Ducks fourth line flies in bounce-back in Winnipeg

· Yahoo Sports

Oct 9, 2026; Winnipeg, Manitoba, CAN; Anaheim Ducks forward Judd Caufield (28) is congratulated by his teammates on his goal against the Winnipeg Jets during the first period at Canada Life Centre.

WINNIPEG, Manitoba – With its line-up jumbled up trying to find a bounce-back spark, the Anaheim Ducks were led by the one line kept intact–its fourth line–in their first trip north of the border on Friday.

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Judd Caulfield, Tim Washe and Jeff Malott each recorded their first career NHL multi-point games, including Caulfield’s first career NHL goal, as the Ducks handed the Winnipeg Jets their first regulation loss, 5-1, at Canada Life Centre.

Sam Colangelo gave Anaheim a three-goal lead in the third period, and Mikael Granlund scored his 200th career NHL goal to seal the game in the third. Nikita Nesterenko popped the empty net in the final minute.

Lukáš Dostál stopped 15 of 16 shots to rebound from a five-goal period on Wednesday against Edmonton. Kyle Connor broke the shutout bid with a breakaway in the third period. Eric Stevenson made 12 saves for Winnipeg.

Anaheim (3-1-0, 6 points) concludes its quick two-game Canadian road trip with the back end of a back-to-back tomorrow in Calgary. The Ducks return home to host the Flames on Tuesday.


Anaheim made changes to three of its four forward lines and two of its three defensive pairs, as Joel Quenneville made an overhaul following Wednesday’s loss to Edmonton.

The only line that didn’t receive any alterations was the Ducks’ fourth line, and in a period where it certainly looked like the other combinations had not played together, it was that fourth forward group that got things going with a special tally.

Tim Washe and Judd Caulfield broke the puck out at center ice, and Jeff Malott entered the zone with speed for a partial breakaway. Stevenson stopped the backhand from Malott, but Caulfield crashed the crease to deposit the loose puck–and himself–into the back of the net for his first NHL goal.

Caulfield, playing in just his fourth NHL game, got to celebrate the milestone in front of friends and family that made the two and a half hour drive up to Manitoba from his hometown of Grand Forks, North Dakota.

“That’s pretty awesome having a ton of family tonight,” Judd Caulfield told the Ducks broadcast postgame. “I remember my dad texted me before the game and he said they’d be on that end a couple rows up. That’s a pretty cool moment to have them there for me. Unbelievable experience.”

The 25-year-old had a four-year college career in Grand Forks at the University of North Dakota before logging over 200 AHL games with the San Diego Gulls, including an AHL-only contract last season.

The fourth line continued the Anaheim charge into the second period.

Five minutes into the middle frame, Washe stripped the puck in the defensive zone, and the Caulfield got that line started on the rush. From the right wing, Caulfield fed Malott far side to enter the zone with speed again, and Malott found Washe tracking in the middle to double the Ducks lead, 2-0.

“We all try to make it easy on each other,” Caulfield said. “We’re talking a lot on the ice. Letting us know where each other are. Just playing predictable.”

The Ducks’ fourth line earned over 93% of the expected goals share while on the ice at five-on-five.

Anaheim’s penalty kill held strong through the second period with four negated Winnipeg power plays, and in third period, the newly combined top line finally struck.

Colangelo collected his first NHL goal in nearly a calendar year, as he found room at the top of the crease to put home a feed from a wide-driving Beckett Sennecke. Colangelo’s last national league tally came on Oct. 23, 2025 in his hometown of Boston. He potted 12 goals in 49 AHL games with San Diego last season.

With a 3-0 lead in their grasp, the Ducks went to work trying to keep the Jets grounded in a low-event hockey game, but Anaheim’s 166-game shutout drought continued, as Kyle Connor slipped behind the Ducks defense for a breakaway goal.

Anaheim has not posted a shutout since the 2024-25 season opener.Granlund picked up 200th NHL goal to re-establish the three-goal advantage with a wrist shot from distance with just under six minutes remaining.


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