after the game or tomorrow,” Eakins said after the morning skate. “It shouldn’t be a challenge but it is. I think it’s going to be a challenge for our guys.”
As it turned out, the Ducks had no problem getting up to play the Coyotes. The same held true for the Coyotes.
Although the teams combined for seven goals on Tuesday – the Ducks beating Arizona 5-2 – the offense was limited to two goals through the first 40 minutes. Coyotes forward Nick Ritchie, a former Duck and first-round pick (No. 10 overall) in 2014, scored Arizona’s lone goal, at 16:21 of the first period, and Ducks forward Max Jones equalized in the second at 12:32 with his fourth goal of the season, beating Coyotes goalie Connor Ingram on the glove side.
The Ducks played almost the entire third period with five defensemen as Urho Vaakanainen was limited to one shift in the opening minute of the third.
“He turned kind of weird and they did their best to get him back but he just wasn’t going to be effective,” Eakins said.
Missing his second straight game was defenseman Kevin Shattenkirk who suffered a lower-body injury when he blocked a shot at Arizona on Tuesday. Nathan Beaulieu took Shattenkirk’s place on the third D pair against the Coyotes. The other scratches were forward Brett Leason and defenseman Colton White.
“(Shattenkirk) did everything he could to get back,” Eakins said. “He skated but he’s not quite there. So why push it?”
