It’s ‘Legacy Night’ at Honda Center tonight when the Anaheim Ducks will welcome the visiting Detroit Red Wings for their second and final meeting of the 2023-24 season. Off the ice, there will be celebrations, stories shared, and history recalled of the Ducks’ triumphs throughout the early- to mid-2000s, which included several huge victories over these Red Wings.
On the ice, the Ducks face a modern yet still formidable version of their former playoff adversary that includes a variety of threats throughout the lineup. Pleasing the Ducks legends and fans in attendance will require the best these young Ducks have to offer. Let’s preview the matchup by looking at personnel, storylines, and tactics.
Ducks Need to Make This Red Wings Defense Work
Like the Toronto Maple Leafs, the Red Wings are vulnerable on defense and in goal. They have given up 134 goals. That’s a lot and among the league’s worst. They have some plus players on defense, but their offensive stars are minus players. To produce that much offense and not be positive in plus/minus means they are score-or-be-scored-on types of players. The Ducks can use that.
Outside of Moritz Seider, it’s a veteran-laden defensive group. Shayne Gostisbehere, Jeff Petry, Ben Chiarot, and Olli Maatta have been around for a while. The Ducks have the speed and quickness advantage on all of those players and need to make them skate, work hard to break pucks out, and carry the puck 200 feet up the ice. Granted, these are all veterans of the game. They know how to play defense, and are decent two-way players, so it won’t be easy, but there’s a formula to taking advantage of a defensive unit like this. And it’s exactly what head coach Greg Cronin has preached all season: heavy pressure, strong forecheck, and making the opposition work hard to retrieve and keep the puck.
Ducks Need a Conversion or Two on the Power Play
Troy Terry and Leo Carlsson remain out for the Ducks which has limited the effectiveness of their power play. They still have weapons – Jamie Drysdale and Trevor Zegras are constantly looking to shoot, Mason McTavish is set up on his off-wing for a one-timer, and Adam Henrique and Alex Killorn are savvy veterans with years of experience on the power play. Cam Fowler has been the man on the top unit for years and knows how to keep the puck moving and distribute.
Against the Jets on Friday (Jan. 4), the Ducks didn’t convert on either of their chances and getting one could have been the difference in the game. They currently possess a middle-of-the-pack power play at 19.6%. The Ducks continue to draw far fewer penalties than they take, which places a premium on the power plays they do get. Taking advantage of those opportunities either by scoring on them, or wearing the opposing goalie and defense out with quick puck movement, shot volume, and pressure will go a long way.
Ducks Need Another Active Game Defensively
The Red Wings have scored 141 times this season, third-most in the NHL. That’s ahead of the Toronto Maple Leafs, Vegas Golden Knights, and Edmonton Oilers, who have all given the Ducks trouble this season. They scored three times against the Ducks in their last meeting and are more than capable of repeating that performance if the Ducks are undisciplined, sloppy in their own end, or not committed to a thorough five-man defensive game.
Related: Ducks: Appreciating Dostál’s Record Night Against Maple Leafs
Patrick Kane, Alex DeBrincat, Lucas Raymond, and Dylan Larkin are dangerous players. Daniel Sprong, J.T. Compher, and Robby Fabbri are effective depth scorers, and their defense can generate offense from the backend with Seider and Gostisbehere. It’ll be one of many games where the Ducks are outmatched offensively. They are not going to stop this group from getting chances entirely, so limiting the quality of their chances is key. Can the five players on the ice, plus John Gibson or Lukas Dostal, do this tonight? If so, then they have a good chance.
Prediction: Ducks Get a Win in Front of Their Legends on Legacy Night
This will be a fun opportunity to celebrate the legends that came before this current edition of the Ducks. Teemu Selanne, JS Giguere, Chris Pronger, and the Niedermayer brothers, among others from the 2006-07 championship roster, will be in attendance. Ultimately, the best way to celebrate will be to get a win, which the Ducks can do for a second time over the Red Wings this season if they are opportunistic on offense, are hard on the Red Wings’ defense, and commit to a strong defensive game, as they did against the Maple Leafs and Jets this past week.
The Ducks are in a decent spot to bounce back. They’ve played well this week, and they get a softer defense tonight against whom they can take advantage. They’ve yet to break out, or win, in 2024 and are due for it eventually. Look for it to happen tonight with the 2007 championship squad in town.
Do you think the Ducks get a ‘W’ tonight? Sound off in the comments below.
