The Anaheim Ducks hosted the Vegas Golden Knights on Wednesday night hoping to eclipse the .500 mark for the first time since October 22.
Game #24: Ducks vs. Golden Knights Game Preview
It was Vegas’ second straight game after posting a 1-0 win over the Edmonton Oilers on Tuesday.
Cam Fowler returned to the lineup in this game after missing the team’s previous 11 games with an upper body injury.
He took Pavel Mintyukov’s place in Radko Gudas’ left-side lineup.
Trevor Zegras left this game on his first shift of the second period after a difficult recovery from accidental contact with William Karlsson. His status is unknown.
John Gibson started this game for the Ducks and stopped 29 of 32 shots, saving 1.18 goals above expectations.
Gibson’s opponent was Ilya Samsonov in the Vegas crease, who stopped 19 of 20 shots.
Here are my notes from this game:
Defensive zone coverage: Vegas’ first goal of this game was the first goal allowed by the Ducks in a 5-on-5 cycle since Shane Wright’s first-period goal in their 3-2 loss to the Kraken on Nov. 25.
The next step in the evolution of their transition game will be to capitalize on their slick defense and turn it into running opportunities.
Fail forward: The Ducks’ offensive zone forecheck was responsible for Vegas’ second and third goals of the game. Establishing a high, disruptive F3 and defenders reading breakouts correctly could have eliminated those chances.
The third and fourth lines created some of the Ducks’ best looks in this game by forcing battles below the offensive goal line and slipping passes into the crease.
Troy Terry: Terry continued his brilliant campaign in this match, where he was by far the striker with the most positive impact in each area, single-handedly creating chances, drawing attention and making ice for his teammates .
Sam Colangelo: Colangelo played a season-high 13 minutes in this game and took advantage of the opportunity he received after Zegras was injured early in the second period.
Like his fourth-line teammates, he was active on the forecheck and found ways to get out of possession battles. Playing higher in the lineup and on the power play, he took advantage of the extra ice afforded to him without hesitation, carrying pucks and attempting to attack the middle.
He could see further opportunities to expand the depth of his offensive game at the NHL level in upcoming matchups.
John Gibson: Gibson played well enough to earn a win in this game, a common theme among Ducks goalies this season. He may have overcommitted on Vegas’ third goal, but a goalie can’t expect two cross-court passes in the same 2-on-1 sequence, so he took a calculated risk to remove any angle shooting.
His puck tracking and battling around traffic in front improved a lot in this game, as he had to make a handful of tough saves on perimeter shots.
The Ducks (10-11-3) will next face the Minnesota Wild (17-4-4), the top team in the NHL standings, on Friday night to conclude their four-game homestand.
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