The Anaheim Ducks emerged victorious over the Minnesota Wild in a tightly-contested match Saturday, in what ended up being a nail-biter at Xcel Energy Center. Ducks' right wing Troy Terry was the standout performer of the night, netting two critical goals to help his team snap a monotonous losing streak against the Wild, as reported by CBS News Minnesota.
Terry's decisive second goal came soon after he served his time in the penalty box, swiftly taking to recover a blocked puck and ultimately landing the shot that decided the game's fate. While the Wild tried to rigorously maintain their lead, they couldn't stop the Ducks from pouncing on opportunities. Terry told NHL.com, "I just came out of the box and saw that we had a turnover and it worked out."
The Ducks' comeback was fueled further by Ryan Strome’s equalizer in the third, deftly tipping in a shot from Radko Gudas, setting the stage for Terry's winner. Anaheim's resilience was also mirrored between the pipes, with Lukas Dostal making 36 saves that night. Despite discovering their game rhythm too late to prevent Terry’s offensive explosion, the Wild witnessed their third-period lead vanish into thin air for the second consecutive game.
Minnesota's third-period hiccups have prompted coach John Hynes to emphasize the necessity for rest and a subsequent reset for the team. "When we get back that some of this attention to detail things without the puck are going to be addressed Day 1," Hynes told CBS News Minnesota. On the other side, the Ducks, who tied for the NHL lead in third-period comeback wins, have shown they can never be counted out, staging rallies with the panache of a championship contender.
The Ducks are scheduled to host San Jose next, while the Wild, who are currently out of the playoff spot by six points, must regroup during their 10-day break and look ahead to their next battle against the Chicago Blackhawks on February 7.
