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Vegas Golden Knights goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury, left, blocks the shot by Anaheim Ducks defenseman Kevin Shattenkirk in the overtime during a game at Honda Center in Anaheim on Saturday, February 27, 2021. (Photo by Kyusung Gong/Contributing Photographer)
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Anaheim Ducks players celebrate center Adam Henrique ’s goal in the third period during a game against the Vegas Golden Knights at Honda Center in Anaheim on Saturday, February 27, 2021. (Photo by Kyusung Gong/Contributing Photographer)
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Anaheim Ducks goaltender John Gibson reacts after giving up a goal to Vegas Golden Knights center William Karlsson in the second period during a game at Honda Center in Anaheim on Saturday, February 27, 2021. (Photo by Kyusung Gong/Contributing Photographer)
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Anaheim Ducks goaltender John Gibson reacts after giving up a goal to Vegas Golden Knights center William Karlsson in the second period during a game at Honda Center in Anaheim on Saturday, February 27, 2021. (Photo by Kyusung Gong/Contributing Photographer)
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Anaheim Ducks left wing Nicolas Deslauriers, left, shots pas Vegas Golden Knights right wing Keegan Kolesar during a game at Honda Center in Anaheim on Saturday, February 27, 2021. (Photo by Kyusung Gong/Contributing Photographer)
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Anaheim Ducks goaltender John Gibson reaches for the puck during a game against the Vegas Golden Knights at Honda Center in Anaheim on Saturday, February 27, 2021. (Photo by Kyusung Gong/Contributing Photographer)
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Anaheim Ducks center Trevor Zegras during a game against the Vegas Golden Knights at Honda Center in Anaheim on Saturday, February 27, 2021. (Photo by Kyusung Gong/Contributing Photographer)
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Vegas Golden Knights team celebrate defenseman Alex Pietrangelo’s goal in the first period during a game against the Anaheim Ducks at Honda Center in Anaheim on Saturday, February 27, 2021. (Photo by Kyusung Gong/Contributing Photographer)
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Anaheim Ducks defenseman Kevin Shattenkirk, front, body checks Vegas Golden Knights right wing Keegan Kolesar during a game at Honda Center in Anaheim on Saturday, February 27, 2021. (Photo by Kyusung Gong/Contributing Photographer)
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Anaheim Ducks center Trevor Zegras during a game against the Vegas Golden Knights at Honda Center in Anaheim on Saturday, February 27, 2021. (Photo by Kyusung Gong/Contributing Photographer)
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Anaheim Ducks center Adam Henrique, center, looks up to the video board during a game against the Vegas Golden Knights at Honda Center in Anaheim on Saturday, February 27, 2021. Henrique returned to the team after clearing the waivers. (Photo by Kyusung Gong/Contributing Photographer)
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Anaheim Ducks center Rickard Rakell celebrates his goal in the first period with the bench during a game against the Vegas Golden Knights at Honda Center in Anaheim on Saturday, February 27, 2021. (Photo by Kyusung Gong/Contributing Photographer)
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Anaheim Ducks center Adam Henrique enters the game before a game against the Vegas Golden Knights at Honda Center in Anaheim on Saturday, February 27, 2021. Henrique joined the team after clearing the waivers. (Photo by Kyusung Gong/Contributing Photographer)
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Anaheim Ducks center Rickard Rakell shoots to score the goal in the first period during a game against the Vegas Golden Knights at Honda Center in Anaheim on Saturday, February 27, 2021. (Photo by Kyusung Gong/Contributing Photographer)
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Anaheim Ducks center Ryan Getzlaf, right, trips Vegas Golden Knights right wing Mark Stone during a game at Honda Center in Anaheim on Saturday, February 27, 2021. (Photo by Kyusung Gong/Contributing Photographer)
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Anaheim Ducks center Rickard Rakell, center, celebrates his goal in the first period during a game against the Vegas Golden Knights at Honda Center in Anaheim on Saturday, February 27, 2021. (Photo by Kyusung Gong/Contributing Photographer)
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Anaheim Ducks head coach Dallas Eakins, top, watches his players during a game at Honda Center in Anaheim on Saturday, February 27, 2021. (Photo by Kyusung Gong/Contributing Photographer)
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Anaheim Ducks center Rickard Rakell, front, celebrates his goal in the first period during a game against the Vegas Golden Knights at Honda Center in Anaheim on Saturday, February 27, 2021. (Photo by Kyusung Gong/Contributing Photographer)
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Vegas Golden Knights center William Karlsson, right, scores the game-winning goal past Anaheim Ducks goaltender John Gibson in the overtime during a game at Honda Center in Anaheim on Saturday, February 27, 2021. (Photo by Kyusung Gong/Contributing Photographer)
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Anaheim Ducks goaltender John Gibson, right, blocks the shot by Vegas Golden Knights right wing Alex Tuch in the overtime during a game at Honda Center in Anaheim on Saturday, February 27, 2021. (Photo by Kyusung Gong/Contributing Photographer)
ANAHEIM — Adam Henrique was the Ducks’ forgotten man for more than a week, after the Ducks placed him on waivers, after he went unclaimed, after he joined their taxi squad, and before he returned to their lineup for a 3-2 overtime loss Saturday to the Vegas Golden Knights at Honda Center.
“Brutal,” he said. “You’re put on that forgotten squad. You walk into the room and the next day it’s like everybody’s seen a ghost. I did what I had to do. Lineup decisions are out of my hands, so I just focused on controlling what I can control and that’s myself and my game and that’s it.”
Henrique scored the goal that sent the game to overtime tied 2-2, a close-range shot past Marc-Andre Fleury at 11:05 of the third period. The cheers of his teammates on the ice and on the bench pierced the quiet of the empty arena as he raised his arms in triumph.
It certainly would have made for a better story if Isac Lundestrom had beaten Fleury on one of his glorious scoring chances in OT or if William Karlsson hadn’t converted on a breakaway to win it for Vegas at 3:23 of the extra period. But the Ducks fell to 0-4-2 in their last six games.
“One point is not enough,” Henrique said. “It’s as simple as that, really.”
Henrique was credited with three shots on goal and 11 wins in 12 faceoffs while logging 14:43 of ice time. He skated between wingers Nicolas Deslauriers and Derek Grant to start the game and earned a promotion by the second period to play with Trevor Zegras and Jakob Silfverberg.
His mere presence seemed to ignite his teammates.
“I think the whole team was pumped to have ‘Rico’ back in the lineup,” Rickard Rakell said, referring to Henrique by his nickname. “We were even happier because he was the one who tied the game up for us, so he feels like he’s a part of the progress and helping the team.
“Hopefully, it gives all of us a boost.”
Rakell ended a 14-game drought without a goal when he scored 10:09 into the first period, smiling broadly and celebrating with his teammates, a mixture of joy and relief spreading across his face after he gave the Ducks a 1-0 lead that they failed to maintain by period’s end.
“It’s easy to get frustrated, and it has been a frustrating time, especially since I felt I had the scoring chances and had the shots on net,” Rakell said. “Just that final touch to make the puck go in hasn’t been going my way. I can look at the past and be really frustrated by it.
“Or I can take it game by game and try to improve and try to do something about it.”
The Ducks played a crisp game, all things considered. Their passes hit their intended targets. They had plenty of scoring chances. Their checking was sound. The second-to-last-place Ducks (6-10-5) certainly weren’t outplayed by the West Division-leading Golden Knights (12-4-1).
Ducks coach Dallas Eakins welcomed defenseman Hampus Lindholm back from a three-game layoff because of an unspecified lower body injury. The Ducks were 0-2-1 without Lindholm, who was reunited with Kevin Shattenkirk, his regular defense partner.
Despite the changes, the new-look Ducks took halting steps at the start and were outshot 5-0 in the opening minutes. They regrouped, though, and Rakell gave them a 1-0 lead midway through the first period, his first goal since Jan. 24 against the Colorado Avalanche.
There were plenty of chances to extend their lead, but the Ducks failed to convert them into goals, and by the end of an evenly-played second period, they trailed 2-1 after Alex Pietrangelo, at 16:28 of the first, and Karlsson, at 9:10 of the second, scored for Vegas.
“Overall, we played hard,” Eakins said. “That’s some steep competition over there. I thought maybe we could have been more assertive early. Eventually, we got our feet underneath us and started believing a little bit more in ourselves. We played a hard game, a gritty one to tie that up.”
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