BOSTON — Anaheim Ducks goaltender John Gibson left his club’s 3-2 overtime victory over the Boston Bruins after two periods due to an upper-body injury Saturday night.
Gibson, 31, a topic of trade talks, stopped 19 shots before exiting, giving way to Lukas Dostal, who made 10 saves en route to a win that was sealed when Leo Carlsson scored with 1:21 left in the extra session.
“We just have to believe in everyone in this room,” Anaheim’s Frank Vatrano said after the win. “We’re a really close group, we all get along. At the end of the day, everyone wants to play in the playoffs. I think for us, it’s about not getting too far ahead of ourselves, and try to take it game by game.”
Any playoff push for Anaheim likely will need Gibson, one of the most reliable netminders on the trade market this season. Should the Ducks deal him, he will command a hefty price. And should they keep him, the club will be limited in how it might add salary in the offseason.
Editor’s Picks
2 Related
Gibson has two years remaining on a deal that carries a $6.4 million salary cap hit, and because he has played on some subpar Ducks teams, his numbers don’t match his skills in the crease. He was 13-27-2 last season, a year after finishing 14-31-8. Headed into Saturday’s return to action from the 4 Nations Face-Off break, he was 9-9-2.
But among a crop of journeyman goaltenders who might be available before the trade deadline, Gibson, a Pittsburgh native and career Duck, stands out as the one who can immediately be a No. 1 for a contender. But the diagnosis of this recent injury looms large for his future.
His club picked up the slack in Boston, though. Trevor Zegras and Vatrano also scored for Anaheim, which won for the seventh time in the past eight games to climb above .500 for the first time in four months.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
