Devils Take a Tough 4-3 Loss vs. Anaheim Ducks, Lukas Dostal Made 52 Saves | 3/1/2024

   Frank Vatrano gave the 1-0 lead to Anaheim early in the first period at 16:23. Vatrano shot from the right circle and scored five-hole, recording his 28th goal of the season. Later into the first frame at 2:36, Timo Meier tied it 1-1 when he scored on a rebound, following a series of saves by Lukas Dostal. Adam Henrique put the Ducks back in the lead soon after Meier’s goal with a wraparound for his 18th of the season.

   Late into the second period, Max Jones extended Anaheim’s lead to 3-1 at 6:13. Jones scored with a redirection of a pass from Gustav Nyquist in the top of the net. Sending an absolute snipe on the power play, Jack Hughes cut it 3-2 from the right circle with a wrist shot. Frank Vatrano struck his second of the game and his 29th of the season to make it a 4-2 game. Troy Terry sent Vatrano a pass and he cut along the slot, off the rush, and scored with a backhanded shot at 2:52 of the middle frame.

   Tyler Toffoli scored his 26th of the season late into the third with the two-man advantage at 2:57, cutting it 4-3. When Frank Vatrano knocked the net off its moorings deliberately during a mix-up for the puck behind the net, New Jersey was granted a penalty shot. Jack Hughes skated up to Lukas Dostal, ready to tie the game 4-4, but he unfortunately got rejected and the Ducks won with a 4-3 final.

Jack Hughes on the loss and the penalty shot: “We needed that one so, got to be ready to go in LA… We’re in a playoff rush, so everyone’s pulling the rope the same way and we’re just trying to win hockey games… Not a good play by me.”

Nico Hischier on the 4-3 loss in Anaheim: “Disappointing. Got to find a way to put the puck at the back of the net. I think we had tons of chances but just gave up too much again. We should win that game 3-1, 3-2,” – “Keep going. Nothing else to say, we got to keep going. Move on, it wasn’t all bad. Like I said, it’s just really disappointing.”

Notes:

– Jack Hughes had a goal and recorded two assists, Tyler Toffoli had a goal and an assist, and Luke Hughes recorded two assists.

– Nico Hischier’s assist on Tyler Toffoli’s goal gave him his 18th point during his past 14 games (seven goals, 11 assists)… Nico Daws allowed four on 14 before he had been replaced by Arika Schmid, who stopped all nine shots he faced in the third period.

– Lukas Dostal made 52 saves for Anaheim… Frank Vatrano scored two goals, Max Jones had a goal and an assist. Adam Henrique extended his point streak to four games (two goals, four assists)… he moved into a tie with Scott Niedermayer for 10th place on the franchise’s all-time points list (264).

– Mason McTavish had left in the first period when he sustained a lower-body injury.

– The Anaheim Ducks recalled Olen Zellweger from the AHL on Friday… He entered the lineup for Cam Fowler, who had gotten struck with a puck against the San Jose Sharks on Thursday. Zellweger had two shots in 17:27 of ice time…

– Troy Terry made his return after missing two due to a lower-body injury, rookie Leo Carlsson sat out with an upper-body injury he had sustained against the Sharks and is out day-to-day.