Dostal saves his best stop for last
ANAHEIM >> The Ducks defeated the New Jersey Devils 4-2 at Honda Center on Friday night, behind Lukáš Dostál's second 50-save performance of the season, which ended in dramatic fashion with a penalty shot save right before the final horn.
They captured consec- utive victories for just the third time since Nov. 15 and the second time in the 2024 calendar year.
What was decidedly less novel was that the result of the game wasn't supported analytically — the Ducks have made a routine of both winning and losing games that the numbers say they shouldn't — and that they lost even more bodies to injury.
On the same Thursday that they traded Ilya Lyubushkin, they lost their longest-tenured player, Cam Fowler, to a facial laceration, and their most promising young forward, Leo Carlsson, to an upper-body injury. Neither played on Friday and both were deemed day-to-day. Troy Terry did return Friday after a twogame absence, but Mason McTavish exited the game in the first period and did not return. They have been without last year's leading scorer, Trevor Zegras, since Jan. 9.
Frank Vatrano netted two goals while Max Jones notched a goal and an assist. Adam Henrique stayed hot with another goal after scoring in Thursday's 6-4 win in San Jose. Radko Gudas had an assist and a fight to answer for the booming hip check he delivered to New Jersey star Jack Hughes. Dostál prospered under heavy fire, making 51 of 54 saves, including a penalty
THE SCORE DUCKS 4, DEVILS 3 Canucks at Ducks, Sunday, 5 p.m., BSSC
SUMMARY
The Ducks' Frank Vatrano, front, checks the Devils' Dawson Mercer during Friday night's game.
Up next: shot from Hughes with two seconds left.
Hughes scored a goal and assisted on Timo Meier's tally as well as Tyler Toffoli's. Toffoli added an assist while rookie Luke Hughes, Jack's brother, contributed two helpers. Nico Daws stopped just 10 of 14 shots before being relieved by Akira Schmid.