Ducks’ early cushion just enough in 4-3 win over Detroit Henrique scores fourth in two games

Posted on by

In Detroit, the visiting Anaheim Ducks held a 4-0 lead in the middle frame, and then had to hold off the Red Wings in Monday fora 4-3 win.

Lukas Dostal made 29 saves in the win.

The Ducks moved to 12-19-0 off their second straight win.

Troy Terry had a goal and assist in the win for the Ducks.

“I think being able to win last night (5-1 against the New Jersey Devils), for a lot of us, let us loosen up on the stick a little tonight,” Terry said. “I think guys just had more confidence around the net.”

Anaheim scored three in the opening stanza to take command of the game, early.

Radko Gudas  scored off a shot from the high slot to give the Ducks a 1-0 lead t 2:23.

Pavel Mintyukov pushed the lead to 2-0 at 8:19 of the first.

“Obviously, we weren’t really ready to play,” Detroit’s Alex DeBrincat said. “You’re not going to win many games after going down like that. Those are two points we gave up that we shouldn’t.”

Adam Henrique scored his fourth goal in two games with 1:11 left in the first for a 3-0 advantage headed to the middle frame. The goal came off the power play.

Terry potted his goal at 1:46 to make it 4-0 to Anaheim. That ended up being the game-winner as the Red Wings started their rally in the second.

“We haven’t been in that position many times this year,” Terry said. “The story of our season has been getting a goal or two behind and having to battle back. Today we got the lead early and I liked the way we managed the game.”

Detroit got one back before the middle frame was done on a strike by Jeff Petry at 2:29  to trim the deficit to 4-1.

Detroit dropped to 15-12-4, and have lost six of their seven matches.

“We’re fragile right now,” Red Wings coach Derek Lalonde said. “We were coming off two close losses, 2-1 and 1-0, and then two of their first three chances go in and we’re chasing the game.”

In the third period, Detroit scored twice, both goals coming from DeBrincat,

“I loved the first 40 minutes, but the penalty problems caused some extra anxiety at the end,” Ducks coach Greg Cronin said.

His first was picked up at 7:17 off the power play to cut the deficit to 4-2.

DeBrincat scored again, off the power play, at 17:31 to make it 4-3.

Ville Husso got the start for the Red Wings, he made six saves, yielding two goals, before leaving the ice with an apparent injury.

James Reimer made 12 saves in relief.