The Anaheim Ducks mounted an impressive comeback Friday night, erasing an early deficit to beat the Utah Mammoth 4-1 and claim the season series between the two teams.
Alex Killorn powered the Ducks’ offensive attack with one goal and two assists, while Ryan Poehling contributed a goal and an assist in the victory. Goaltender Lukas Dostal was stellar between the pipes, turning away 29 shots for Anaheim (38-27-4, 80 points).
The win marks the second victory in three games for the Ducks, who have now captured five of their past nine contests. Anaheim also secured a 2-1 advantage over Utah in their three-game season series.
Utah (36-28-6, 78 points) entered the contest riding high after shutting out the Vegas Golden Knights 4-0 on Thursday. Dylan Guenther provided the Mammoth’s only scoring, while Vitek Vanecek stopped 19 shots in the losing effort.
The Mammoth struck first when Guenther found the back of the net just 1:48 into the opening frame. Sean Durzi delivered a perfect cross-ice feed, setting up Guenther for a one-knee slap shot that beat Dostal.
Utah dominated the early action, outshooting Anaheim 14-5 in the first period. The Ducks didn’t register their initial shot attempt until 11:53 had elapsed.
Poehling brought the visitors level at 13:37 of the first period, capitalizing on a penalty kill breakaway opportunity with a precise wrist shot that found its mark.
The Ducks seized control in the middle frame when Killorn connected on a snap shot at 9:09, giving Anaheim a 2-1 advantage they would not relinquish.
Cutter Gauthier sealed the victory with an empty-net tally with 1:36 remaining in regulation. Mikael Granlund added the final exclamation point, converting a Poehling setup into the vacant net with 55 seconds left on the clock.
