Coming off a 7-2 loss to the Edmonton Oilers (Dec. 31), during which they were outworked and outclassed in every phase of the game, the Anaheim Ducks open the 2024 portion of their schedule with their first matchup of the season against the Toronto Maple Leafs on Wednesday.
The Oilers have used the Ducks for confidence building this season with 8-2 (Nov. 26) and 7-2 victories, and it will be on the Ducks to shake that off as they get ready for yet another high-flying offense. Here’s a look at personnel, storylines, and tactics ahead of tonight’s game.
Burning Question One: Can the Ducks Defense Contain Leaf Stars?
The Maple Leafs are loaded with elite talent up front. Their top-six would make most teams jealous. They are a lot for any defensive unit, let alone the Ducks, who have a 20-year-old (Pavel Mintyukov), a 22-year-old (Jackson LaCombe), a 21-year-old (Jamie Drysdale), and who, by and large, have struggled mightily to keep the puck out of their net this season.
Thus, the burning question: can this defense hold up against the Maple Leafs? Auston Matthews, William Nylander, Mitch Marner, John Tavares, and the like will be licking their chops to get after (what they believe to be) a vulnerable defense. The Ducks forwards, not to mention the elder statesmen of the defensive unit – Cam Fowler, Radko Gudas, and Ilya Lyubushkin – will need to be active to keep the Maple Leafs from overwhelming the young defenseman, and the goaltender, whoever it is.
Drysdale doesn’t have a ton of experience playing against the Maple Leafs, but he already is a dynamic and skilled defenseman and will also be relied upon to contain the stars in blue and white.
Burning Question Two: Can Ducks Offense Keep Pace with Maple Leafs Offense?
If the Ducks don’t burn their energy committing to a defensive game that will limit the Maple Leafs’ offense, they’ll then have to figure out how to outscore them. Making matters worse, they are not healthy upfront. This will be Trevor Zegras’ fifth game back after missing six weeks with an unspecified injury. Leo Carlsson remains out tending to his MCL sprain, and Troy Terry is day-to-day following his collision with teammate Mason McTavish, who is getting his legs back after missing a handful of games. Isac Lundestrom is practicing but remains out of the lineup.
The Ducks will need to be opportunistic. If there is any vulnerability for their forwards to leverage, it’s the Maple Leafs’ defense and goaltending. They cannot be shy about using every chance they have to hem Toronto in their zone and throw everything on net when they have the chance. Pepper the goalie with shots. Good things happen when you do one or the other, but if you can do both, then you’re in business.
Head coach Greg Cronin preaches shot volume in pretty much every soundbite. The Ducks must make the opposing goalie and the defense work. Can the Ducks’ offense, which tonight will be driven by Zegras, McTavish, Alex Killorn, and Frank Vatrano, deliver? We shall see.
Burning Question Three: Will Leafs Goaltending Help or Hinder Them?
Goaltending has been an issue for the Maple Leafs this season. One of the biggest reasons for that is the struggles of Ilya Samsonov, whose 3.94 goals-against average (GAA) is second-worst among goalies with at least 10 appearances. He, along with Justin Woll and Martin Jones, have been the primary netminders in Toronto, and none have separated themselves as the bonafide leader in net – Woll has eight wins, Samsonov has five, and Jones has four.
Amongst the top-3 teams in their division, the Maple Leafs’ goal differential of plus-6 is the worst. They score yes, but they give up a lot. Their goaltending has helped them at times and failed them at times. It leaves them vulnerable to an upset if the Ducks can take advantage of it.
Burning Question Four: Will the Ducks Stay Out of the Penalty Box?
Despite 71 minutes in penalties (many of which were misconducts or majors) on New Year’s Eve, the Ducks and Oilers each failed to take advantage of their special teams opportunities. Yet, the Oilers still scored seven goals. That probably says more about the Ducks’ even-strength play than anything else, but it doesn’t negate the fact that they cannot afford to take penalties against the Maple Leafs.
Toronto is just too skilled, too cohesive, and too dangerous. We’ve seen the Ducks both stonewall and get burned by elite power-play units, and playing defense without committing infractions against this talented group will be easier said than done, but the Ducks just can’t give them that chance. Giving the Maple Leafs power-play opportunities is playing with fire.
Prediction: Ducks Team Defense Doesn’t Hold Up in Another Tough Night in Orange County
The Maple Leafs enter this game on the second night of a back-to-back. The Ducks have been off since Dec. 31. That gives them an energy advantage that they should use to get after the Maple Leafs early and often. We saw them blitz the Vegas Golden Knights (Dec. 27) with a four-goal, first-period flurry that they rode to victory.
Related: Anaheim Ducks’ 2024 New Year’s Resolutions
However, the Ducks have been a mixed bag against elite opponents. Among a fair amount of absolute duds, the Ducks have also hung tough or beaten the likes of the Boston Bruins, Carolina Hurricanes, Colorado Avalanche, and others. Coming off that Oilers loss, though, the Ducks just don’t have the juice, flow, or health right now, and they’ll more than likely struggle to give the Maple Leafs a run for their money.
What do you think? Do the Ducks challenge the Maple Leafs tonight? Sound off in the comments below.
