Trevor Zegras scored a third-period goal but the Ducks could not find a late equalizer tonight in the season's final Freeway Face-Off, a 3-1 loss to the rival Los Angeles Kings at Crypto.com Arena.
The loss dropped Anaheim to 26-50-5 heading to Thursday's season finale at Vegas and denied the club a split of the four-game season series against its SoCal rival.
Zegras brought the Ducks within halfway through the third period, scoring his second goal in as many games against the Kings. Cam Fowler and Olen Zellweger added assists. Rookie netminder Lukas Dostal made 25 saves for Anaheim in his 43rd appearance of the year.
Pierre-Luc Dubois, Matt Roy and Kevin Fiala scored for the Kings, who improved to 43-26-11 on the season and opened up a three-point lead on the Golden Knights for third in the Pacific Division. David Rittich earned his 13th win of the season with stops on 28-of-29 Anaheim shots.
The night's first goal didn't arrive until early in the second period, when LA got a bounce on the power play for a 1-0 lead. With Olen Zellweger sitting for a trip, Viktor Arvidsson tried to punch home a loose puck through a sea of bodies in front. Instead the puck was blocked by a Duck defender and kicked right to Dubois on the backdoor, where he roofed it over the lunging Dostal to put the Kings ahead.
Late in his first season as a King, Dubois has totaled 40 points in 80 games, including five in his last six outings.
Roy doubled the lead midway through the middle frame with a point shot that snuck through veteran Trevor Lewis' netfront screen and past Dostal.
Rookie forward Akil Thomas collected his first NHL assist on the goal.
Zegras put Anaheim on the board with eight minutes to play in regulation, taking a pass from Zellweger in the high slot and beating Rittich with a wrister to the glove side.
