The Anaheim Ducks hosted its annual Black Friday matinee on Nov. 29 against the Los Angeles Kings. The two rivals came into today’s game with six points of separation in the standings as Los Angeles maintains a hold on the Pacific Division’s final guaranteed playoff spot. Still, both came in riding off the back of feel-good wins — the Ducks squashed the Seattle Kraken on Wednesday with a 5-2 victory in the Pacific Northwest, while on the same day, the Kings put a 4-1 beatdown on the league-leading Winnipeg Jets.
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Alex Laferriere’s goal one minute into the third period was the difference as the Kings defeated the Ducks 2-1 in a sluggish, low-event game.
Game Recap
Erik Portillo made his NHL debut in net for the Kings after serving as backup for several weeks while Darcy Kuemper remains on injured reserve. He was put to the test halfway through the first period when Tanner Jeannot’s interference penalty left Los Angeles shorthanded. The third-round pick from the 2019 NHL Draft answered the call by stopping a barrage of shots from Ryan Strome, Troy Terry, and Frank Vatrano to maintain the scoreless tie.
John Gibson was given the start for the Ducks after a stellar 42-save performance Wednesday in Seattle. The Kings were awarded a power play of their own shortly after Jeannot’s expired, but they registered only one shot on Gibson. The first period ended scoreless, with the Anaheim outshooting Los Angeles 10-8.
The Ducks got on the board early in the second period after a point shot from Drew Helleson deflected off Strome’s stick and the veteran followed up on his rebound from his backhand. The lead didn’t last long, as just over halfway through the period, the Kings forced a neutral zone turnover and Alex Turcotte converted on a 2-on-1 with Alex Laferriere to tie the game at one.
The Kings broke the tie early in the third period after Brandt Clark’s shot landed in front of the net and was banged home by Laferriere. The pace of play opened up significantly after the goal. The Ducks had a few great opportunities to even the score — including another power play — but were turned away by Portillo each time.
Midway through the third period, Portillo lost one of his skate blades, rendering him nearly immobile in net. The play continued for at least another minute, but the…
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