In a Sunday night showdown at Anaheim, California, the Anaheim Ducks achieved a decisive 4-1 victory over the New York Islanders, powered by Sam Colangelo’s double goal performance and an impressive 31-save game from Lukas Dostal. Additional contributions came from Drew Helleson and Mason McTavish, helping to secure the Ducks’ win.
Although Tony DeAngelo managed to break Dostal’s shutout with less than five minutes left in regulation, Marcus Hogberg faced 23 shots in the Islanders’ net. The scoring began late in the first period as Colangelo found the back of the net with just over two minutes left on the clock. The lead was extended by Helleson in the latter part of the second period, making it 2-0.
Early in the third period, McTavish drilled a shot over Hogberg’s blocker to score during a power play, pushing Anaheim’s lead to 3-0. Colangelo later secured his second goal of the evening with an empty-netter at the 8:08 mark.
For the Islanders, the result denotes a missed opportunity, leaving them trailing four points behind the second wild card position in the Eastern Conference, despite having won four of their previous five games. In contrast, the Ducks found victory amidst a struggling season, marking only their third win in the last eight matches and trailing Calgary by seven points for the Western Conference’s final wild card spot.
A crucial moment occurred when the Islanders generated a short-handed 2-on-1 chance in the initial minute of the third period. However, Pelech’s attempt missed after a brush with Dostal’s glove, enabling the Ducks to counter with a similar raid, culminating in McTavish’s scoring effort.
The Islanders outshot the Ducks 16-8 in the third period, yet Dostal’s 15 saves ensured Anaheim maintained a 2-1 goal margin in the final period.
Looking ahead, the Islanders are set to face off against Los Angeles on Tuesday, while the Ducks will prepare to host Washington.
