In Anaheim, the Ducks’ Anthony Stolarz made 34 saves in a 4-0 shutout of the visiting Ottawa Senators on Friday.
The win snapped a three-game skid by the Ducks.
“It wasn’t just a testament to me, it was a testament to the guys out there,” Stolarz said. “They were battling hard, blocking shots. The couple breakdowns that we did have, it was up to me to make a big save.”
The Senators dropped to 4-3-3 with the loss.
“We’re a fragile group,” Senators head coach D.J. Smith said. “We need a win just to feel good about ourselves.”
The Ducks moved to 11-7-3.
Rickard Rakell hit for a goal and two points on the night.
“We had a couple long shifts in their end and tired them out,” Stolarz said. “Anytime you can hem them in their zone, it’s less chances and less time they’re going to have coming back the other way.”
Troy Terry picked up his 13th of the season off the power play.
“You have to be ready when your chance comes. That is your job,” Anaheim head coach Dallas Eakins said. “[Stolarz] comes in every day, there’s never a head down, ‘Oh, I’m not playing. Poor me.’ He comes in with a smile on his face and he works his tail off every day.”
Derek Grant had a goal for the Ducks to make the score 2-0 at the time.
“I’ll take as many of those as I can get,” Grant said after scoring his first of the season.
Isac Lundestrom got the Ducks rolling in the first period to give Anaheim a 1-0 lead.
Anton Forsberg made 29 saves in the Sens loss.
“Sometimes when things aren’t going the way you’re wanting them to, you try and push a little too much,” Ottawa’s Nick Holden said. “You’re trying to do the right thing and give more effort and all that. You’ve just got to, almost, simplify it a little bit and get back to the basics.”
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