Recap: Rough First Period Dooms Ducks in 6-2 Loss to Canucks

The Ducks could not recover from a slow start today in a 6-2 loss to the Vancouver Canucks at Rogers Arena.

NHL GAMECENTER | DUCKS STREAM

The loss dropped Anaheim to 33-35-8 on the season with six games left to play.

Troy Terry and Trevor Zegras scored for the Ducks, with the former becoming Anaheim's fourth 20-goal scorer this season. Pavel Mintyukov, Frank Vatrano, Radko Gudas and Mason McTavish collected assists. Lukas Dostal made 20 saves in his 50th appearance of the season.

Elias Pettersson, Filip Hronek, Brock Boeser, Conor Garland and Dakota Joshua scored for the Canucks, who improved to 35-28-13 on the season and inched within six points of the Western Conference's final Wild Card berth. San Diego native Thatcher Demko earned the win in net with stops on 31-of-33 Anaheim shots.

Terry gave Anaheim an early lead on the first shot of the afternoon, a bullet from the right circle over Demko's glove off a setup pass from Mintyukov in the corner.

The opening goal made Terry the fifth Duck in franchise history with four straight 20-goal seasons. Terry, now with points in back-to-back games, leads Anaheim in scoring and assists on the season, and co-leads in goals.

The Ducks would be unable to build on that strong start though, as the Canucks claimed full control with five goals in a span of less than five minutes.

Pettersson tied the game just before the midway mark of the first, joining the rush and one-timing a centering pass from Linus Karlsson on left wing for his first NHL goal.

Hronek put the Canucks ahead on the next shift on a tough break for Dostal and the Ducks, as the Vancouver defenseman's point shot deflected off Zegras' stick and changed course past the screened goaltender.

Boeser and Garland then netted consecutive power-play goals to widen the Vancouver advantage, with captain Quinn Hughes the cataylst on both scoring chances.

Joshua capped the five-goal outburst with five minutes to play in the first, swiping home a loose puck after former Duck Kiefer Sherwood had knocked down a long shot from the left point.

Anaheim got back within three on the only goal of the second period, a sharp-angle shot by Zegras off a rebound from the end wall that beat the sliding Demko to the near post.

Zegras has earned five points in his last five games, and now owns 29 points in 51 appearances on the season.

That would be as close as the Ducks would get though, as the Canucks shut the door in the third period to seal the 6-2 win.

The Ducks open a two-game homestand Monday against Edmonton.