The Anaheim Ducks played their second straight game on their brief road trip with a Monday matchup in Vegas against the Golden Knights.
Game #33: Ducks vs. Golden Knights Game Preview
The Ducks were coming off an emotional shootout victory over the Utah Hockey Club on Sunday and were looking to bring their single-game record back to .500.
The Golden Knights were aiming for a fourth straight victory and solidifying their hold on first place in the Pacific Division before the short holiday break.
After leaving Sunday’s game in the third period, Leo Carlsson somewhat surprisingly returned to the lineup in his familiar spot between Alex Killorn and Brock McGinn.
McGinn suffered a lower body injury early in the first half and did not return.
Drew Helleson re-entered (pun intended) the lineup in this game after serving as a healthy scratch for the Ducks’ previous seven games.
John Gibson got the start in net for the Ducks, but was forced to leave the game late in the first period after taking a stick to the face. He stopped all 11 shots he faced before Lukas Dostal entered the game in relief.
Dostal saved 19 of 22 shots, coming into the game cold and having played 65 minutes the night before in Utah.
Adin Hill took over for Vegas in this one. He stopped 31 of the 32 shots he faced.
Here are my notes from this game:
Burst: At the start of the match, the Ducks displayed an additional peculiarity in their escape strategy. When the power forward (especially Troy Terry) felt pressure from a pinching defender, he flew through the zone to nullify it in search of a stretch pass or zone chip.
When the defender retreated to the neutral zone, he curled up to support the puck-carrying defender to accelerate through the neutral zone and attack on the run.
As the game progressed, fewer and fewer of these opportunities presented themselves, but it’s a layer that Trevor Zegras can add to his game upon his return from injury if he wants to become a full-time winger. Wingers like Mitch Marner, Artemi Panarin and David Pastrnak create ways to make plays from the middle of the ice and there is no doubt that Zegras can too.
Cycling: Cycle chances also dried up as the game got longer. Vegas protected the middle of its defensive zone well and won runs to lose pucks before executing clean breakouts.
The first part of the game showed promising signs of off-cycle offense generation as the forwards, as they did a night ago in Utah, carried pucks up the wall from the corner the ice to create more dangerous seams within the opposing defensive coverage.
Gauthier cutter: As he becomes more comfortable with the puck on his stick, Gauthier moves his feet more in the offensive zone, processes plays at a higher speed and looks for optimal plays more consistently.
He finds a good relationship with Mason McTavish, who can get him pucks off the wall in space.
Leo Carlsson: Carlsson was much more comfortable and dangerous on the right flank of the top power play unit in this game, as opposed to the bumper position where he had resided since returning from injury.
He has to keep moving and looking for seams when the puck is on the other side of the ice. He instinctively heads towards the right post, eliminating himself as a passing option.
He also needs to refine his decision-making when he has the puck on his stick in the defensive zone. He’s adapted to the speed and ice of the NHL, but he’s been prone to turnovers in that situation this season.
The Ducks’ next game will take place on Saturday, December 28, in the morning, when they host the Philadelphia Flyers.
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