Recap: Costly Second Period Dooms Ducks in 6-2 Loss to Blackhawks

Facing a team with postseason aspirations (as faint as they may be), the Ducks knew they'd be in for a fight tonight against the Chicago Blackhawks. Unfortunately for Anaheim, tonight's matchup was strictly a one-sided affair. The Blackhawks reeled off three goals in less than three minutes in the second period to hand the Ducks a 6-2 defeat at United Center. For the time being, it put the Blackhawks six points out of the second wild card spot in the Western Conference. For the Ducks, it marked a second straight loss with just two goals over that span.

Anaheim showed a glimmer in the middle frame when Danton Heinen finished a great passing sequence from fellow newcomers Sonny Milano and Christian Djoos.

At the time, the goal cut Chicago's lead in half by making it a 2-1 score just 4:20 into the second period. But after Dylan Strome scored his second goal of the night to regain a two-goal cushion, the wheels simply fell off for Anaheim. In the seconds that followed Heinen's unsuccessful breakaway attempt, Alex Nylander raced the other way and deked John Gibson to make it 4-1. Then, 15 seconds later, Patrick Kane made it 5-1 with 1:38 left in the second period.
The Blackhawks started strong, opening the game's scoring at the 2:07 mark of the first period when Drake Caggiula cashed in on a nice pass from Adam Boqvist, who spotted him alone in the slot.
Strome doubled their lead at the 3:46 mark of the second period when he pounced on a rebound off the end-boards for his 11th goal of the season.
Without much help in front of him, John Gibson finished with 19 saves on 24 shots through 40 minutes. Ryan Miller took over for the final 20. Corey Crawford made 37 saves on 39 shots, but had to exit the game at the 1:59 mark of the third after Ryan Getzlaf made contact with his head. Malcolm Subban, acquired from Vegas last Monday, came on in relief for his Blackhawks debut, but lasted just 70 seconds before Crawford returned.
Carter Rowney made it 5-2 at the 8:26 mark of the third when he deflected Jacob Larsson's point shot for his seventh goal of the season, tying his single-season career high set last season with Anaheim.

David Kampf made it 6-2 with 4:57 remaining in regulation, his eighth goal of the season.
Already without top-four defensemen Cam Fowler, Erik Gudbranson and Hampus Lindholm, the Ducks were dealt another heavy blow when Josh Manson left tonight's game with an upper-body injury after 6:18 TOI.
The Ducks will close out their back-to-back set tomorrow night against the Colorado Avalanche.