Rakell, Montour Score On Power Play As Ducks Beat Lightning
TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — Rickard Rakell and Brandon Montour had rare power-play goals, John Gibson made 31 saves and the Anaheim Ducks rebounded from a one-sided loss by beating the Tampa Bay Lightning 4-1 Saturday night.
Anaheim entered with the NHL's second-worst power play, going 2 for 31 over their first nine games. The Ducks went 2 for 2 with the man advantage, while Tampa Bay's second-best unit in the NHL failed to score on four chances.
Rakell got his second goal midway through the third and Hampus Lindholm also scored for the Ducks, who were beat 8-3 Thursday night at Florida. Ryan Getzlaf had three assists
Tampa Bay, which lost for just the second time in regulation (9-2-1), got a goal from Chris Kunitz. Backup goalie Peter Budaj stopped 17 shots in his second game of the season.
Lightning stars Steven Stamkos and Nikita Kucherov both snapped franchise record-tying 11-game point streaks to start the season. Martin St. Louis also accomplished the feat in 2009-10.
Rakell opened the scoring at 10:13 of the second on the Ducks' first power play.
After Montour, on the power play, and Kunitz traded goals 57 seconds apart late in the second, Lindholm made it 3-1 from the high slot with 0.1 second left in the period.
Gibson made a lunging stop on Yanni Gourde's wraparound and Stamkos' left circle power-play shot in the second.
NOTES: Both Anaheim D Sami Vatanen (shoulder surgery) and backup G Ryan Miller (upper body) were in the lineup for the first time this season. ... Anaheim RW Patrick Eaves (Guillain-Barre syndrome) has been released from the hospital. ... Ducks D Cam Fowler, who hurt his knee Oct. 20, will be out another three to seven weeks. ... Anaheim D Kevin Bieksa (left hand) should get timetable for his return after being re-evaluated Monday. ... Lightning D Dan Girardi played in his 800th NHL game. ... The Ducks reassigned D Steve Oleksy and LW Kalie Kossila to San Diego of the AHL.
UP NEXT
Ducks: Complete a four-game trip Sunday at Carolina.
Lightning: Play Monday night at Florida.
