After building an early 3-1 lead, the Anaheim Ducks completely collapsed at Honda Center on Thursday night, allowing the Buffalo Sabres to score six consecutive goals, including a Tage Thompson hat trick, on their way to a brutal 7-6 loss. This latest defeat just piles on the misery for a Ducks squad that can’t seem to buy a win, especially not at home.
Honda Center Is Where Ducks’ Hopes Go To Die
Let’s just say it: things are bad in Anaheim, and they’re getting worse. This wasn’t just a tough loss, it was another chapter in a season already full of them. The Ducks are now a dismal 5-7-1 on the season with just 11 points, but the real gut punch is their home record: a pathetic 1-4-1. Fans saw this coming after Tuesday’s blown three-goal lead against the Vancouver Canucks, the last-place team no less, and Thursday proved it wasn’t a fluke. The defense is in shambles, having coughed up 21 goals in their last four games, 29 goals in their last six, and a staggering 36 in their last eight games. You can’t win when you’re giving up that kind of scoring, and their 1-6-1 record in that stretch is all the proof you need.
Tage Thompson Went Nuclear On Them
The Sabres, led by Tage Thompson, didn’t hold back after going down early. Tyson Kozak got Buffalo on the board first, but the real damage started when Noah Ostlund notched a power play goal and then Thompson made a bull rush to the net to tie the game at 3-3 in the first period. The Ducks just couldn’t contain him. Thompson sealed his hat trick with two absolute rockets that hit the back of the net only 14 seconds apart late in the second period, crushing any momentum Anaheim thought they had. Jack Quinn added another power play goal early in the third, and Zach Benson scored on the rush, just twisting the knife even further. Sabres goalie Colten Ellis put up 28 saves, a solid performance, while Anaheim’s Ville Husso stopped 23 shots in his fourth start out of 13 games.
Glimmers of Hope, But Not Enough
Even in defeat, the Ducks did show flashes, especially early. They kicked things off with a bang on a five-on-three power play, thanks to a penalty from former Duck Olen Zellweger 35 seconds in and another minor right after. Mikael Granlund took full advantage, redirecting Jackson LaCombe’s shot pass between his legs for a slick 1-0 lead. LaCombe is quietly racking up assists, with his assist on that goal marking his fifth straight game with a helper, giving him seven in that span. Just a minute later, Cutter Gauthier snapped a nine-game goalless drought with a bomb of a shot to make it 2-0, his first tally since his two-goal home opener on October 5. Leo Carlsson registered his third consecutive multi-point game, a feat not seen from a Duck since Ryan Getzlaf back in 2017-18. Roger McQueen even netted his first career NHL goal, a loose puck in the slot. Gauthier later added a second power play goal in the third, and Tristan Luneau and Beckett Sennecke scored with the extra attacker late, but by then, the game was already out of reach.
The Ducks wrap up this three-game homestand against Ottawa on Sunday, then hit the road for a three-game Western Canada road trip starting in Vancouver on Tuesday. They desperately need to find a way to stop the bleeding, because right now, this team is on a downward spiral and can’t seem to escape.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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