Ducks’ rally falls short in overtime loss to Sabres
Rasmus Asplund scored his second goal with 43.9 seconds left in overtime, and the Buffalo Sabres blew a three-goal lead before rallying for a 4-3 victory over the Anaheim Ducks on Thursday night.
Zemgus Girgensons and Arttu Ruotsalainen also scored for the Sabres, who opened a four-game West Coast trip by earning at least a point for the sixth time in their seven games. Craig Anderson stopped 34 shots in a standout performance in goal.
Anthony Stolarz made 25 saves and Simon Benoit tied it with his first career NHL goal early in the third period for the Ducks, who lost their fifth straight. Troy Terry extended his points streak to six games with a goal for Anaheim, and Adam Henrique scored his 200th career goal.
Ducks captain Ryan Getzlaf had an assist for his 987th career point, moving him one behind Teemu Selanne for the Anaheim franchise scoring record.
Anaheim put 17 shots on Anderson in the first period and missed on numerous scoring chances, but Girgensons put the Sabres ahead from distance late in the frame with a precise shot off a long rebound of Kyle Okposo’s shot.
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Asplund scored on a power play early in the second, and Ruotsalainen got his first goal of the season off a deflection to put Buffalo up 3-0. Terry wired home his third goal of an impressive start to the season on a pass from Getzlaf just under two minutes later, and Henrique scored in front after a prolonged scramble around Anderson late in the second.
Benoit then tied it with six minutes left to play in his eighth career NHL game. He is a 23-year-old former undrafted free agent who progressed from a contract with the Ducks’ AHL affiliate in San Diego in 2018 to make his NHL debut late last season.
Etc.
Rickard Rakell left Anaheim’s bench during the third period and didn’t return. Ducks coach Dallas Eakins had no postgame update on his condition, but said: “It’s always a little worrying when they don’t come back in the game.” ... Rookie center Mason McTavish to San Diego for a 14-day conditioning loan. The 18-year-old McTavish scored two points in his first three NHL games while becoming the youngest player in Ducks history to score a goal, but left a game in Calgary last week with a lower-body injury.
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