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Wings fails to protect two-goal lead, upended by Ducks, 6-4

Vaseline November 17, 2024

This was two games in one, but ultimately the bad part of the Red Wings’ game on Friday was costly.

Anaheim scored four straight goals, including two in a span of 38 seconds midway through the third period, leading the Ducks to a 6-4 victory over the Wings.

The Wings (7-8-1) led 3-1 early in the second period after Lucas Raymond’s goal, but Anaheim exploded from there.

Cutter Gauthier and Ross Johnston both scored their first goals of the season – Gauthier’s first in the NHL – to break a 3-3 tie in the third period.

Alex DeBrincat cut the Ducks’ lead to 5-4 with his seventh goal – and the Wings’ third power play goal of the game – at 16:16 of the third period.

BOX SCORE: Ducks 6, Red Wings 4

But Anaheim’s Ryan Strome scored an empty-net goal to end the scoring.

Coach Derek Lalonde told Fan Dual Sports Network that the game changed when the Wings had a 3-1 lead.

“We failed to play our game, and at 3-1 we lost some possession and the game got away from us,” Lalonde said. “We were taking penalties (in the third period) and it felt like they were playing downhill. Things turned around as soon as we took a 3-1 lead.”

Anaheim goaltender John Gibson made 21 saves in his second start this season. Wings goalie Alex Lyon stopped 23 shots but struggled in his first start since Oct. 30.

Marco Kasper and Jonatan Berggren scored power-play goals in the first period, and Raymond scored in the second period, giving the Wings a 3-1 lead.

“This one stings,” said Captain Dylan Larkin. “Two games in a row we had a two-goal lead and we started turning the puck over. We’re all not happy with the result. We had to win that hockey game and we didn’t.”

Olen Zellweger, Trevor Zegras (power play) and Troy Terry (power play) added the goals for the Ducks.

Simon Edvinsson shot in the side of his right knee late in the second, played one shift in the third period and then left the game. Lalonde had no update on Edvinsson’s condition.

Kasper’s goal was his first in the NHL. After missing a great attempt a few minutes earlier, Kasper converted JT Compher’s feed near the circle at 7:59, giving the Wings a 1-0 lead.

Berggren pushed the lead to 2-0 with his second goal in two games. Vladimir Tarasenko found Berggren between the circle and the goal line and Berggren shot past Gibson at 7:16.

Raymond made it 3-1 just 1:05 into the second period. DeBrincat freed Raymond with an outlet pass, and Raymond fired a shot past Gibson for only Raymond’s second goal this season, first at even strength.

But the Ducks rallied with Zegras (second goal) cutting the lead to 3-2 late in the second period, and Terry tying the game at 3-3 with his sixth goal at 3:54 of the third period, which sparked Anaheim’s comeback.

The Wings play at Los Angeles on Saturday (FDSN/97.1).

“Managing our game,” Lalonde said of what the Wings need to do to bounce back Saturday. “Back-to-back games we got off to a good start and we played our game and built our lead and we came away from it.”

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