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Coyotes left wing Lawson Crouse, left, and Ducks center Derek Grant fight during the first period of Monday’s game in Glendale, Ariz. (AP Photo/Rick Scuteri)
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Anaheim Ducks left wing Max Comtois (53) and center Ryan Getzlaf (15) fight with Arizona Coyotes left wing Lawson Crouse (67) and goaltender Darcy Kuemper (35) in the first period during an NHL hockey game, Monday, Feb. 22, 2021, in Glendale, Ariz. (AP Photo/Rick Scuteri)
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Anaheim Ducks center Trevor Zegras reacts after left wing Max Jones (49) scored a goal against the Arizona Coyotes in the first period during an NHL hockey game, Monday, Feb. 22, 2021, in Glendale, Ariz. (AP Photo/Rick Scuteri)
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Anaheim Ducks center Ryan Getzlaf (15) hits Arizona Coyotes goaltender Darcy Kuemper (35) in the first period during an NHL hockey game, Monday, Feb. 22, 2021, in Glendale, Ariz. (AP Photo/Rick Scuteri)
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Arizona Coyotes defenseman Jakob Chychrun (6) shields the puck from Anaheim Ducks left wing, Max Jones, in the first period during an NHL hockey game, Monday, Feb. 22, 2021, in Glendale, Ariz. (AP Photo/Rick Scuteri)
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Anaheim Ducks center Isac Lundestrom (48) in the first period during an NHL hockey game against the Arizona Coyotes, Monday, Feb. 22, 2021, in Glendale, Ariz. (AP Photo/Rick Scuteri)
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Anaheim Ducks center Rickard Rakell (67) gets called for goalie interference in the first period during an NHL hockey game against the Arizona Coyotes, Monday, Feb. 22, 2021, in Glendale, Ariz. (AP Photo/Rick Scuteri)
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Anaheim Ducks left wing Max Jones (49) talks down to Arizona Coyotes defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson (23) in the first period during an NHL hockey game, Monday, Feb. 22, 2021, in Glendale, Ariz. (AP Photo/Rick Scuteri)
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Arizona Coyotes defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson (23) shields Anaheim Ducks center Derek Grant (38) from the puck in the first period during an NHL hockey game, Monday, Feb. 22, 2021, in Glendale, Ariz. (AP Photo/Rick Scuteri)
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Arizona Coyotes right wing Clayton Keller (9) shoots on goal in between Anaheim Ducks defenseman Jacob Larsson (32) and center Ryan Getzlaf (15) in the second period during an NHL hockey game, Monday, Feb. 22, 2021, in Glendale, Ariz. (AP Photo/Rick Scuteri)
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Arizona Coyotes defenseman Jakob Chychrun (6) scores a goal on Anaheim Ducks goaltender John Gibson (36) in the second period during an NHL hockey game, Monday, Feb. 22, 2021, in Glendale, Ariz. (AP Photo/Rick Scuteri)
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Anaheim Ducks center Troy Terry (61) in the first period during an NHL hockey game against the Arizona Coyotes, Monday, Feb. 22, 2021, in Glendale, Ariz. (AP Photo/Rick Scuteri)
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Arizona Coyotes defenseman Jakob Chychrun (6) skates away from Anaheim Ducks center Isac Lundestrom (48) and defenseman Jani Hakanpaa (28) in the second period during an NHL hockey game, Monday, Feb. 22, 2021, in Glendale, Ariz. (AP Photo/Rick Scuteri)
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Arizona Coyotes center Christian Dvorak (18) scores a goal against Anaheim Ducks goaltender John Gibson (36) on a penalty shot in the second period during an NHL hockey game, Monday, Feb. 22, 2021, in Glendale, Ariz. (AP Photo/Rick Scuteri)
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Arizona Coyotes center Nick Schmaltz (8) skates away from Anaheim Ducks center Sam Steel (23) and right-wing Carter Rowney (24) in the second period during an NHL hockey game, Monday, Feb. 22, 2021, in Glendale, Ariz. (AP Photo/Rick Scuteri)
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Anaheim Ducks goaltender John Gibson (36) makes a save in front of Arizona Coyotes center Christian Dvorak (18) in the second period during an NHL hockey game, Monday, Feb. 22, 2021, in Glendale, Ariz. (AP Photo/Rick Scuteri)
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Anaheim Ducks center Rickard Rakell (67) carries the puck in front of Arizona Coyotes center Tyler Pitlick (17) in the third period during an NHL hockey game, Monday, Feb. 22, 2021, in Glendale, Ariz. (AP Photo/Rick Scuteri)
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Arizona Coyotes center Tyler Pitlick (17) in the second period during an NHL hockey game against the Anaheim Ducks, Monday, Feb. 22, 2021, in Glendale, Ariz. (AP Photo/Rick Scuteri)
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Anaheim Ducks goaltender John Gibson (36) in the second period during an NHL hockey game against the Arizona Coyotes, Monday, Feb. 22, 2021, in Glendale, Ariz. (AP Photo/Rick Scuteri)
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Arizona Coyotes left wing Johan Larsson (22) takes the puck away from Anaheim Ducks center Trevor Zegras (46) in the third period during an NHL hockey game, Monday, Feb. 22, 2021, in Glendale, Ariz. (AP Photo/Rick Scuteri)
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Arizona Coyotes center Christian Dvorak (18) celebrates with teammates after scoring a goal against the Anaheim Ducks in the third period during an NHL hockey game, Monday, Feb. 22, 2021, in Glendale, Ariz. (AP Photo/Rick Scuteri)
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Anaheim Ducks left wing Max Jones (49) in the first period during an NHL hockey game against the Arizona Coyotes, Monday, Feb. 22, 2021, in Glendale, Ariz. (AP Photo/Rick Scuteri)
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Anaheim Ducks goaltender John Gibson (36) in the second period during an NHL hockey game against the Arizona Coyotes, Monday, Feb. 22, 2021, in Glendale, Ariz. (AP Photo/Rick Scuteri)
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Anaheim Ducks center Trevor Zegras (46) carries the puck in front of Arizona Coyotes defenseman Jordan Oesterle (82) in the first period during an NHL hockey game, Monday, Feb. 22, 2021, in Glendale, Ariz. (AP Photo/Rick Scuteri)
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Arizona Coyotes goaltender Darcy Kuemper (35) celebrates with defenseman Niklas Hjalmarsson (4), defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson (23), and left-wing Lawson Crouse (67) after defeating the Anaheim Ducks in an NHL hockey game, Monday, Feb. 22, 2021, in Glendale, Ariz. (AP Photo/Rick Scuteri)
Welcome to the NHL, Trevor Zegras, welcome to Ducks hockey 2020-21.
All that was good, bad and otherwise about the Ducks was on display during Zegras’ debut, the most anticipated and eagerly awaited by one of their draft picks since their original first-round pick Paul Kariya hit the ice for the first time more than 26 years ago.
The Ducks started stronger than ever this season, no doubt energized by Zegras’ youthful enthusiasm, building a three-goal lead by skating, passing, shooting and scoring. Their forecheck was suffocating and they took the game to the Arizona Coyotes for extended stretches.
The good times didn’t last, though. The Ducks squandered their big lead and lost their fourth consecutive game, a 4-3 come-from-ahead defeat in which Arizona’s Christian Dvorak scored twice, including the tiebreaking power-play goal 3:52 into the third period on Monday night at Gila River Arena.
“It was such a disjointed game,” Ducks coach Dallas Eakins said.
Arizona goaltender Darcy Kuemper was among five players penalized during a lengthy melee that set the physical tone early. The first period ended with two fights and the teams combined for 46 penalty minutes overall (38 in the opening period).
Compounding matters, the Ducks lost Carter Rowney to a leg injury in the second period.
The 19-year-old Zegras didn’t record a goal or an assist, but then again, neither did Kariya in his first game. Zegras showed off his Kariya-like passing ability, setting up a hard-charging Rickard Rakell for a prime scoring chance in the first period. Rakell’s close-range shot missed the mark, though.
In the closing minutes, with the Ducks pressing the issue while in search of the tying goal, Zegras pounced on a loose puck in the slot and fired a high shot that Kuemper managed to stop to preserve the Coyotes’ 4-3 lead.
“I was just kind of hanging around the net and the puck squirted right through the defenseman’s legs,” said Zegras, who had had four goals and five assists in eight AHL games for San Diego before his NHL debut. “I’d like to have that one back. Down by one with two minutes left, that’s got to be in the back of the net. I saw the goalie pushing out. I tired to elevate it (the shot). He made a great save.”
Zegras was credited with two shots on goal and a third that was blocked in a modest 13:14 of ice time, including 4:37 while on the power play. He was especially dangerous during a 5-on-3 power play in the first period, zipping passes through traffic and directly to teammates.
“It’s nice to have time and space with the puck on your stick,” Zegras said of his power-play action. “It’s a whole different ballgame 5-on-5 when you’ve got to be engaged in battles and hitting guys and making plays. The biggest thing for me is the less time and space you have (in the NHL).”
Zegras earned positive reviews from Eakins and from linemate Jakob Silfverberg, who scored on their second shift. Max Jones (power play) and Cam Fowler also scored for the Ducks, who seemed to have the game in hand until a whistle-filled second period.
“I thought he was good,” Eakins said of Zegras, the ninth overall pick in the 2019 NHL draft who was the MVP while leading the U.S. to gold at the World Junior Championships last month. “He made some good plays on our power play. He had an excellent chance to tie it near the end. The second period was tough on him with all the stops and starts, but overall I thought it was a good game for him.”
Said Silfverberg: “We had a good conversation going. He’s a confident kid.”
The Coyotes rallied with three goals in less than three minutes, including a penalty shot from Dvorak that got them back into the game at 8:15 of the period. Silfverberg was called for hooking on a breakaway. Derick Brassard cut it to 3-2 at 10:21 and Jakob Chychrun tied it at 11:02.
Dvorak scored the tiebreaking goal on a power play 3:52 into the third.
Chychrun’s goal was reviewed, but allowed to stand despite a collision with Ducks goalie John Gibson as the Coyotes defenseman crashed to the ice. Adding to the less-than-great quality of the goal was the fact that as Chychrun lost control of the puck it struck his right skate and went into the net.
Gibson was in no position to stop the puck and he and the net went flying toward the end boards.
“The one thing the league has told us is that the call on the ice has to be dead wrong for it to be overturned on contact with the goalie,” Eakins said. “That’s one where the guy’s coming to the net hard. It ends up in the net. If that was us, I’d say that was totally a good goal.
“The thing we were looking harder at, and it was good the referees went and looked at it … was if he kicked it in. It was almost borderline on the challenged, but it would have been a good goal, for sure. Even ‘Gibby’ thought it would have been a good goal.”
The Ducks arrived in the desert with an NHL-low 33 goals but didn’t need much time to get their first. Silfverberg scored three minutes in, beating Kuemper between the pads after stealing the puck from Johan Larsson.
Jones scored on a two-man advantage later in the period to make it 2-0 and set off a melee by standing over fallen Arizona defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson. Kuemper came to his captain’s defense and five players ended up in the penalty box, including three Coyotes.
The hits kept coming.
Jones fought John Hayden later in the period, then Arizona’s Lawson Crouse and Derek Grant dropped the gloves in the closing seconds.
Fowler made it 3-0 in the first two minutes of the second period with a shot through a screen.
News services contributed to this story.
The newest baby Duck
following his first game in the big leagues
— FOX Sports West (@FoxSportsWest) February 23, 2021
following his first game in the big leagues
Earlier, Zegras comes oh so close to getting his first NHL point, and his family reacts. #FlyTogether pic.twitter.com/EDkedhJnbS
— Anaheim Ducks (@AnaheimDucks) February 23, 2021
Coach Dallas Eakins impressed with the overall play of the @AnaheimDucks – especially with @tzegras11 #FlyTogether pic.twitter.com/7qYIZWRTgs
— FOX Sports West (@FoxSportsWest) February 23, 2021
“I think this a step in the right direction.”
Jakob Silfverberg following tonight’s tough loss in Arizona.#FlyTogether I @AnaheimDucks I @AlysonLozoff pic.twitter.com/ntTnT3v4oX— FOX Sports West (@FoxSportsWest) February 23, 2021
Silfverberg puts the Ducks on top! #FlyTogether I @AnaheimDucks pic.twitter.com/BGztjlFzpF— FOX Sports West (@FoxSportsWest) February 23, 2021
STRAIGHT THROUGH THE 5!
— FOX Sports West (@FoxSportsWest) February 23, 2021
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