The Anaheim Ducks wrapped up their brief, two-game road trip that had them take on the Vegas Golden Knights in a Saturday night showdown two days after a barnburner of a 7-5 win against the Dallas Stars on Thursday.
The Ducks were looking to extend their five-game winning streak against a Vegas team that theyâ€ve struggled against, especially on the road, since the franchiseâ€s inception. Leo Carlsson and Cutter Gauthier entered play, each with their own eight-game point streaks they were trying to preserve. Unfortunately for Gauthier, his ended. Carlsson, however, continued his rise toward superstardom with a three-point night.
The Ducks went with their exact lineup that earned them their last three victories.
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The Knights were hoping to retake the Pacific division lead and return to the win column against Anaheim, after dropping their Thursday night game to Tampa Bay 6-3.
The Ducks turned to Petr Mrazek in net for this game, marking just his third appearance in the teamâ€s first 14 games to open the season. After two shaky outings to start the season, he saved 36 of 39 shots. None of the goals he allowed could be classified as “soft,†and he made numerous game-preserving stops toward the end of the third and in overtime, as Vegas made their final push toward a desired two points.
The Knights turned to Akira Schmid in this game, who stopped 25 of the 29 shots he faced.
The two teams were evenly matched to start the game, trading zone time, rush chances, and good defensive efforts. The Ducks seized control of the game during the second, overwhelming Vegas with their relentlessly clean exits and rush chances that led to extended cycle opportunities.
Vegas countered with an onslaught of their own in the third period, where they totaled 21 shots and a whopping 35 shot attempts. Anaheimâ€s defensive structure, along with Mrazekâ€s stellar play down the stretch, took the Ducks to overtime with a 3-3 tie, where offensive dynamo Jacob Trouba (kidding…kinda) ended it for Anaheim, sending them home with four points of a possible four on their road trip against a pair of Cup contenders from the West.
Defensive Zone Coverage: The Ducks have become comfortable and effective in their new zone system, as demonstrated best by these last two games against Dallas and Vegas. Even when they donâ€t get their desired early kills and are hemmed in for spells, as happens from time to time (it is still hockey), they are able to conserve some energy and protect the most dangerous seams.
Their standard positioning makes it easier for puck carriers to know where and when support is arriving, and outlets remain in more predictable spots on the ice, allowing them to exit cleanly and build plays more effectively. The next area to work on will be for the weak-side winger and defensemen to be more aware of activating defensemen or opposing covering forwards as they sneak down toward the back post, looking for soft ice.
Zellweger-Trouba: Once again, this pair showed why theyâ€re analytically one of the best in the NHL. They accounted for four points (1-3=4) between them, 62.9% of the expected goals share, 53.8% of the shot share, and 59.5% of the shot attempts share.
They drive play from the blueline when in the offensive zone, reading off each other and their supporting forwards so they can pinch or cut down from the point to open up space or become passing options. Troubaâ€s defensive stick has become one of his most effective tools, as he consistently breaks up attacks in the d-zone, after which Zellweger pounces on the loose puck or an open lane to ignite a rush.
Rush Defense: The Ducks’ rush/transition defense remains an area of concern. They did well to patch the middle of neutral ice, where they previously would allow cutting forwards to find the ice between defensemen with speed to manufacture breaks. However, Vegas exploited the Ducks†puck-watching backcheckers and easily found their trailers for the Knights†first and third goals in this game.
There will need to be increased communication between the retreating defensemen and the backchecking forwards in regards to who needs support and who needs trailers accounted for.
Leo Carlsson and Cutter Gauthier: Not much more can be said about Carlsson, as he has raised expectations to the point where if he doesnâ€t dazzle, itâ€s an anomaly. Of course, he dazzled in this one, but the areas where he most impressed were defensively and in surveying opposing attacks in the neutral zone. He anticipated, disrupted, and dug for pucks to create offense in this game. On this trajectory, he could become the 200-foot, dominant, two-way center his ceiling was advertised as when he was drafted in 2023, just with way more offensive upside than expected by most.
Gauthier saw his point streak end, but itâ€s clear the game is slowing down for the sophomore winger. He is scanning the ice with and without the puck to greater effect, and has improved his play-connecting skills just inside the offensive blueline, even looking for and finding streaking teammates (mainly linemate Beckett Sennecke) in the slot. Heâ€s finding ways to present himself as a passing option for teammates regardless of where he is on the ice: high-danger areas, high middle, on his backhand, on the wall, etc. These are encouraging signs for a budding (or arriving) star goalscorer.
The Ducks†string of Cup-hopeful opponents continues on Sunday, when theyâ€ll host the Winnipeg Jets at Honda Center, before embarking on a three-game road trip, starting on Tuesday against the NHL-best Colorado Avalanche.
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