So go the offensive woes for the Anaheim Ducks, who suffered their second shutout loss in three games last night against the Washington Capitals (Jan. 14). It was the fourth line of the Capitals that did the damage in the contest, not Alex Ovechkin, Dylan Strome, Tom Wilson, or your other typical contributors up front. It is those types of nights that you need more from your offense. The defense did its job, the offense didn’t, and now the Ducks head into the Florida leg of their road trip with far more questions than answers. Here are the takeaways.
Leo Carlsson Is Not Being Put In Opportunities to Succeed
Head coach Greg Cronin sounded like a broken record when he reiterated after the game that the Ducks need to find ways to generate more offense without sacrificing their commitment to defense. It has been his biggest challenge since becoming head coach. Why? Because the Ducks don’t have enough playmakers, and the ones they do have aren’t being put in a position to succeed. Case in point is Leo Carlsson, their stud sophomore centerman.
Carlsson is an electric and dangerous player that uses his speed to drive opponents backward. The problem is, he has looked anything but dangerous for most of the season. He makes a good solo play here and there, but he is constantly put in positions or on lines that do not make the best use of his talents. Lately, he has been playing with Alex Killorn and Isac Lundeström, two guys who have neither the pace nor finishing ability to keep up with him when he has the puck, or to retrieve it and get it back in Carlsson’s hands. The loss last night to Washington was Carlsson’s fifth straight game both without a point and one shot or less on goal. He has played more than 17:15 just a single time. He has eight goals and seven assists in 38 games which is a point-per-game average (P/G) of .38, far off his rookie scoring pace (12 goals, 17 assists, 55 games, .52 P/G).
Yes, Carlsson is only 19 and his availability is his most important ability at the moment, but he needs more ice and more suitable linemates. Lundeström and Killorn are fine players, but they are not making Carlsson more effective right now. Last season, he was at his best when Troy Terry and Killorn were beside him. Cutter Gauthier has gotten some looks on his flank as well. Carlsson’s inconsistent contributions and the Ducks’ anemic offense overall lately must compel Cronin to give the young Swede some new looks. He has to get going if the Ducks are to stay afloat.
The Power Play Still Stinks
The Ducks have very little to show for their power play since the calendar turned to 2025. They aren’t drawing many penalties, but they aren’t converting the chances they do get, either. Their January conversion percentage (2-for-11, 18%) actually does their season percentage of 12.9% some favors, but generally speaking, their power play is awful. They don’t sustain possession or generate chances on most of their recent opportunities, as was the case with their lone power play chance last night. Cronin has been right about this one point his entire tenure as Ducks head coach: an effective power play, even if it doesn’t score, can serve as a catalyst and generate momentum for your club. When’s the last time we’ve seen the Ducks’ power play do that?
An ineffective power play usually comes down to philosophy and system or personnel. The Ducks are young, and currently without playmaking wizard Trevor Zegras, who remains in recovery from meniscus surgery, but there are enough tools in place for his power play to be even a little more dangerous than it is. Terry, Gauthier, and Frank Vatrano need to establish themselves as shooting threats whenever they are on the ice. In fact, there should never be a power play chance where at least one of them isn’t out there. Olen Zellweger and Jackson LaCombe are defensemen whose greatest assets are their mobility and comfort with the puck. Killorn is a savvy veteran who can score goals and McTavish is a bull and a handful for anyone down low. The combination of skills is there, but the execution isn’t, which is costing the Ducks opportunities to stay in games or generate momentum.
Ducks Can’t Get the Starts They Want
Last night was the fourth time in five games that the Ducks surrendered the first goal and finished the first period at a deficit. Slow starts are a death sentence for any team that struggles to find its offense. The Ducks have had a tough time getting the start they need on the current road trip. Maybe it’s the time difference. Maybe it’s just that they are playing teams that thrive off their home crowds or ability to generate forward pressure. Maybe it’s all of that?
Related: 3 Takeaways From Ducks’ Shocking Upset Over Hurricanes
In Carolina, the Ducks started on time, got the first two goals, and put the onus on the Hurricanes to play a bit more desperately. It emphasizes the importance of getting the first goal. Get it, and you can settle into your game plan. Don’t get the first goal, and you can’t. It’s not always that simple, but slow starts have been one of the most significant factors for the club falling behind early on most games of the trip.
No Quick Fixes to the Ducks’ Problems
After six-and-a-half seasons of rebuilding, the Ducks are still the youngest team in the NHL which reveals a painful truth that more growing pains lie ahead. It also means that there are no easy fixes to their current ailments.
Maybe Carlsson or McTavish come alive in the second half. Maybe Zegras returns and becomes the offensive dynamo he was in his first few healthy seasons in the league. And maybe, just maybe, the Ducks work out their power play issues and convert at a greater clip. We’ll wait and see. Our next chances to find out will come in the Sunshine State against the Tampa Bay Lightning (Jan. 16), who they beat earlier this month, and the Florida Panthers (Jan. 18).
