Golden Knights Playoff Gameday Preview: Game 2 vs. Ducks

It is time for another Vegas Golden Knights’ Playoff Gameday Preview. After some late heroics helped them win Game 1, the Golden Knights will look to put the pressure on the Anaheim Ducks before the series shifts to California for Game 3 on Friday.

Golden Knights Playoff Gameday Preview: Game 2 vs. Ducks (Vegas Leads 1-0)

Ivan Barbashev‘s goal at 15:02 of the third period helped lift the Golden Knights to a Game 1 victory. It was a history-making win for the organization, passing the Tampa Bay Lightning for most playoff wins since 2017-18, Vegas’s inaugural season.

The Golden Knights now have 67 playoff wins. Go ahead. Do your thing. You know you want to. 6-7.

General manager Kelly McCrimmon took a moment to relish the accomplishment of an organization that has been Stanley Cup or bust since they took the ice for the first time:

“It’s fantastic. We’ve been really fortunate. We’ve had great support from Bill, from our owner. Our hockey operations, I think, are second to none. Our pro scouting staff have a tremendous role in our organization.”

Game 2 Projected Lineup (Subject to Change)

• Ivan Barbashev – Jack Eichel – Pavel Doforeyev
• Brett Howden – Mitch Marner – Mark Stone
• Tomas Hertl – William Karlsson – Keegan Kolesar
• Cole Smith – Nic Dowd – Colton Sissons
• Brayden McNabb – Shea Theodore
• Noah Hanifin – Rasmus Andersson
• Ben Hutton – Kaedan Korczak
• Carter Hart/Adin Hill

Playoff Team Leaders

Marner and Eichel are tied for the team lead with nine points. Howden leads in goals with five. Eichel has the most assists with eight, while Smith’s 12 penalty minutes are also tops on the team. Marner has the best plus/minus rating with a plus-7.

Hart is still the only Vegas goaltender to see playing time, with a 2.49 goals-against average (GAA) and a .910 save percentage (SV%) through seven games.

Storyline #1- The Health Battle

After a full NHL schedule, six games in the first round, and Game 1, there is no way anyone on either team is completely healthy entering Game 2. That is the nature of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. However, as of now, the Golden Knights are winning that battle.

Karlsson, who has a great deal of playoff experience, returned to the lineup for Game 1. They are without Jeremy Lauzon, who is dealing with an upper-body injury. However, the 33-year-old Ben Hutton enters the lineup with a great deal of playoff experience as well. Hutton has been with the Golden Knights since the 2021-22 season, winning the Stanley Cup with them in 2023.

The Ducks, on the other hand, did not have Radko Gudas in Game 1, and Troy Terry has been playing injured. The Golden Knights are not winning the health battle by much, but it could be enough to make a difference.

Storyline #2- Hart Remains Sharp

Hart played great in the series-clinching Game 6 against the Utah Mammoth in Round 1. He followed that up with a 33-save performance in Game 1. Despite some struggles in the middle of the Utah series, Hart has played very well since John Tortorella took over behind the bench. If he keeps up this pace, Vegas will be even harder to beat.

Storyline #3- More Shots

The Golden Knights managed to win Game 1 with just 22 shots on net. However, they need to generate more chances against Lukas Dostal, who has given up a few goals in these playoffs. He gave up at least four goals in four of the six games against the Edmonton Oilers.

The Golden Knights must create more chances if they want to replicate their success against Dostal. If they can and Dostal continues to struggle, Ducks’ head coach Joel Quenneville may be forced to turn to Ville Husso, who struggled in his playoff action in 2022.

How to Watch Game 2

Game 2 starts at 6:30 P.M. Pacific Time. The game can be viewed on TNT, truTV, or HBO Max.

Be sure to check back with The Hockey Writers for more playoff coverage!