Recap: Ducks Can't Keep Up With Blackhawks in 6-3 Loss

Leo Carlsson scored twice but the Ducks could not spark a third-period comeback tonight in a 6-3 loss to the Chicago Blackhawks at Honda Center.

NHL GAMECENTER | DUCKS STREAM

The loss, just Anaheim's third regulation defeat in the last 12 games, dropped the club to 26-26-7 on the season.

Carlsson notched his third career multi-goal performance while Jackson LaCombe netted his 11th goal of the season, marking Anaheim's first regulation loss of the year when scoring at least three goals. Frank Vatrano collected two assists. John Gibson, honored pregame for recently appearing in his 500th career NHL game, made 18 saves in net.

Ryan Donato found the back of the net twice for the Blackhawks, who snapped a five-game losing skid and improved to 18-35-7. Lukas Reichel, Patrick Maroon, Teuvo Teravainen and Wyatt Kaiser also scored. Arvid Soderblom earned his eighth win of the season with stops on 28-of-31 Anaheim shots.

After a scoreless opening frame, Kaiser put Chicago ahead first midway through the second period, shaking free of an Anaheim check near the blue line and beating Gibson through the five-hole with a shot from the left faceoff circle.

Kaiser's goal was the second of his young NHL career and his fourth point in 35 outings this year.

Carlsson tied the game for Anaheim on the next shift, collecting a bouncing puck in the slot and lifting a backhander up over Soderblom's glove from in tight.

The two-goal night gave Carlsson points in five of his last six games and 25 points in 53 appearances this season.

Maroon restored the Chicago advantage shortly thereafter though, following a questionable cross-checking penalty on Anaheim's Drew Helleson, finding free space in the low slot and beating Gibson with a forehand shot from just outside the crease.

The power-play marker was Maroon's first since the 2021-22 season with Tampa Bay, and his third goal in 20 career matchups against the Ducks.

Teravainen then extended the visitors' advantage to 3-1 as the beneficiary of a Ducks defensive zone breakdown, taking a pass from Donato in the corner and snapping a shot over Gibson's glove while alone in the slot.

With two points on the night, Teravainen extended his scoring streak to four games. Back for his second stint with Chicago after eight years in Carolina, Teravainen collected his 500th career point earlier this week.

Anaheim would get back within one before the end of the second though, setting up a tense third period when LaCombe drove the net and converted his own rebound after first deflecting Strome's bid from left wing.

LaCombe has scored in back-to-back games and owns points in each of Anaheim's five games since returning from the 4 Nations Face-Off break. The 24-year-old is now tied for sixth among all NHL defensemen in goals this season (11), while pacing Ducks blueliners in points, goals and assists.

Vatrano has collected five points in his last five games and tonight tied his linemate Strome for second among team leaders in scoring on the season.

But once again the Hawks would have an answer in the third period, this time a breakaway by Reichel past Gibson to the blocker side.

Donato would then make it 6-2 with a pair of goals three minutes apart, the first a power-play tally with Anaheim down 5-on-3 and the second another breakaway chance.

Carlsson scored his second of the night with less than three minutes to play, solving Soderblom under the glove with a bullet from the right circle.

The Ducks begin a two-game road trip Tuesday in Edmonton.