Last night’s game (Oct. 31) presented the Anaheim Ducks with a great opportunity to extend their win streak to four against a vulnerable and inconsistent Pittsburgh Penguins team. It may not have been pretty, and it took 59 minutes and 47 seconds to get it done, but the Ducks secured the victory in emphatic fashion with a late shorthanded goal by Mason McTavish.
With the win, the Ducks finished their first East Coast road swing of the season a perfect 4-0. In those four games, they scored 18 goals, and contained some of the best talent in the NHL just enough to produce wins in each contest. The Ducks should feel great about themselves right now. The first calendar month of the season has concluded, and they are 5-4. Let’s look at some positive, negative, and neutral takeaways from the game.
Positive: Mason McTavish Is an Absolute Stud
What a player McTavish is proving to be in the early going of his sophomore campaign. He produced another three-point night against the Penguins, including two massive goals. He, Frank Vatrano, and Ryan Strome continue to be (far and away) the best line for the Ducks through these first nine games.
McTavish is looking right at home in the NHL at just 20 years of age. He plays the game with patience, confidence, and calmness. The game slows down for him. On his first goal, McTavish was in the perfect position to capitalize off a Penguins turnover. Given he was already in the vicinity of the crease, he simply could’ve deflected or one-touched Strome’s pass in the direction of the net. Instead, with poise, he corralled it, went skate to stick, and made a slick move to his forehand to slide it five-hole. Just a confident-looking play from a dynamic young player.
He demonstrated more of the same on his second goal, which was the game-winner. After receiving the breakaway pass from Adam Henrique, McTavish didn’t worry about the back-checking defenseman. Rather, he kept his composure, had his head up, and focused on picking his spot. He found it, and there was nothing the sprinting Erik Karlsson or goaltender Tristan Jarry could do about it. McTavish’s three-point night brought his point total to 11 on the season. That’s tied with Strome for tops on the Ducks.
Negative: Concern for John Gibson
John Gibson had a strong first period before exiting the game with an injury. Radko Gudas took an early penalty which paved the way for a Karlsson power play goal, but that aside, Gibson and the Ducks weathered the storm. He appeared to injure himself while making a jaw-dropping save on Sidney Crosby, who was incredibly peeved at missing the wide-open net.
It’s hard to say what the injury is or where it occurred. It probably came on the twist, or perhaps the save itself, but the story will be worth following in the coming days. Gibson is a dynamic goaltender for the Ducks and any time spent on the shelf will put pressure on the young Lukáš Dostál to carry the load in net. Alex Stalock, currently in San Diego, figures to get the call-up if Gibson is forced to miss time.
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Dostál, who had his hands full in the final two periods of play, filled in admirably in Gibson’s absence. He conceded two goals, one while shorthanded, but faced a whopping 35 shots. The Penguins brought everything. He stood tall, got help from his teammates, and made key stops in crucial times, including the late-game five-on-three.
Neutral: Ducks Didn’t Stop Their Stars, But They Didn’t Stop Ours
I said going into the game that the Ducks’ chance to beat the Penguins really lied in their ability to shut down the Sidney Crosbys, the Evgeni Malkins, etc. Last night for the Ducks was a mixed bag in that regard.
In a game littered with offense and high-quality scoring chances, the Ducks contained well, but Karlsson and Malkin broke through and found the back of the net. After all, asking a young team to neutralize multiple future Hall-of-Famers is a significant ask. What’s more, Crosby had a jaw-dropping 11 shots on goal, Bryan Rust had three, Rickard Rakell had six, and Jake Guentzel had just one. All were kept off the scoresheet, though, for the most part.
On the other hand, the star players for the Ducks were a handful for the Penguins. The Ducks took a 2-1 lead on an efficiently-run power play that began with great patience by McTavish, continued with solid puck movement, and was capped off by an excellent shot by Vatrano. After the Penguins took an early third-period lead, McTavish, Strome, and Pavel Mintyukov responded less than two minutes later to tie the game, where it remained until the game-winner with 13 seconds left. So, the Ducks may not have completely neutralized the stars on the other side, but they converted just enough opportunities to tip the balance in their favor and send the Penguins to a rather underwhelming 3-6 start. Consider it a he who laughs last, laughs best, sort of a thing. The Ducks are taking their two points and heading home.
Onto November These Ducks Go
The Ducks have officially closed the book on the first calendar month of their 30th season. Their opening month has been one of celebration and reflection, and filled with the typical highs and lows. For now, though, it’s all about the positives, as they have given fans plenty to be excited about in the early days of the 2023-24 campaign.
Related: 4 Takeaways From Ducks’ 2-1 Loss to Coyotes
The Ducks take their four-game winning streak into November, when they play their second game of the season against the Arizona Coyotes on Wednesday night (Nov. 1). Look out for a preview of the matchup soon. Go Ducks!
What did you think of the Ducks’ performance against the Penguins? Sound off below!
