Leo Carlsson scored just 54 seconds into overtime, leading the Anaheim Ducks to a 5-4 victory over the Utah Hockey Club on Wednesday night. This win marked the Ducks’ ninth straight home opener win.
Clayton Keller gave Utah a 4-3 lead with 9:10 left in regulation, but Pavel Mintyukov tied the game for Anaheim with 5:05 remaining.
Carlsson, the second overall pick in the 2023 draft, then scored after receiving a pass from Troy Terry, marking his first goal of the season.
Robby Fabbri scored his first goal since joining the Ducks, while Terry added his second goal of the season. Lukas Dostal made 26 saves in goal.
For Utah, Keller and Barrett Hayton both netted their fourth goals in five games this season. Jack McBain and Michael Kesselring also contributed goals.
Connor Ingram stopped 29 shots for Utah, which fell to 3-1-1 at the end of a four-game road trip.
The team seems to have no problem scoring, but their defense has struggled at the start of the season. They have allowed 19 goals in five games, giving up at least two goals in each game.
Anaheim has missed the playoffs for a franchise-record six seasons in a row but still attracted a sellout crowd to Honda Center for the opener. The Ducks have not lost a home opener since 2016 and have earned points in their last 12 home openers.
Key moment: Utah was close to winning in regulation until Mintyukov scored his first two-goal game, taking advantage of a close-range shot that slipped behind Ingram and into the net.
