Leo Carlsson scores in OT as Ducks edge Utah to win 9th straight home opener

ANAHEIM — The Ducks turned in an exhilarating home opener that featured five lead changes as they triumphed over Utah HC, 5-4, in overtime on Wednesday night at Honda Center.

The second line sparkled, a pair of new additions registered their first points as Ducks and a young defenseman spearheaded the attack for the host before Leo Carlsson, who also had an assist, won the game 54 seconds into overtime with a Herculean shift.

Pavel Mintyukov scored twice in his first career multi-goal game. Robby Fabbri and Troy Terry each scored a goal, with Mason McTavish chipping in two assists as the Ducks won their ninth consecutive home opener. Lukáš Dostál repelled 26 shots.

Jack McBain, Barrett Hayton, Michael Kesselring and Clayton Keller all scored for Utah. McBain added an assist while Nick Schmaltz contributed two. Connor Ingram had 29 saves.

Carlsson dominated his shift in overtime, settling the puck and nearly setting up the winner, then recovering it on the forecheck to glide into the slot for a silky forehand-to-backhand-to-forehand goal, unassisted, less than a minute into the extra session.

With 5:05 showing on the regulation clock, the Ducks made it a new game as Mintyukov’s second goal of the night entered the net after his sharp-angle, close-range bid handcuffed Ingram. It struck him at least twice before slipping behind him.

Utah earned its second advantage of the night with 9:10 to play in the game when Schmaltz set up Utah’s captain, Keller, for a backhand goal. Earlier in the period, Schmaltz delivered a high hit to Isac Lundeström that sent him back to the dressing room for attention.

Five-and-a-half minutes earlier, an issue from early in last season reared its head again when after a stretched-out Ducks power play, a sloppy line change led to a three-on-two rush that culminated in Schmaltz feeding Kesselring for tying goal from the high slot.

The Ducks had reclaimed the lead in similar fashion, by scoring both of the second period’s goals.

Fabbi and McTavish, who factored into both goals, went to work with Fabbri initiating a battle that McTavish won, working along the wall and switching positions with Mintyukov. McTavish dished to Brian Dumoulin, who found Mintyukov at the left faceoff dot from a searing shot with 3:08 left in the period.

That was Dumoulin’s first point as a Duck and another arrival via trade in July, Fabbri, picked up his when he netted the equalizer 8:06 into the middle period.

After McTavish’s initial foray to the goal crease was disrupted by contact from defenseman Ian Cole, McTavish and Trevor Zegras played catch below the goal line before Zegras slipped a pass between Cole’s legs and past winger Lawson Crouse that found Fabbri in front. He went from forehand to backhand and lifted the puck over Ingram to knot the score at 2-2.

Wednesday’s opening salvo was played at a break-neck pace and while the Ducks narrowly out-shot Utah, they trailed 2-1 after a pair of unanswered goals by the visitors.

Utah struck at even strength at the 8:54 mark when McBain tipped trade acquisition Mikhail Sergachev’s shot by Dostál and again at 13:25 when Hayton’s power-play putback wrapped up a sequence during which Nick Schmaltz took the puck to the net aggressively.

After buzzing off the opening faceoff, the Ducks had opened the scoring 4:40 into the contest with a rush goal. Frank Vatrano found a trailing Ryan Strome who danced directly between the hash marks, eschewing a prime shooting opportunity for a lateral pass to Terry, who whizzed a one-timer past Ingram for his second goal in the past two games.

The Ducks, who have missed the playoffs a franchise-record six straight seasons, still drew a sellout crowd. The Ducks haven’t lost a home opener since 2016, and they’ve earned a point in 12 straight.

More to come on this story.