Anaheim Ducks goaltender Lukas Dostal deflects a shot as Montreal Canadiens' Jake Evans looks for the rebound next to Ducks defenceman John Klingberg during first period NHL hockey action in Montreal, on Thursday, December 15, 2022. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Paul Chiasson
MONTREAL – The Anaheim Ducks picked up just their second regulation win of the season by defeating the Montreal Canadiens 5-2 on Thursday.
John Klingberg scored two goals for Anaheim (8-20-3) while Troy Terry added another. Adam Henrique and Frank Vatrano both scored empty netters.
Trevor Zegras and Mason McTavish each had two assists as the Ducks snapped a three-game losing streak.
Lukas Dostal made 23 saves.
Cole Caufield replied with two third-period goals, but the Canadiens (14-14-2) concluded their back-to-back set with two losses. Jake Allen stopped 27 shots.
The Ducks entered the game without a goal to account for in their past two games and a total of eight periods. The visitors rectified the situation with two quick goals late in the first period.
Terry broke the ice on the power play when he received a pass from Zegras in front of the net and tapped in his 12th of the season 17:28 into the frame.
Zegras then freed himself from Kaiden Guhle and set up Klingberg for a goal from the high slot, just 28 seconds later.
Allen saved his team from a three-goal deficit in the second period when Caufield coughed up the puck to Zegras. The winger found Henrique alone in the slot but Allen denied his point-blank shot.
After three unsuccessful power plays, the Habs finally got on the board with a man advantage 3:11 into the final frame. Kirby Dach found Caufield at the left faceoff circle, and he fired a one-timer to cut Anaheim’s lead in half.
Caufield then tied the game when he wrapped a loose puck around Dostal’s net at 6:37 of the period.
Klingberg restored the Ducks’ lead at 10:55 of the third with a slap shot from the point that beat Allen over his blocker.
The Canadiens called a timeout with 1:39 left in regulation and pulled Allen but Henrique made it a two-goal game 11 seconds later.
Vatrano added a second empty netter to ice the contest with nine seconds on the clock.
TERRY TEARING MONTREAL
The Ducks might not play the Canadiens often, but Troy Terry has had a knack for scoring against the Canadiens. In five games, Terry has amassed eight points (four goals, four assists) against the Habs.
UP NEXT
The Canadiens will welcome the Tampa Bay Lightning on Saturday.
The Ducks will head to Edmonton to close out a four-game Canadian road trip against the Oilers on Saturday.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 15, 2022.
