It was a game in which every metric pointed to an Anaheim Ducks victory in Chicago on Sunday, except the most important one: the score.
Dostal made 28 saves for Anaheim, but Spencer Knight was the star of the game stopping 38 of 39 shots.
The Ducks have allowed the first goal in all five games played this season, but have scored the tying or go-ahead goal in the final 90 seconds in three of the last four games.
Anaheim (2-2-1, 5 points) continues its five-game road trip in Nashville on Tuesday.
Final/overtime: Blackhawks 2, Ducks 1
In a game the Ducks had every chance of winning, Chicago emerges victorious. Lukáš Dostál makes another spectacular save in extra time, but fails to hold on to the rebound. Gassed Ducks defenders can’t stop the play.
Ducks (2-2-1) at Nashville on Tuesday. #FlyTogether pic.twitter.com/Ybbw4ckOJ5
—Zach Cavanagh (@ZachCav) October 20, 2025
The Ducks were simply the better team during Sunday’s regular 60 minutes with nothing to show for the first 59:24.
In rulebook per MoneyPuck, Anaheim maintained the expected goals advantage in all situations, five-on-five and five-on-five with score/place adjustments. At points in the second period, the Ducks held a 2-1 lead in those metrics.
Anaheim maintained a 16-10 shots on goal advantage after the first period and had the first six shots on goal of the second period. The total shot attempts were in the Ducks’ favor at every stage of regulation.
The Ducks’ best chances may have come in that first period, when in the moment of truth they simply couldn’t find the back of the net or passed for a better chance that they couldn’t capitalize on.
It wasn’t until the Ducks were gifted a power play with 1:47 left when Chicago sent the puck over the glass to delay the game. Even before McTavish’s eventual goal, his first of the season, the Ducks touched the crossbar and, like Chicago’s go-ahead goal, McTavish’s tally did not come from clean play.
They all count the same if they hit the back of the net, and overall, if Anaheim can replicate efforts like this every night, they’ll be on the right side more often than not.
TIE GAME. Mason McTavish throws a pass wide on the power play with the goalie retired and 35.8 seconds left in Chicago.
In a game the Ducks have dominated analytically, they finally break through late to earn at least a point.
1-1, into extra time. #FlyTogether pic.twitter.com/iaGpaJWSDR
—Zach Cavanagh (@ZachCav) October 20, 2025
The season of the great Leo Carlsson continues to grow
On Thursday, when Carlsson scored the Ducks’ only goal by going downhill and ripping a shot out of the rust, I commented that he’s been the Ducks’ best forward so far, and the analytics backed that up with shooting percentage and scoring chances.
On Sunday, Carlsson led all Ducks forwards with over 23 minutes of ice time, trailing only Jackson LaCombe’s 25 minutes on the roster. Carlsson was fifth on the Ducks in expected goals percentage in all situations, and the Ducks won 69.04% of expected goals with the 20-year-old Swede on the ice.
Beyond the numbers, Carlsson continued with that assertive, downhill style that has marked his good start to the season. He is the Ducks’ number one center back and he is showing it more than ever.
Now, that style went against him in the overtime period, when a late solo run was snuffed out and back-and-forth went with a two-on-one that also didn’t materialize. That final odd-man run caught him and McTavish completely exhausted as Chicago raced back for the game-winning three-on-one attack.
The latter goal didn’t fall entirely on him, and once again, he’s creating a lot more than he’s giving up right now. It’s that “taking control of the game” nature that sets him apart right now, even if he personally ignores that particular attitude.
Ian Moore makes season debut in 11-7 lineup
The first real shakeup in lineup construction came before Sunday’s game, when the Ducks iced a roster of 11 forwards and seven defensemen in Chicago.
Before leaving for Chicago, Ducks coach Joel Quenneville said at Saturday’s practice that Sam Colangelo would return to the lineup, and he did so on the fourth line at right wing.
What he didn’t say was that Ross Johnston would be removed from the left wing’s fourth line, and he recently recalled that Ian Moore would be inserted as a seventh defender.
The Ducks broadcast said Moore was going to be used to relieve some minutes from No. 1 defenseman Jackson LaCombe, but LaCombe still led all Ducks with over 25 minutes on the ice.
Moore also made some changes to that fourth-line forward spot to get some different looks.
The 23-year-old Harvard graduate finally performed well in just over 13 minutes, more than only Pavel Mintyukov among Ducks defensemen, and Anaheim posted a 58.08% expected goals share in all situations with Moore on the ice.
Moore ranked second on the Ducks in shot attempt percentage in all situations, and Anaheim earned 65.53% of shot attempts with the young defenseman on the ice.