The Anaheim Ducks began their first East Coast road trip of the 2024-25 season with the New York Rangers, perhaps their hardest matchup of the trip. In what came as somewhat of a surprise, the Ducks were more than up to the challenge and delivered their best game of the season so far by hanging tough with a Rangers team that is among the NHL’s elite. The Ducks were fast, physical, sharp, and offensively minded in the 2-1 loss. Games in which you don’t come away with any standings points are not what you want, but they can still feel encouraged by the loss. Here’s why.
Carlsson and Terry Continued Their Hot Streak
Troy Terry and Leo Carlsson were centerpieces of the Ducks’ attack last night (Oct. 26) when they facilitated the lone goal of the game, which came at the 12:38 mark of the third period. In the 4-on-4 situation, Cam Fowler started the play when he gained speed at his own blue line and left it for Terry. Carlsson then picked up Terry’s drop pass and carried the puck with speed through the neutral zone before putting on the brakes, cutting to the middle of the ice, and delivering an excellent pass to Olen Zellweger for the tip-in. It was precisely the kind of crisp player and puck movement that this team is capable of, as the sequence demonstrated the superb skating, vision, and passing abilities of a variety of skaters.
Related: Ducks’ Terry and Dostal Shining Ahead of East Coast Trip
It was Zellweger’s first goal of the young season and second point overall. The play likely would’ve ended with Carlsson pulling up at the half wall and dumping it deeper into the corner if not for Zellweger, who realized he had the speed and opportunity to gain superior positioning over Adam Fox, the Rangers defender covering him. From there, it didn’t take much more than having the stick in the right place to finish off the play. Zellweger, like Pavel Mintyukov, has demonstrated moments of offensive potential so far, and this was certainly one of them. He is plus-1 in six games and has skated over 21 minutes in two straight contests. Look for him, Carlsson, and Terry to continue playing key roles on offense.
Dostál Kept the Ducks in It
Lukáš Dostál kept it a 0-0 game during a rocky opening frame when the Rangers outshot the Ducks 18-7. He stood tall during the lone Rangers’ power-play opportunity when they sent five shots on net. He remained poised and under control while the Ducks mounted offense of their own in the second and third periods. Dostál was not fazed by the moment or the pressure and made the stops he needed to give the Ducks a chance to claw their way back. The sharpness that he has begun the season with exemplifies the professionalism with which he approaches the game. Maybe he’d tell you differently, but he probably didn’t expect to handle six of the team’s first seven games in goal. Yet, he has and has done it brilliantly. He likely gets a day off tonight (Oct. 27), but don’t be surprised if he plays the rest of the road trip (Oct. 29 – New York Islanders and Oct. 31 – Pittsburgh Penguins).
Power Play Looked Good in Lone Opportunity
Despite the game’s physicality, it was mostly played at 5-on-5 as each team got just one power play apiece. It wasn’t much of a chance to build off the two power-play goals they scored in the win over the San Jose Sharks (Oct. 22), but they did well with that one chance by moving the puck, moving their feet, and throwing pucks at the net. In particular, Mason McTavish, who has been quiet this season and has spent a majority of the last two games on the fourth line, had two Grade-A looks in the low slot. He didn’t convert, but it was encouraging nonetheless to see him get some chances. Carlsson, Terry, Jackson LaCombe, and Zellweger also got time during the man advantage.
That the power-play unit has looked better in two straight games is something to build on. Head coach Greg Cronin and his staff still need to find combinations that make each unit dangerous, but, knock on wood, the collective group looks like it might be figuring it out. Their next chance to continue the upward trajectory is tonight when they hop across the Hudson River and take on Jack Hughes and the New Jersey Devils.
Simple Hockey Is Key in Second Night of Back-to-Back
The Ducks have a winnable game tonight. The Devils have lost five of their last six (two of those were overtime losses) and are trying to figure things out under new head coach Sheldon Keefe. The Ducks are a young team, but they will be tired, which makes replicating the sharpness they played with against the Rangers less likely. In this instance, simplicity will be key, as will maintaining discipline. Reaching with your stick and grabbing someone with your free hand are two of the most common tired or lazy plays that result in infractions. The Ducks must avoid those tonight and aim for a simple, low-event game once again. James Reimer likely draws in, so expect the Ducks defenders to play responsibly in front of him to give him time to settle in. An important two points for both clubs is on the line once the puck drops at 4 p.m. PST/7 p.m. EST.
