Call it a coincidence, a continued breakout or more, but Daniel Sprong set the stage for a head-held-high return to Pittsburgh by scoring both of the Ducks' goals, including the overtime winner, Saturday night in Columbus.
Next stop: Monday night at PPG Paints Arena.
Since being acquired from the Penguins Dec. 3 for Marcus Pettersson, Sprong's scored three times in five games -- once in his debut, then these two -- in addition to a shootout goal. In that span, Anaheim's extended a 10-2 tear, including five consecutive road victories, so he's been a welcome fit in that regard as well as on his line alongside Nick Ritchie and Adam Henrique.
"The coaching staff and management gave me an opportunity to play the role I think I can play," Sprong told reporters in Columbus after the game. "Playing with Rico and Ritchie, has really been helping me out. Right now I'm getting the looks and putting pucks on net. I'm excited to be here."
At 15:56 of the first period Saturday, Sprong beat the Blue Jackets' Sergei Bobrovsky from a severe angle, similar to the goal in his Anaheim debut:
Bad shooting angle?
There's no such thing when @sprong97 has the puck!#LetsGoDucks pic.twitter.com/dg4FprCO1n
— Anaheim Ducks (@AnaheimDucks) December 16, 2018
And 1:19 into overtime, he collected the puck off a clean faceoff win by Henrique, circled around and fired a long-range wrister -- his specialty in Wilkes-Barre -- through a Henrique screen to beat Bobrovsky before spinning toward center ice for an animated, fist-pumping celebration:
Have yourself a night, @sprong97!
A perfect shot nets him the @EASPORTSNHL overtime winner!#LetsGoDucks pic.twitter.com/v17iU65bAW
— Anaheim Ducks (@AnaheimDucks) December 16, 2018
The Penguins and Ducks both have Sunday off, and both will have morning skates Monday before their 7:08 p.m. faceoff. Expect much of the attention to be on the smiling 21-year-old kid wearing No. 11.
For full context, Pettersson's also been solid for the Penguins since the trade, providing steady five-on-five defense, killing penalties and being part of their own, more modest turnaround of late.
