Considerable time may have passed between five-goal outings for the Anaheim Ducks, but they finally eclipsed the mark once again in their recent win over the Calgary Flames (April 2). It was the rarely-seen outburst for the offensively challenged Ducks this season, which begs the question: is this just another mirage or a sign of something to look forward to? Ahead of their final “legacy night” game of the 2023-24 season, let’s look at how the Ducks, specifically their top-six forwards, have demonstrated their value in the last couple of matchups.
Trevor Zegras’ Return Has Certainly Helped Things
Trevor Zegras is back in the lineup, and his impact, let’s just say, has not been small. Right from his first game back against the Seattle Kraken on March 26, he has been an effective distributor and has created chances that the Ducks really had a difficult time getting in the 50-plus games he missed due to injury. Outside of one poor choice against the Kraken rematch on March 28 that resulted in a four-minute penalty, he also has been disciplined and taken zero penalties since. In the five games since his return, he is a plus-one with two assists. Simply, his presence has been positive and immediate. Let’s start there.
Top-Six Produced Heavy Volume in Close Loss to Canucks
Though the Ducks fell short against the heavily-favored Canucks (March 31), they hung tough all game and traded chances with a far-superior team. Throughout the season, they’ve displayed glimpses of their ability to hang tough, and this was one of those examples. I would argue that they can hang with teams when they don’t take too many penalties, thereby allowing their skilled players to settle into the game and work.
Zegras, Troy Terry, and Mason McTavish are not primary penalty killers for head coach Greg Cronin, so the more penalties the Ducks take, the less time those guys are on the ice. It’s that simple. The Ducks took one more penalty than Vancouver did, but overall, it was a much cleaner game, and there was plenty of ice to go around for the top-six forward group. In fact, five of them played over 19 and 1/2 minutes. Collectively, they accounted for 14 of the 22 shots.
Then Everybody Got Involved in Win Over the Flames
The win over the Flames was huge for this forward group. Everybody got involved in the scoring. Four goals were at even strength, and one on the power play. The ways they scored were diverse, too. The Ducks converted opportunities off the rush and around the net. They deflected pucks in and beat Jacob Markstrom with shots. The guys that needed to score, for one reason or another, were the ones that scored and led the Ducks to victory.
One of those players was Terry, who had an inconsistent March after an impressive run from December to February. He recorded three points (one goal, two assists), his first such outing in almost six weeks. With the performance, Terry sealed his third-straight 20-goal, 50-point season. While we hope, borderline expect, that he hits point-per-game numbers in the future, eclipsing the 50-point mark and finishing near or at the top of team scoring for the third straight season is great for the 26-year-old finisher.
Alex Killorn was equally as impressive in the win. He scored two goals to continue his own impressive run in the last five weeks, during which he’s led the Ducks with nine goals. He seems more comfortable with each passing game, and it’s beginning to show. It was his third two-goal game this season, all of which have occurred in the last two-and-a-half months. Killorn seems to have found some chemistry and consistency playing on the top line alongside Leo Carlsson and Terry. That shouldn’t change over the next five games as the season winds down.
Not to be forgotten, McTavish converted the first tally of the game for the Ducks, when he deflected a point shot by Olen Zellweger (who is heating up in his own right). These two are familiar with each other from their time representing Team Canada in recent World Junior Championships, and it’s a connection we should get used to seeing in the future. These two are highly skilled, intelligent players who can distribute well and get pucks to the right areas. Regrettably, McTavish left the game after an awkward collision with two Flames players and didn’t return. Any additional missed time would be unfortunate, given he has battled several ailments over the second half of the season after a superb first half.
Ducks Got the Results When They Needed Them, and Now Look Ahead to Kraken
The Ducks carried the positives from one game to the next, which was a great sign. The fact that they were led by their embattled forward group, which has been inconsistent all season is even better. Staring down the prospect of another six-game losing streak, key players made key plays and delivered a resounding victory at a time it was sorely needed.
The Ducks are undefeated in April and have a chance at revenge on Friday (April 5) against the Kraken, against whom they were embarrassed twice to close the month of March. It’s the final legacy night of the season at Honda Center, when the Ducks will celebrate the latest decade of Ducks history (2013 – 2023). Puck drop is 7 PM.