Despite a goal from Mason McTavish, the Anaheim Ducks failed to overcome the Vegas Golden Knights, 3-1, on the second night of a back-to-back Monday night in Las Vegas.
This matchup was the fourth and final time the two teams went up against each other this season, and Vegas — a team that's won eight of their past nine games — left all four games against Anaheim victorious.
“I think the effort was there, the guys were battling,” said Radko Gudas, Ducks defenseman and captain. “I’m really proud of the way we were competing and battling, we just made some costly mistakes.”
Vegas’ Tanner Pearson opened the scoring Monday with a snap shot with less than a minute to go in the first period — a period where the Ducks were outshot 12 to seven.
Both teams were scoreless in the second, but McTavish — who won Sunday’s game for Anaheim with a shootout goal — tied the score with a snap shot just over a minute into the period.
The Golden Knights ultimately squashed any Ducks hopes of stealing a point as Tomas Hertl and Keegan Kolesar each scored a goal to extend Vegas’ lead.
The Ducks were 0-4 on the power play Monday, including coming up empty on a man advantage where they could have tied the game with just over seven minutes left.
The Ducks have just one power play goal in their last 19 attempts.
Anaheim ended the game with just one less shot than the Golden Knights. They showed aggression in the third trying to come back, and although they were ultimately unsuccessful, they did outshot Vegas 18-11.
Ducks goalie John Gibson started the game in net for the team, but left towards the end of the first after the blade of a Golden Knight’s stick inadvertently went into his mask. Gibson stopped all 11 shots he faced before exiting the game.
Lukas Dostal filled in and saved 19-of-22 shots.
The Ducks now hold a 13-16-4 record and sit in seventh place in the Pacific Division.
Anaheim will have a holiday break before returning on Saturday to host the Philadelphia Flyers — a team that’s 15-6-4 on the season — at 1 p.m.