Mason McTavish collected one goal and one assist, and goaltender John Gibson posted his first shutout in 14 months as the host Anaheim Ducks blanked the Dallas Stars 2-0 on Wednesday.
Adam Henrique also scored for the Ducks, while Gibson made 35 saves for his 24th career shutout and first since Nov. 2, 2021.
Scott Wedgewood stopped 25 shots for the Stars, who lost two straight games in regulation time for the first time since Nov. 8 and 11. The Stars brought their fathers and mentors on a road trip through Southern California, but dropped both clashes played on consecutive nights.
The Ducks went into the game with just one win in their last six games and five victories in their previous 22, sending them to the bottom of the Pacific Division, but they defeated the Central Division-leading Stars.
Anaheim needed an early boost and received it when Henrique opened the scoring with his 12th goal of the season at the 3:11 mark. Henrique sent an innocuous looking shot from beyond the left circle, and the puck ricocheted off the stick of Stars defenseman Jani Hakanpaa and eluded Wedgewood as he attempted to catch it.
McTavish doubled the lead past the midway point of the first period with the kind of tally that proves why he was drafted third overall in 2021. Seconds after he thought he had converted with a one-timer, the rookie received another chance from the bottom of the right circle and threaded the needle for his seventh of the season.
It was a meeting of one of the league’s most prolific offensive teams against a Ducks squad that is at the bottom of the NHL in goals against, but Gibson showed right away that he was on top of his game when he made an early first-period save on red-hot Dallas forward Roope Hintz by lunging with his right leg to take away a sure goal.
Gibson showed more magic in the third period, with clutch stops on Joel Kiviranta early in the frame and Joe Pavelski late while the Stars enjoyed a power play in the final two minutes.
–Field Level Media
