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The Ducks will conclude a six-game road trip this afternoon with a tough test in South Florida, facing off with the defending Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers at Amerant Bank Arena.

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Anaheim hits the road trip finale after a valiant effort Thursday night in Tampa, twice rallying from one-goal deficits to force overtime and earn a point before falling in a shootout.

"It was a great effort," said winger Robby Fabbri, who pulled the Ducks even in the third period with his seventh goal of the season. "We never changed the way we played the whole game. These are fun games, coming into these buildings, playing these great teams and sticking with them. We gave ourselves a chance to win. Unfortunately, just came up a little short."

Leo Carlsson scores off a centering pass from Mason McTavish

Added head coach Greg Cronin, "It was a great game. It was an up-and-down game. Tampa Bay is a heck of a hockey team and I thought it was just a real solid, fun hockey game."

The loss dropped the Ducks to 18-22-5 on the season and 1-3-1 on the trip, but the team generated more shots and scoring chances than in any of the previous four games.

"We need to get back to being connected and predictable for each other with the puck," Fabbri said, referencing meetings the team had Wednesday in Tampa. "It'll make us play faster. At the end of the day, getting pucks to the net is the only way you're going to score. I think we had 30-something shots tonight (37). That's a good place to start."

Robby Fabbri scores on a deflection from the slot

The Ducks remain undefeated in regulation when scoring at least three goals this season.

Anaheim now heads across the Sunshine State for the start of a rare home-and-home set between two teams on opposite coasts, as the Ducks and Panthers will meet again Tuesday over 2,000 miles away in California's Orange County.

Tonight's game also marks a second trip back to Florida for Ducks captain Radko Gudas, who played for the Panthers from 2020-2023 and helped the club to the 2023 Stanley Cup Final.

“He’s an awesome guy,” forward Sam Bennett told the Panthers' Jameson Olive. “He’s one of my favorite teammates ever. Happy he got that acknowledgement [as captain] as a great leader. He was awesome. Definitely enjoyed having him.”

The Panthers enter play Saturday with losses in three of their last four games, most recently a 5-2 defeat to Detroit on Thursday, amidst special team's troubles.

“We have to stay out of the box," winger Evan Rodrigues said. "The past six or seven games, we have been taking quite a bit of penalties. That cost us tonight. Even strength we played well; special teams won them the game.”

Florida (26-17-3, 55 points) sits second in the Atlantic Division, three points back of first-place Toronto.