*Photo from the Los Angeles Times*
Josh Manson, what a time for the first goal of the season. Manson scored in overtime, Adam Henrique added a goal, and the Anaheim Ducks came back to beat the St.Louis Blues by a 3-2 score in overtime on Sunday night. Originally down 2-0, they kept fighting, and clawed their way back, and it payed off.
Ryan O'Reilly started the scoring for the Blues just 2:27 into the game, giving St.Louis an early 1-0 lead. That lead then became 2-0 on Vladimir Tarasenko's second goal of the season, a power play goal 15:59 into the first period. In the second period, Cam Fowler's 3rd goal of the season got the Ducks on the board, cutting the lead in half for the Blues. In the 3rd, Henrique tied the game just 2:13 into the period. 1:42 into overtime, Manson scored his first of the season to cap the comeback for the Ducks.
Manson said of scoring the OT winner that "I wasn't expecting the shift in the overtime to be honest but when Dallas Eakins called my name, I was excited and I was thinking about what I was going to do if I felt like I was the last man back under pressure. Sure enough, it kind of came up the wall and it felt like I was under a bit of pressure and didn't want to turn it over, so I just ripped it back to Stolly. They thought they could get a change, I think, because they had been out there for a bit and Stolly had the awareness to get it up to me, which was a great play."
Anthony Stolarz got the win for the Ducks in net, his first win since February of 2019, when he was a member of the Philadelphia Flyers. Stolarz saved 38 out of the 40 shots he faced during the game, after being called up from the Ducks taxi squad with John Gibson out of commission. His record is a perfect 1-0-0, while the Ducks have a 11-19-6 record, 8th in the West Division.
Stolarz said of the win that "Looking back on it all, those days of rehab and being on crutches for eight months in one year and watching all the games in Philly and just battling back, it all leads to this moment just coming back and being able to celebrate with the guys out there. It's a great feeling just to be out there playing again. I had some people telling me I'd never be able to step out on the NHL ice again. To be able to go out there and compete with these guys and lay it out on the line, it felt great."
On the other side, Jordan Binnington started in net for the Blues, taking the loss. Binnington saved 21 shots out of 24 in the losing effort. The Blues are feeling quite Blue lately, with a 4 game losing streak, and 7 straight losses at home. Binnington's record dropped to 10-10-5 this season, with the Blues sitting in 5th place in the West Division, with a 16-13-6 record.
O'Reilly said of the Blues losing streak that "I definitely didn't expect us to be in this position. I know how good we can be and our personnel, how good it is, but this happens. I think none of us expected it, but there's definitely growth to be had. We have to find a way out. The only way we're going to do it is together, and if we don't we obviously won't be where want to. But it's challenging for every one of us."
The Blues don't play until Friday, when they travel to face the Avalanche, with Binnington expected to start. The Ducks play the Avalanche tonight, with Ryan Miller expected to start.
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