Jacob Trouba isn’t best known for scoring goals, but he again proved capable of putting the puck in the net at key times Wednesday. The former New York Rangers captain scored a crucial goal for the plucky Anaheim Ducks in their 6-4 win over the Edmonton Oilers in Game 2 to even their best-of-7 first-round playoff series.
Trouba’s seeing-eye shot from the right point beat Edmonton goalie Tristan Jarry at 2:44 of the second period and gave Anaheim a 2-1 advantage.
It was Trouba’s first Stanley Cup Playoff goal in a Ducks uniform, and fifth career postseason goal. It also was his first tally since his memorable short-handed tally for the Rangers in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Second Round against the Carolina Hurricanes in 2024.
Trouba’s goal in Game 2 came on the heels of Chris Kreider doing what he does best: screening a goaltender in the series opener.
Kreider had an assist in Anaheim’s 4-3 Game 1 loss to the Oilers in Edmonton on Sunday, though he did not pick up another point when he occupied Jarry’s eyes on Troy Terry’s power-play goal at 14:29 of the second period.
Kreider, of course, started his NHL career with the Rangers in the Stanley Cup Playoffs in 2012, and is a veteran who skated in his 125th career postseason game Wednesday.
Aside from his Game 2 goal, Trouba’s also stayed out of the penalty box in the series, and helped the Ducks go 6-for-6 on the penalty kill against the No. 1 power play in the League. He’s tied for the team lead with six blocked shots through two games, and also has six hits.
ALL ABOARD 🚂Jacob Trouba gives the Ducks their first lead of Game 2 🚨 pic.twitter.com/tEOoLoTEtd
Trouba, playing on Anaheim’s top defense pair next to U.S. Olympian Jackson LaCombe, is averaging 25:40 TOI through two games, helping to hold Oilers superstar Connor McDavid to zero points through two games.
Kreider and Trouba (75 career playoff games), along with Stanley Cup winners Alex Killorn and John Carlson, are helping the young upstart Ducks hang with the two-time defending Western Conference champions.
“It takes a full roster to win games in the playoffs,” said Ducks forward Cutter Gauthier, 22, after Game 2. “With all the experience our older guys have, it makes it makes our job pretty easy when those guys are pulling their weight as well.”
Mats Zuccarello and the Minnesota Wild got off to a hot start in the postseason, but that didn’t last long. The former Rangers fan favorite had three assists in Minnesota’s 6-1 win over the Dallas Stars in Game 1 of the Western Conference first round last weekend.
But Zuccarello missed the next two games due to an upper-body injury, and the Wild dropped both and now trail the best-of-7 series. Former Rangers defenseman Nils Lundkvist, who had two assists in Dallas’ 4-2 win in Game 2, was plus-1 and played 23:06 in the Stars’ 4-3 double-OT win over the Wild in Game 3 in St. Paul.
PANARIN ON THE POWER PLAY 🚨The @LAKings have the first goal of the game late in the third period! #StanleyCup 🇺🇸: @espn 🇨🇦: @Sportsnet & @TVASports pic.twitter.com/i9FpTCIv7R
The Los Angeles Kings scored twice in their first-round series against the Colorado Avalanche, and former Rangers star Artemi Panarin has both of them. each on the power play. The Avalanche lead the best-of-7 series 2-0 after a pair of 2-1 victories, including their 2-1 OT win in Game 2 on Tuesday.
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