The puck dropped on the Anaheim Ducks’ 30th season on Oct. 14, when they faced off against Pacific Division foe and defending Stanley Cup champion, the Vegas Golden Knights. It wasn’t the Ducks’ night, as they dropped the contest 4-1, but there were things to be encouraged about, including the performance of Mason McTavish, the play of John Gibson, and the debuts of some young stud defenseman. Let’s look at those takeaways and others as the Ducks regroup and get ready for game two of the season tonight against the Carolina Hurricanes.
Positive: McTavish Looks Engaged Right Away
Playing on a line with Ryan Strome and Frank Vatrano, McTavish was engaged from the drop of the puck. He was fast, intense, active in the play, and had good looks at the net all night with these two. Strome hit the post early on in the game as well. The line could be there to stay, as Alex Killorn projects to be out for a bit and Leo Carlsson will likely have to ease himself into NHL action once he’s healthy. It was an encouraging season debut for these three.
Elsewhere on offense, there were positives. Trevor Zegras had a few shifty plays. Troy Terry had a grade-A chance right at the net front but missed just wide. Drysdale activated early and often too, not looking out of place at all in his first taste of NHL action in over a year. He picked up an assist on McTavish’s goal by putting the puck on the net from a good spot. The team’s 23 shots weren’t terrible, even if their shot differential was still minus-15 (a trend they’ll need to eventually shake).
Positive: All Things Considered, the Rookies Fared Alright
Vegas was down many regulars, so perhaps it wasn’t as daunting a lineup as usual. However, they are still the defending champions, and they still had Chandler Stephenson, Mark Stone, Jonathan Marchessault, Jack Eichel, and others in the lineup.
Related: Ducks’ Pavel Mintyukov Has Chance To Reach NHL This Season
In the lineup last night for the Ducks were rookies Jackson LaCombe and Pavel Mintyukov. It was LaCombe’s third career game, while it was Mintyukov’s NHL debut. Both played about 18 minutes with a few of those minutes on special teams (both played on the penalty kill, only Mintyukov played on the man advantage). Not for nothing, both skaters looked poised and calm with the puck on their stick, both moved well, and neither made mistakes that led to goals. It should also be noted that LaCombe finished with a plus/minus of zero, while Mintyukov finished minus-1, though he was hung out to dry on the goal against. With the second game in a back-to-back today (Oct. 15), it’s possible we see Tristan Luneau make his debut, but it bears mentioning that LaCombe and Mintyukov held their own last night. We’re all very aware of the Ducks’ good problem of having an abundance of top-flight defensive prospects, so, optimistically, it could be sooner rather than later that the competition for those limited spots on defense heats up.
Negative: Special Teams Killed Their Chances to Win This Game
With 39 penalty minutes between the two teams, the intensity of the game was palpable. Even so, the lack of success on both sides of special teams for the Ducks completely ruined any chance for them to come away victorious. They surrendered two power-play goals, albeit on two outstanding plays by Jack Eichel and later Shea Theodore, who continues to burn this team.
Additionally, they failed to convert any power play chances of their own. That effectively was the game. It’s been a problem for years. Better kill and conversion rates are simply imperative for this team if they are going to spend this much time on special teams. Obviously, you need a great five-on-five game, but games oftentimes are won and lost in the special teams battle, and it certainly was last night in the season opener. Plenty of runway left though for the Ducks to improve on this.
Right Back to Work Tomorrow
The Ducks were one of the last teams to open their season. As such, they have games on back-to-back nights and draw the Hurricanes tonight (Oct. 15) for the home opener. Considered one of the few legitimate Stanley Cup contenders, the Canes are fast, highly skilled, and loaded with top-end talent; keeping up with them will be challenging. Similar to last night, when they yielded 38 shots, the Ducks are likely looking at a lot of defensive zone time, putting a lot of emphasis on quality control on defense and counter opportunities on offense.
Game two for Greg Cronin and his team doesn’t get any easier, but I think the energy of the crowd for this landmark home opener propels the Ducks to a strong showing, and ultimately, a victory. Prediction: Ducks 3, Hurricanes, 1.
How do you see the home opener for the Ducks playing out? Sound off in the comments below!
