Ducks beat Panthers 3-2 in OT on their third power-play goal
Brad Marchand tied it with the goalie pulled in his first game since March, then Mikael Granlund won it on a 4-on-3.
Ducks 3, Panthers 2 (OT). The cats lost this one in the penalty box, not at even strength. Florida outshot Anaheim 31-21 and didn't allow a single even-strength goal, yet still left Honda Center with only one point.
Anaheim's power play converted three of its four opportunities, and that's the whole story. Cutter Gauthier snapped one home at 16:18 of the first period. Carter Verhaeghe answered with a tip-in 51 seconds later, with Sam Bennett and Matthew Tkachuk collecting the assists.
Gauthier struck on another power play 47 seconds into the second. Lukas Dostal protected that 2-1 lead for most of the night and finished with 29 saves.
Then Brad Marchand, playing his first game since March, tied it with the goalie pulled and 1:50 remaining, set up by Lars Eller. In overtime Gustav Forsling went off for tripping, and Mikael Granlund deflected the winner on the 4-on-3 at 4:14.
Leo Carlsson finished with three assists, and Gauthier added an assist to his two goals for a three-point evening.
Three things from Anaheim:
1. The penalty kill finally blinked. It killed 9 of 10 through the first two games, by our count. Tonight it went 1 for 4, and every penalty was self-inflicted: a hold, too many men, a cross-check and the overtime trip.
Jacob Markstrom stopped all 14 even-strength shots he faced, per NHL data, which is about everything you can reasonably ask from a goaltender.
2. The power play is still looking for the door. Florida went 0 for 4, including two opportunities in the third period while chasing the tying goal. By our count that's 1 for 17 through three games. It's a small sample, but without Barkov somebody has to make that unit dangerous.
Sam Reinhart moved to center, played 22:19 and still hasn't registered a point through three games. Brady Tkachuk is in the same situation. Nobody panics in October, but the shooters owe the room some production.
3. Marchand is back, and the cats needed him. He played 13:10, put three shots on net and manufactured the point. I've watched this team grind through Octobers since the inaugural season, and a veteran returning from surgery to tie a road game late is exactly how a room keeps its nerve without its captain.
Ferda play of the night: Radko Gudas, back in the building where he wore the C, blocked three shots. No goal, no assist, just the unglamorous work that keeps a 2-1 game at 2-1 long enough for somebody else to tie it. Seth Jones gets the honorable mention for 28:35 of ice time.
What they said: Marchand knows he isn't all the way back yet. "It's going to take some time to get the timing of everything back and conditioning back, but it was incredible being back out there and being part of the team," he said.
Anton Lundell summarized the frustration accurately. "We've got to find a way to get the special teams going and get more shots," he said.
Pabs' read: Right score, wrong team. I had the cats winning 3-2 in the preview. Florida closed at -135 on the moneyline at DraftKings with the total at 6.5, so five goals stayed under and the Ducks covered +1.5. 21+. Gambling problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER.
All three games this season have gone to overtime, by our count, and Florida has four points to show for them on a road trip that's now without its captain. That's a respectable start.
Losing a game you controlled 31-21 on the shot clock because you couldn't stay out of the penalty box is not. Clean up the discipline and this is a 2-1 victory.
Next game: Tuesday against the Kings, 10 p.m. ET from Crypto.com Arena on ESPN. Then the home opener arrives Saturday against Minnesota at 6 p.m. ET.
