Trevor Zegras had a memorable 24th birthday in Nashville, that’s for sure. For Zegras, March is off to a good start and a lot better than February already, (anyone remember that suspension?). And if it wasn’t because of his team, the Anaheim Ducks winning against the Nashville Predators, 4-1, then perhaps it was because of a particularly unusual pre-game performer in their game against the Nashville Predators.

But how unusual can these performances get, really? Well, it was a performance that Zegras jokingly blamed for Anaheim’s slow start, saying, “I think the bongo anthem threw us off a little bit in the first, but once we recovered from that we were back to our game, which was good.” You heard that right, folks: the bongo anthem. 

Nashville, the home of country music and legendary establishments such as The Grand Old Opry, as well as the birthplace of Duane Allman, Dolly Parton, and Miley Cyrus, is widely known for its rich and diverse music history, so it should be no surprise that the game between the Predators and the Ducks had quite the creative take on the anthem to open it.

Bruce Gust, a 9-year Marine Corps vet, brought out a pair of bongos to Bridgestone Arena, where he then proceeded to belt out the Star Spangled Banner, surprising some of the players and fans because of the sudden change of pace from the bongos to the anthem. Trevor Zegras joked in an after-match interview that it was partly the surprising nature of the pre-game ceremony that threw off the Ducks’ performance in the first period, allowing for the Predators to take a 1-0 lead. But his side recovered fast from the unexpected use of the bongos to win 4-1.

How much did the national anthem at the Nashville game really throw off Trevor Zegras and the Ducks? 

Well, as Trevor Zegras mentioned, the Ducks didn’t get thrown off too badly, with Jackson LaCombe tying the game after Steven Stamkos’ first goal just 22 seconds after the fact. And from there the game just continued to pick up. 

Ducks goaltender, John Gibson, played exceptionally, especially considering he had just returned from an injury. He made an astounding 33 saves, and even the birthday boy couldn’t help but commend his performance. “Amazing,” Trevor Zegras said of his teammate. “Mr. Orange County. He’s got that nickname for a reason. I don’t know how much time he missed, but it looked like none at all tonight. We’re always very happy to have him between the pipes.”

Ducks head coach Greg Cronin was also appreciative of the progress his side has made to win the game. “I think when we’re on our game and we’re getting pucks back on the forecheck, it leads to offensive zone time, which as I’ve shared with you guys has been a process with this group. They’re getting more comfortable with it. And then we built off of that throughout the game.” 

Aside from Trevor Zegras and Lacombe, Alex Killorn and Troy Terry also managed to get the puck between the pipes on the other end of things, amounting to the respectable 4-1 win. This performance places the Ducks just 6 points behind the Calgary Flames for the second wildcard spot into the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Which, for the Ducks, who last lifted that glorious cup in 2007, is probably a big, big deal!

So next time the pregame rituals throw whatever surprises at the Ducks, or Trevor Zegras in particular, they will hopefully know how to maintain their cool and not give that pesky first period any chances to get away from them. The stakes are high, and the clocks are closing in. April, here they come!