The Anaheim Ducks produced one of their best offensive outputs of the season in their dominant win over the New Jersey Devils yesterday (Dec. 17). The Ducks salvaged their trip through the tri-state with this impressive win, and now look ahead to the second game of a back-to-back later today when they face the Detroit Red Wings (Dec. 18).
Related: Ducks Gameday Preview: New Jersey Devils – 12/17/23
The Ducks knew exactly what they had to do to win: limit their penalties, neutralize the skill of the Devils, and finish their scoring chances. While they still took five minor penalties, they killed them all, neutralized the high-octane Devils attack, and were opportunistic on offense. Let’s look at some takeaways from the win.
Positive: Ironically, the Ducks Offense Delivered
General manager Pat Verbeek saw fit to implement the Leo Carlsson development plan for this matchup despite the absences of Trevor Zegras, Mason McTavish, and Jamie Drysdale, not to mention the overall struggles of the offense. Surprisingly, not having Carlsson for the contest didn’t matter.
Guys on both sides of the lineup stepped up big. Pavel Mintyukov had two primary assists on two excellent heads-up plays. On the first, he took advantage of the Devils’ lack of net-front positioning and fed an open Adam Henrique. On the second, he delayed, kept his head up, and found Henrique again on a great pass right in front of the net.
We said in the gameday preview that the top line needed to convert on their opportunities. They did exactly that. Troy Terry continued his strong weekend with a great game against the Devils. With a goal and an assist yesterday, he now has four points in his last five games. His secondary assist came after some excellent work along the wall, before getting the puck over to Mintyukov. His goal was vintage Terry – sped through the neutral zone, used the defender as a screen, and let it rip. Perhaps this is the start of something for him.
Elsewhere, Alex Killorn made his presence felt with a goal and an assist. His goal in the third came at the perfect time. He had a wide-open net courtesy of a perfect pass by Jackson LaCombe. Great pass, great finish. Finally, let’s talk about Henrique, whose hat trick was the difference in the game for the Ducks.
Player of the Game: Adam Henrique
The aforementioned Henrique, formerly of the Devils, has struggled with consistency this season. Often in a bottom-six forward role, he has been asked to bring more to the table offensively lately given the injuries. He’s delivered in a big way, but in no bigger fashion than yesterday. Both of his goals came in front of the net, where he displayed patience, poise, and skill in tight to put the puck in the net. These are offensive instincts and skills that Henrique has displayed often during his Ducks tenure, but not so much this season. The hat trick last night will be great for his confidence going forward.
Honorable Mention: John Gibson
Though he left after the second period with an apparent illness, John Gibson was the Ducks’ best player through those two periods. This has often been the case throughout his Ducks tenure. He faced 19 shots, including 14 in the first. He displayed his usual elite athleticism and sound technique to hold the Devils at bay and go into the third period up 2-1. Lukas Dostal took it from there, stopping all 10 third-period shots. Anytime your goaltender stops 14 shots in a single period, it’s worth mentioning. Gibson has done that on a couple occasions this season, and he continues to be the reason the Ducks are competitive in games, even if his record doesn’t paint him in the best light.
Positive: Ducks Were Physical on Devils’ Skill Players
Physicality was a key component to neutralizing the skill of the Devils throughout the contest. Several Ducks laid hits on and got in the faces of their skill players. Some examples that come to mind: Radko Gudas laid a nasty hit on Luke Hughes. Ryan Strome also laid a hit on the young defender. Not to be outdone, Ross Johnston also got in the kitchen of the other Hughes, Jack, who struggled all night and did not have his best game. He finished minus-2 with four penalty minutes.
The Ducks were clumsy with penalties yet again, but their physicality was an effective component of their defensive structure throughout the game. This should remain the case going forward as they look to build some momentum from an impressive victory over a superiorly talented team.
Ducks Get Right Back to Work Against the Detroit Red Wings
The Ducks have a chance to build their first winning streak since early November when they take on the Red Wings later today in Detroit. The Red Wings haven’t fared well since signing Patrick Kane, a trend they’ll look to reverse against the Ducks.
To win, they’ll have to shut down Kane and Alex DeBrincat, who has cooled off significantly since the start of the season. He has only four goals since mid-October. If the Ducks can limit these two, then their chance at two wins in a row is pretty high. Puck drop is 4 PM PST.
