Ducks struggle on special teams as loss to Red Wings runs winless streak to five

DETROIT —  Dominik Kubalik had a goal and two assists as the Detroit Red Wings beat the Ducks 5-1 on Sunday.

Dylan Larkin, David Perron, Joe Veleno and Elmer Soderblom also scored to help Detroit improve to 3-0-2. Ville Husso had 32 saves to improve to 4-0-0 in his career against Anaheim.

“I thought we had a good start,” Red Wings coach Derek Lalonde said. “Ville [was] really good in the second when they had a little push. Tonight is the night we call this in the profession an assistant coach win because of special teams. They were dynamite. Huge credit to what we’re trying to do in special teams. We had a good night tonight.”

Hockey

Ducks fall short in shootout loss to Bruins

John Gibson stopped 35 shots and Frank Vatrano scored in regulation, but the Ducks fell short to the Bruins 2-1 in a shootout on Thursday in Boston.

Oct. 20, 2022

The Red Wings have points in each of their first five games for the first time since 2011-12, when they started 5-0-0.

Trevor Zegras scored for Anaheim and John Gibson finished with 36 saves.

“You can’t win in this game with just your goalie and three players playing well,” Ducks coach Dallas Eakins said. “You’ve got to have all 18 skaters and your [goalie] going every night if you are consistently going to be on the right side of the score.”

The Ducks are 0-4-1 since a season-opening 5-4 overtime win at home against Seattle on Oct. 12. They’ve been outscored 23-9 during their skid.

“The last two or three games, if we’re a little better on special teams, we’re right in the game,” Ducks center Ryan Strome said. “That’s how you win games in the NHL and we’re not doing it on either side of the puck.”

Larkin snapped a rebound past Gibson for a power-play goal at 2:02 of the first. It was his 150th career goal.

Zegras tied it at 5:31 as he poked a loose puck past Husso.

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Perron scored on a power play from the left circle with 6½ minutes remaining in the first with his team-leading fourth of the season.

“He’s been excellent,” Lalonde said. “The shot, but some of these elite-type players, you know them from afar. Obviously every year he’s been penciled in for a certain amount of goals. He’s done this his whole career. His poise and ability to get us out of trouble on the power play is something I didn’t anticipate.”

Veleno redirected the puck past Gibson for his first of the season at 4:07 of the second to make it 3-1.

Kubalik’s shot from the right circle beat Gibson at 4:14 of the third with the Red Wings’ third power-play goal of the game. Soderblom capped the scoring with 5:36 remaining.

“I’m feeling good,” said Kubalik, who had his third straight multipoint game. “I think the power play’s clicking so I think that’s huge. We didn’t do anything spectacular. I just moved the puck around and whoever gets the best position to shoot it, just take the shot. It’s working so we’re happy for that.”

Up next for the Ducks: Host Tampa Bay on Wednesday night.