Recap: Ducks Fall 4-3 in Shootout in Road Trip Opener

The Ducks began a five-game road trip with another tight game that would require a shootout, but John Carlson scored the shootout-winner, giving the Washington Capitals a 4-3 win tonight at Capital One Arena. Despite the setback, the Ducks have earned points in five of their last six games (3-1-2) and sit third in the Pacific Division (13-8-5, 31 points).
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John Gibson made 26 saves in his 20th start of the season.
Josh Manson, Sonny Milano and Vinni Lettieri scored for Anaheim. Despite playing without two top-line forwards in Adam Henrique and Ryan Getzlaf, the Ducks put 34 shots on net against of the NHL's top defensive teams.
Washington came out firing in the first period, peppering Gibson with early chances. Anaheim's netminder stood tall for most of the period, stopping 10-of-11 shots in the initial 20 minutes.
The Capitals broke through though for the game's initial lead when Wilson finished off a well-executed faceoff play. After an Anaheim icing call, the Capitals controlled a draw to Gibson's right. Ovechkin brought the puck to the middle of the ice, sliding a pass to Justin Schultz in the right faceoff circle. Schultz cut towards the net to draw the Ducks defense's attention before making a pass of his own to Wilson in front, who tapped it into the empty net for an early Washington lead.
The Capitals took that advantage into the middle frame, but held it for just nine seconds, as a back-and-forth period saw five goals, including tallies in the first and last minute.
The Ducks won the period's opening draw at center ice, getting the puck to Milano on left wing, who raced into the zone and rang a wrist shot off the post. Manson followed the play right to the crease, getting to the loose puck waiting back Capitals netminder Ilya Samsonov and tapping it over the goal line to tie the game.

Manson has points in three straight games (2-1=3).
One of many former Ducks on the Caps roster found the back of the net just three minutes later to the put the home team back ahead. Hampus Lindholm tried to skate the puck out of the Ducks zone, but had the puck taken away at the last moment. Washington quickly turned it the other way and connected on a tic-tac-toe passing play, with Carl Hagelin slamming home Lars Eller's backdoor pass.
The Ducks fought back again, this time with two quick goals to take their first lead of the night. Milano scored the first on an impressive display of hand-eye coordination. After a long shift for the Milano, Trevor Zegras and Rickard Rakell line spent in the Washington defensive zone, Rakell directed a pass to Zegras at the side of the net. Samsonov denied Zegras' bid with a shoulder save and had the rebound bounce to the right side of the net, where Milano swatted it out of midair and in for his seventh goal of the season.

Milano has six points (2-4=6) in his last three games and 15 points (6-9=15) in his last 15 appearances. He ranks third among team leaders in assists and fifth in points.
Lettieri put Anaheim ahead two minutes later as the finisher on a crisp regroup and zone entry by all five Ducks on the ice. Terry took a pass at center ice and curled over the blue line, sliding the puck to Fowler sprinting in on right wing. Fowler took it to the net, spotting Lettieri alone in front and delivering a pass that the winger one-timed by Samsonov to give the Ducks a 3-2 lead.

Zegras recorded multiple assists for the third straight game tonight, becoming the fourth rookie in the last 25 years to record multiple assists in three consecutive games (0-7=7), joining Mathew Barzal, Artemi Panarin and Patrick Kane.
Zegras also became the youngest player in Ducks history to post multiple assists in three consecutive appearances.
The 20-year-old paces NHL rookies in scoring (4-12=16) and assists since Nov. 1 and currently leads the NHL with seven assists in December.
Washington responded in the final minute of the frame as a defensive zone turnover came back to bite the Ducks. Ovechkin intercepted a clearing pass by Manson and had his shot stopped by Gibson. Carlson got to the rebound, lifting it by the Anaheim goaltender to level the score with just 23 seconds before the second intermission.
An offensive seesaw battle in the second period turned into a defensive struggle in the third and overtime, and the game remained scoreless throughout the final 25 minutes.
Troy Terry and Rickard Rakell scored in the shootout for Anaheim. Ovechkin, Carlson and Daniel Sprong scored for the victorious Capitals.
Anaheim returns to action tomorrow for the second half of a road back-to-back, taking on the Sabres in Buffalo.