Derek Grant scored two goals as the Anaheim Ducks ended a four-game losing streak and a two-game scoreless streak with a 5-1 victory over the visiting Tampa Bay Lightning on Friday.
Kevin Shattenkirk, Vinni Lettieri and Nicolas Deslauriers also scored goals as the Ducks won in regulation for just the second time in their past 12 games. Anaheim came out on top despite the absence of head coach Dallas Eakins, who went into COVID-19 protocol earlier Friday.
Anaheim goalie John Gibson made 32 saves in his first victory in two games after missing five contests while in COVID protocol.
Ross Colton scored a goal and Andrei Vasilevskiy made 30 saves as the Lightning saw their four-game winning streak come to an end. Tampa Bay went 0-for-7 on the power play as its three-game winning streak against the Ducks came to a close.
Three days after winning at Los Angeles with just four defensemen because of injuries, the Lightning had six available defensemen against the Ducks.
Grant scored his first of the game from the left faceoff circle at 11:54 of the first period. It was the Ducks’ first goal in three games after they were shut out by the Chicago Blackhawks and Colorado Avalanche.
Shattenkirk made it 2-0 with 6.5 seconds remaining in the opening period on his seventh of the season. He ripped home a shot from the slot after Vasilevskiy’s save on a Greg Pateryn attempt took a long rebound.
Grant’s second of the game and sixth of the season came at 7:05 of the second period into a wide-open net on a power play. Vasilevskiy lost his balance after making a save on a Lettieri shot, and Grant pounced on the loose puck.
Letteiri’s fourth of the season came 1:27 into the third period.
The Lightning avoided the shutout with 14:35 to play when Colton scored his sixth of the season from a sharp angle on the right side.
Deslaurier scored into an empty net with 7:37 to play as the Lightning pulled Vasilevskiy to create a two-man advantage on a power play.
–Field Level Media
