Jeff Misenti
The Anaheim Ducks beat the Vegas Golden Knights 4-3 in Game 4 on Sunday night at Honda Center, tying the Western Conference Second Round series at 2-2.
Cutter Gauthier had three assists, and the Ducks finally got the power play going when they needed it most.
Beckett Sennecke, Alex Killorn, Mikael Granlund, and Ian Moore scored for Anaheim. Lukas Dostal made 18 saves, and the Ducks improved to 4-0 after losses in these playoffs.
Anaheim finally gets the man advantage right
Anaheim went on the power play in the first period, and Sennecke ripped a one-timer past Carter Hart at 8:43 to make it 1-0.
Sennecke keeps growing in these playoffs. NHL.com reported that he joined Bobby Ryan as the only rookies in Ducks history to score in three straight playoff games. For a fan base that has been waiting on young talent to become real postseason talent, that’s a pretty strong sign.
Vegas answered quickly. Pavel Dorofeyev tied it at 10:22 after Mitch Marner’s shot dropped loose near the crease. No panic from Anaheim, though. Granlund put the Ducks back ahead 2-1 later in the period after his shot changed direction and slipped under Hart.
Killorn’s goal changed the mood
At 17:58 of the second period, Killorn banked the puck in from near the goal line for Anaheim’s second power-play goal of the night. That was the play that felt most-impactful. Vegas had tied the game earlier in the period on Brett Howden’s goal, and Anaheim needed a clean response before intermission.
Reuters reported the Ducks had been 0-for-11 on the power play in the series before breaking through twice in Game 4. That’s not a small change, it’s the kind of detail that can swing a series, especially against a Vegas team that doesn’t usually hand out many second chances.
Ian Moore delivers a big one
Moore made it 4-2 at 3:43 of the third period, and that goal became the winner. Moore had been a healthy scratch for the previous two games, which makes the moment even better. Not every playoff hero arrives with a spotlight already on him.
Vegas continued to push late into the game. Tomas Hertl cut the lead to 4-3 with 1:04 left after the Golden Knights pulled Hart for the extra attacker. Marner finished with three assists, and had an NHL-leading 16 playoff points after the game.
For Ducks fans, this was one of those games that gave hope for the rest of the series. The power play woke up, the kids chipped in and the veteran helped steady it. Now it’s a best-of-three, and Anaheim has made this series feel very much alive.
Game 5 is on Tuesday, May 12 in Las Vegas and Game 6 is Thursday, May 14 back in Anaheim.
