The Anaheim Ducks and Colorado Avalanche kicked off their Rookie Faceoff tournaments in the event’s second game. Last season, these two had a hard-fought matchup and arguably one of the most entertaining of the tournament. As a result, there were high expectations for this game heading into it. It marked Cutter Gauthier’s second game as a member of the Ducks following the blockbuster trade that sent Jamie Drysdale to the Philadelphia Flyers.
In between the pipes, Anaheim went with Calle Clang while Colorado answered with Vinny Duplessis.
Colorado instantly got a power play opportunity when Sam Colangelo was called for holding in the first minute. Anaheim killed it off, and they’d do the same when Gauthier was sent to the penalty box for interference. Anaheim got out to a lead late in the first period when Alexandre Blais was able to beat Duplessis, making it 1-0. The 2024 fourth-round pick couldn’t have dreamed of a better start to his first Rookie Faceoff. Gauthier was making some incredible plays, as expected.
Duplessis made a massive save three minutes into the second period which gave his team a considerable amount of energy. It seemed like Anaheim was going to score an easy goal, but the Avalanche netminder was able to stretch across the crease to deny the opportunity. The Ducks got their first power play of the night just under eight minutes into the second period when Chad Hildebrand was called for goaltender interference. Shortly after the penalty expired, Tyson Hinds extended the Ducks lead to 2-0.
The Avalanche gave the Ducks another power play chance with seven and a half minutes remaining in the second period when Nikita Prischepov was called for hooking. They’d successfully kill it off, then immediately get a power play of their own when Ivan Ivan went hard into the boards after being hooked by Yegor Sidorov. This time, the Avalanche would take advantage of the opportunity as their captain Jason Polin would put it away with assists from Calum Ritchie and Sean Behrens. Behrens nearly tied it up with a nice move on his next shift, but was unable to complete the move before losing his footing. Rilen Kovacevic got called for roughing with just under three minutes remaining in the period, giving the Ducks a chance to restore their two-goal lead. However, the Avalanche penalty kill once again held strong.
Related: 4 Under-the-Radar Ducks to Watch at Training Camp
The puck got past Duplessis once again just under five minutes into the third period. A backhand shot by Gauthier from a strange angle snuck past him to make it 3-1 in favor of the Ducks. Oskar Olausson then made it 3-2 halfway through the period. The Ducks restored their two-goal lead about a minute later when a 2-on-1 with Gauthier allowed Sidorov to beat the netminder and make it 4-2. Immediately afterward, Casey Terrance was called for slashing giving Colorado another chance to bring themselves back into the game. Max Curran sniped it, making it 4-3 with just under seven minutes remaining in the third period.
Mid-Round Picks Come Through for Ducks
The Ducks scoring wasn’t coming from their top prospects in the first two periods. Blais was a fourth-round pick this past draft, while Hinds was a third-rounder in 2021. Having these players step up in a tournament like the Rookie Faceoff can do wonders for an organization. Assuming Blais heads back to Rimouski Oceanic of the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League (QMJHL) this season, a strong performance in this tournament will give him a major boost of confidence. Hinds on the other hand, another product of the QMJHL, will likely go back to the San Diego Gulls of the American Hockey League (AHL) as he looks to break out in his second professional season.
Colorado Hanging With Anaheim
Heading into this game, it was clear that one prospect pool is considered much higher quality than the other. Anaheim has been rebuilding for quite a while, and although there’s some light at the end of the tunnel, a big portion of their long-term core isn’t in the NHL just yet. Colorado, on the other hand, is a perennial contender in “win-now” mode. They don’t have anywhere near the same caliber of prospect pool, but they did a great job hanging with one of the deepest farm systems in the NHL.
The Ducks and Avalanche once again lived up to expectations and put on a highly entertaining game that could’ve gone either way. Despite the fact that the Ducks kept pulling out to two-goal leads, it never took long for Colorado to bring it back within a single tally. The Ducks ultimately won 4-3, but both teams performed at a pretty similar level.
