Ducks Edged Out in Overtime: Anaheim's Grit Falls Short Against Tampa Bay Lightning

The Anaheim Ducks, with a record of 34-20-9, clashed with the Tampa Bay Lightning, who held a record of 36-19-8. In a closely contested battle at the Honda Center, the final score read 3-2 in favor of the visitors.

The Ducks opened the scoring early in the game and maintained a lead into the second period. Despite their efforts to control play and create opportunities, they were unable to capitalize on their four powerplay chances throughout the game. The team's shooting accuracy was evident as they registered 32 shots on goal but only managed to convert two into scores.

Anaheim's goaltender put up an impressive performance with a save percentage rounding to 100 percent, stopping all but three of Tampa Bay's shots. However, it was not enough as one of those three slipped through during overtime. The Ducks' defense blocked a total of 17 shots and delivered 18 hits during play but still fell short against their opponents' offense.

On faceoffs, Anaheim won less than half at approximately 45 percent efficiency against Tampa Bay's more dominant showing at around 55 percent success rate. This slight edge may have contributed to pivotal possession shifts that allowed Tampa Bay Lightning to secure two goals during even strength play and ultimately claim victory with an overtime goal.

The home team showcased resilience by forcing overtime after tying up the score late in regulation time; however, they couldn't find that decisive goal despite generating six missed shot attempts compared to twelve by their opponents.

Looking ahead for fans of Anaheim Ducks: The next challenge awaits as they travel northward for an encounter with Seattle Kraken at Climate Pledge Arena on March 26th at 7:00 PM PT. Fans can catch this upcoming match live on ESPN+, BSSC, BSSD or ROOT Sports NW networks for what promises another exciting night of hockey action.