The Anaheim Ducks and Los Angeles Kings, winners of two and three straight games, respectively, face off tonight in Los Angeles in their final action before the upcoming 4 Nations Face-Off. The Ducks are currently enjoying a superb stretch of their season that includes victories in five of their last six games. The Kings, meanwhile, who have taken both games against the Ducks so far this season, have rattled off wins against the Dallas Stars (Feb. 7), Montreal Canadiens (Feb. 5), and Carolina Hurricanes (Feb. 1). This should be a great game considering that both teams need this win – the Kings need to solidify their hold on the third spot in the Pacific Division standings, while the Ducks need to keep pace in a crowded Western Conference wild card race.
The Ducks have ridden a sensationally hot offense and stellar goaltending on their way to a streak that has suddenly made way for some optimism in Orange County. Drew Doughty and his defensively responsible mates may have something to say about that, so let’s look at key matchups and storylines ahead of the third clash between the two clubs in 2024-25.
Can Doughty and Company Slow Down a Streaking Ducks Offense?
For all the scoring the Ducks have done lately (22 goals in their previous six games), they still have scored the fewest goals in the league at an average of 2.54 per game (135 total). It’s also important to remember that the current offensive surge followed a rather pitiful first half of January, during which they were shut out a number of times and scored two goals or less in many others. While we’re seeing the law of averages being put to work here, the latest uptick is due to the better play of several players.
Mason McTavish has been the Ducks’ best skater in 2025 thus far. He took home the NHL’s Second Star of the Week honors for the week ending Jan. 26, when he had five goals in five games. His 10 points in January tied Frank Vatrano and Ryan Strome and trailed only Troy Terry’s 11. He has played with finesse, finished with authority, and made his linemates – most commonly Robby Fabbri and Cutter Gauthier – better along the way. That trio has complemented the Ducks’ de-facto top line – Strome, Vatrano, and Terry – excellently over the last few weeks. But it hasn’t just been those six forwards.
Related: Ducks’ McTavish Earns NHL’s Second Star of the Week
Trevor Zegras and Alex Killorn have played major parts in the Ducks’ recent run of offense as well. They accounted for the game-winning goal against the Stars in their last game and appeared on the scoresheet against the Canadiens, too. Their chemistry since Zegras’ return from injury against the Florida Panthers on Jan. 21 is a welcomed sight for both men, who went large stretches of the season pointless or wildly inconsistent from a production standpoint. Their linemate, Leo Carlsson, came up huge with a two-assist effort in the Canadiens win but hasn’t quite caught on offensively like the other names discussed. He is still criminally underplayed by head coach Greg Cronin (averaging 15:53 of ice time per game), but perhaps a week-long stint surrounded by the NHL’s best players at the 4 Nations Face-Off will rejuvenate his offensive juices. The Ducks will need him to produce more once the season resumes in late February.
Having scoring threats littered throughout multiple forward lines is exactly what we all hope for when the Ducks are fully healthy. Producing offense in six games is a far cry from doing it over a full season, but it has offered hope that they are starting to figure it out. Doing so against a quality team like the Kings tonight would serve as a great next step toward that consistency. Veterans Doughty and Anze Kopitar stand in the Ducks’ way, but these two can’t be out there against all three lines, so look for at least one of these units to take advantage.
Gibson or Dostal, Doesn’t Matter for the Ducks Right Now
John Gibson and Lukas Dostal continue to prove to us that goaltending is a position solidified in Anaheim. It does not matter which of them is in the crease, the Ducks will have a chance to win. Gibson’s .915 and Dostal’s .908 save percentage (SV%) rank ninth and 18th in the NHL, respectively. Their steady play continues to backstop this team whether the players in front of them show up to play or not. While Dostal filled starter duties at the beginning of the season for Gibson when he was recovering from injury, Gibson has hit a number of milestones, including his 200th victory and 500th career game.
According to Zegras, the Ducks have a tight-knit group that rallied around Gibson’s big night against the Stars. He became the first goaltender in Ducks history to play in 500 games for the franchise, and the win was his 202nd, putting him just four behind franchise icon Jean-Sebastien Giguere for most all-time.
The biggest question marks surrounding this team were whether Gibson and Dostal had the support in front of them to have a good season, and what kind of toll an over-reliance on their abilities would exact upon them. Well, they have been brilliant, the players in front of them have been better, and the team is winning more games because of it. Does the quality play raise questions about Gibson’s future ahead of the 2024-25 trade deadline, however? It needs to be asked.
A Win Keeps a Glimmer of Hope Alive for a Playoff Berth
More of the same from this streaking offense and impressive goaltender play, and you’d think that the Ducks have a great chance to dismantle the Kings, who are now healthy and ready for the stretch run. They’ll be just as motivated as the Ducks to begin their break on a high note, which should set the stage for a fascinating matchup tonight at Crypto.com Arena.
You could make the argument that this is a must win for Anaheim. A loss only widens an already significant gap between them and the second wild card spot. That said, the Ducks are on pace to smash their 2023-24-point total of 59, so we must keep in mind the bigger picture. They currently have 52 points and have their sights set on 54 before hitting snooze for two weeks. Tune in tonight at 7:30 PM PST to see if they can get it done.
