Ducks collapse late to let Blues slip away 5-4

For one night — if only just a single game — the Ducks’ offense was humming.

Their four goals Wednesday against the St. Louis Blues is just the 13th time they’ve eclipsed the three-goal mark in 68 tries this season. Usually, goalie John Gibson is forced to fend off an array of shots to keep them in games they ultimately lose mostly because of their last-ranked offense.

On this night, it was the penalty kill — along with a monumental late collapse — that failed them. The Blues cashed in on their first three-power play opportunities before storming back with two goals in the final 65 seconds to top the Ducks 5-4 at Honda Center.

It appeared the Ducks would win three consecutive games for just the fourth time this season before calamity struck. With Blues goalie Jordan Binnington on the bench for the extra attacker, Robert Thomas scored at 18:56. Twelve seconds later, Alex Pietrangelo finished matters with a slap shot through traffic that caromed off Adam Henrique’s skate.

“We were just slow to react [on the penalty kill] and they made some plays and we didn’t challenge the half-wall, maybe, as hard as we should have,” Ducks assistant coach Marty Wilford said.

The Ducks jumped to the lead 5:28 in with a Nick Ritchie wrap-around goal off a pass from rookie Troy Terry. The Blues responded with three consecutive goals, all on the power play. Brayden Schenn’s tip-in off a Vladimir Tarasenko slap shot tied it up at 8:03 of the first.

Blues center Ryan O’Reilly got his 64th point of the season with a wrist shot from the top of the right faceoff circle almost 16 minutes into the opening period. And then the Blues remained perfect on the man-advantage with a Thomas goal from that same spot on the ice at 13:53 of the second period.

Less than two minutes later, Rickard Rakell ensured the Ducks finally enjoyed some success on special teams with a one-kneed one-timer off a nifty cross-ice feed from Terry.

Jaycob Megna picked up first NHL goal with a shot through traffic about two minutes later to tie the score heading into the third.

Megna was back at it again early in the final period. The blue-liner’s shot ricocheted off Binnington’s pads and he was unable to corral the rebound. The goalie frantically attempted to collect the bouncing puck, but it escaped, and Henrique strode in to bury the puck into the unoccupied net.

Terry picked up an assist on the goal for his first-career three-point game.

“Hockey’s such a game of confidence and everyone’s at their best when they’re confident,” said Terry, 21. “If you have a bad shift just kind of put it behind you … I think I felt more comfortable and more confident in every game.”

Terry’s inspired play is a silver lining in the lost season, but Megna impressed as well with just 14 games remaining.

“I’m trying to solidify a spot here,” Megna said, “and prove that I can play in this league so every night’s an audition.”

Kesler honored

Ryan Kesler was presented before the game with a Tiffany’s hockey stick to commemorate 1,000 NHL games played. Fellow veteran forwards Ryan Getzlaf and Corey Perry congratulated him on becoming the 25th active player to reach the milestone (333th in history).

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