ANAHEIM, Calif. — After a thrilling 2-1 win against Dallas, it was hard to overlook the significant achievement of John Gibson, the veteran goaltender for the Ducks, who made franchise history by becoming the first goaltender to reach 500 games played for Anaheim.

This accomplishment adds to what could be a number of milestones within the coming months for Gibson. Recently, he celebrated his 200th career win in the NHL on January 5 against the Tampa Bay Lightning. With Tuesday’s success, he is now just four victories away from matching the franchise record held by Jean-Sebastien Giguere.

Despite these achievements, Gibson chose to place his attention on the present moment rather than his past accomplishments or what lies ahead. “Tonight obviously was a little more special, so it’s nice to get the win on top of it,” he remarked, acknowledging the significance of the game. “I was talking to someone earlier, I think it’s something that I’ll be able to look back and reminisce on maybe towards the end of my career, in the summer when you’re with family and stuff like that.”

Gibson has now joined the ranks of ten American-born goaltenders who have reached this milestone and is one of three who are currently active in the league. Notable contemporaries include Jonathan Quick of the New York Rangers with 797 games and Connor Hellebuyck of Winnipeg with 547.

In addition to marking his milestone, Gibson delivered an impressive performance, stopping 26 shots during a tightly contested match. The only goal he conceded came early in the third period when Colin Blackwell of Dallas scored with a well-placed one-timer from Sam Steel to even the score at 1-1.

Gibson’s composure and experience in the net were highlighted by Ducks coach Greg Cronin, who commented, “He’s played so much, he’s so calm. When you have a goalie that’s got that calmness, it kind of has a domino effect on the team.” Just three minutes following the Stars’ equalizer, Trevor Zegras scored, once again putting the Ducks in the lead, while Gibson made vital saves in the closing moments as the Stars pressed with an extra skater.

Trevor Zegras praised Gibson’s talent: “I mean, he’s amazing. I have been saying that since I got here, he is one of the best athletes and humans that I have been around, and to get to experience that moment with him and after the game was pretty special.”

Gibson has dedicated his entire 12-year career to the Ducks, serving as the team’s primary goalkeeper throughout most of the last decade while also earning three All-Star game selections. Last season was less than stellar for him, finishing with a disappointing record of 13-27-2 and a career-low .888 save percentage. The new season proved challenging as well, requiring him to miss the first 12 games due to an emergency appendectomy.

This season, both Gibson and Lukas Dostal have divided the goaltending responsibilities, yet Gibson has started 22 of the 41 games since his return, accumulating a record of 9-9-2, sporting a 2.69 goals-against average and a .914 save percentage.

As the Ducks push for a strong finish, Gibson’s seasoned skillset will be crucial. Although the Ducks are seven points away from the final wild-card playoff slot and have not made it to the playoffs since the 2017-18 season, they have recently found their footing, winning five out of their last six games, including a streak of four consecutive victories at home. The team has earned 52 points so far, a notable improvement compared to the previous year when they ended with a total of 59 points.

Cronin expressed his enthusiasm for Gibson’s performance, noting, “He’s having a great year. I’m really happy for him and I’m happy for the team. He’s got a little bit of that mentorship going on with the young kids here and he’s got a really good attitude.” He also credited goaltending coach Peter Budaj for positively influencing Gibson’s game by helping him identify areas for improvement: “The fact that Peter played in the league a long time, he can really drill into John’s game in terms of trying to make him own some things he can be better at. It has created a real good dynamic and I think he has benefited from that relationship.”