DALLAS — The Ducks’ season came to an end Friday night with a 4-2 loss to the Dallas Stars, with John Gibson sidelined after the first period because of an injury, with backup Anthony Stolarz out after the second because of an injury, with emergency backup Thomas Hodges playing the final period.
As if that wasn’t an interesting enough coda, now the heavy lifting begins.
So, over to you Pat Verbeek.
It will be the first offseason for the Ducks’ new general manager, a chance to begin the rebuilding process he started in earnest when he dealt Nicolas Deslauriers, Hampus Lindholm, Josh Manson and Rickard Rakell before the NHL’s deadline on March 21. It could be a summer of great change.
Clearly, the Ducks (31-37-14, 76 points) have some quality pieces in place, especially right wing Troy Terry and center Trevor Zegras up front and defenseman Jamie Drysdale and Gibson on the back end. If the 2021-22 revealed anything about the Ducks, though, it’s that they lack sufficient depth.
Coach Dallas Eakins iced a patchwork lineup that harassed the Stars for the better part of the season finale for both teams. Max Comtois scored for the third consecutive game, giving the Ducks a 1-0 lead in the first period. Terry tied it 2-2 in the second, his team-leading 37th goal.
Gibson departed after the first and Eakins turned to Stolarz to start the second. The Stars tied it 1-1 on Thomas Harley’s first NHL goal and then took a 2-1 lead on Joel Hanley’s second career goal. Hodges, wearing uniform No. 68, took over for Stolarz to begin the third with the score tied, 2-2.
Jason Robertson gave the Stars a 3-2 lead with a power-play goal at 9:56 of the third period. Robertson’s team-leading 41st goal zipped past Hodges, who had handled the first two shots he had faced with ease, drawing cheers from Stars fans behind his net.
Vladislav Namestnikov sealed it with a late empty-net goal.
