Ducks end their slide in battle of struggling teams
WASHINGTON » Jakob Silfverberg scored the goahead goal early in the third period, John Gibson made 41 saves and the Ducks handed the reeling Washington Capitals a sixth con- secutive defeat, 4-2 Thursday night.
The Capitals are mired in their longest losing streak since losing seven in a row in 2019 and their longest stretch without a point in nearly two decades. They last lost six consecutive games all in regulation in October 2003, before the NHL had a salary cap and before Alex Ovechkin was drafted.
This loss to the last-place Ducks, who ended their sixgame skid, came in the aftermath of Washington trading two key players. Stanley Cup-winning defenseman Dmitry Orlov and gritty winger Garnet Hathaway were sent to the leagueleading Boston Bruins for draft picks and depth forward Craig Smith, the start of the first trade deadline selloff by the Capitals since
THE SCORE
DUCKS 4, CAPITALS 2
Up next: Ducks at Hurricanes, Saturday, 4p.m., BSSC
SUMMARY
Ducks Washington
First Period:
1, Washington, Oshie 12 (Gustafsson, Backstrom), 11:41 (pp).
Jones, ANA (Tripping), 1:45. Strome, ANA (Slashing), 11:06. Strome, ANA (Misconduct), 11:06. Aube-Kubel, WSH (Hooking), 18:55.
2, Ducks, Lundestrom 3 (Fowler), 7:09. 3, Washington, Jensen 2 (Dowd, Fehervary), 9:07. 4, Ducks, Terry 14 (Fowler, Kulikov), 9:51.
Wilson, WSH (Fighting), 10:01. Benoit, ANA (Fighting), 10:01. Washington bench, served by Ovechkin (Roughing), 14:41. McIlrath, WSH (Fighting), 14:41. Carrick, ANA (Fighting), 14:41. Grant, ANA (Holding), 19:48.
5, Ducks, Silfverberg 7 (White, Comtois), 2:15. 6, Ducks, Grant 3 (Shattenkirk), 18:29 (en).
Oshie, WSH (Slashing), 14:52.
Ducks 6-10-5: 21. Washington 12-15-16: 43;
Ducks 0 of 3. Washington 1 of 3; Ducks, Gibson 11-23-6 (43 shots-41 saves). Washington, Lindgren 12-8-2 (20-17); 18,573 (18,277); 2:39.
Penalties:
Second Period:
Third Period:
Shots on goal:
Goalies:
A: 0 1 2 1 2 — 4 0 — 2
Penalties:
Penalties:
Power-play opportunities:
T:
Ovechkin’s rookie year in 2005-06.
“We still have a chance to make the playoffs,” Ovechkin said. “You never know what’s gonna happen. We just will continue to play. ... Nothing we can do. We players, we have to play the game and it’s not our job to make a decision.”
The team’s struggles in recent weeks contributed to general manager Brian MacLellan making the first of what could be several moves trading pending free agents such as Orlov and Hathaway. Defenseman Nick Jensen, who scored one of Washington’s two goals, could be another.
Anaheim will also be selling, but the Ducks enjoyed a moment of joy in a rough season thanks to goals by Isac Lundestrom, Troy Terry and Silfverberg, an emptynetter by Derek Grant.
“It’s been tough sledding this year for us, I think: a lot of ups and downs,” said Ducks center Ryan Strome, who improved to 7-0 in the NHL against brother Dylan. “In such a tough season, you want to ride the highs as much as you can.”
Strome wants Gibson to ride high after the Ducks’ long-term starting goalie made some hockey history.
Gibson’s 21st save gave him the most through a goalie’s first 40 games of the season since Hall of Famer Jacques Plante made 1,396 for the New York Rangers in 1963-64. Gibson, who has faced the most shots and made the most saves in the NHL this season, made 40-plus stops for a leagueleading 10th time.
“I feel like he’s making 40 saves every night,” Silfverberg said. “He’s been terrific for us.”
The Capitals were booed by home fans amid several turnovers, missed defensive assignments and at least one soft goal given up by Charlie Lindgren, who faced just 20 shots in his first start since Feb. 12 — the start of this skid.
“It’s been a really tough stretch here,” Lindgren said. “There’s no room for pouting. There’s no room for sulking.”
Ovechkin in his first game back after missing the past week after the death of his father had a few quality scoring chances but no points.
Terry scored in his first game back from injury, while the Ducks played without two players who are candidates to be traded: defenseman John Klingberg and winger Adam Henrique, out with lower-body injuries.