It’s currently 12:20 a.m., and I would be lying if I said I didn’t consider copying and pasting @WillChase_’s recap from last night’s game and just changing all instances of “Kings” to “Ducks.”
That sounds like a good idea because I am lazy and it is well past my bedtime and also because the games were bizarrely similar.
After a lackadaisical first period, the Jackets were down 1-0 off a goal that was scored by Ryan Getzlaf in the first three minutes. Fortunately, lightning-fast Eric Robinson was able to answer and level the score 1-1 by the end of the first.
So, the second period. Twenty-four seconds into the second period, Ondrej Kase scores over Merzlikins. In typical bizarre Jackets fashion, they waited until the end of the period to score — BOOM Nathan Gerbe, BOOM Zach Werenski — all of a sudden, we’re up 3-2.
There was a little bit of hesitation over Gerbe’s goal — the Ducks challenged it as off-side, but it was determined that Anaheim, not Gerbe, brought the puck back on-side before he scored.
Second period ends 3-2, Jackets.
The third period was frenetic and fast-paced, with Anaheim seeming to control most of the offensive momentum. However, the Jackets defense hung on and Elvis made a couple clutch saves throughout the night that kept them in the lead.
Anaheim goes empty net with around two minutes remaining, and Zach Werenski buries another goal during this time. At first it was just the cherry on top, but it became the game-winning goal after Anaheim scored with 49 seconds left, bringing the score to 4-3. Fortunately, Jackets handled the remainder of the game and grabbed another win in SoCal.
Quick thoughts before I go to sleep: Zach Werenski was snubbed as an All-Star; Nathan Gerbe looks great in the kepi and deserves all the good things that happen to him with this team. Goodnight!!