The Anaheim Ducks‘ post-Jamie Drysdale era began with a resounding 5-3 win over the Nashville Predators on Tuesday (Jan. 9). It was one of their highest offensive outputs of the season and one of their better games in the last month-and-a-half. Go figure.
They started fast with four goals in the first 24 minutes of play. They were sharp and engaged from the drop of the puck. Their goals came from hard work, fortunate bounces, and crisp, smart puck movement. In this preview, we’ll talk about all that and if they can replicate their performance against the Carolina Hurricanes on Thursday.
Ducks’ Strategy Against Predators
The offense came alive against the Predators. The question is, how did they do that, and can they do it again? Well, they didn’t do anything original or earth-shattering. Rather, players were in the right areas or put the puck in the right areas to take advantage of opportunities and get the bounces. If they put themselves or the puck in the right place, such as high-traffic or high-danger areas, then good things will happen, and they are more likely to benefit from a fortunate bounce. That’s precisely what the Ducks did.
The Drysdale trade brought Jackson LaCombe back to the lineup, and he took advantage of the opportunity. On the Vatrano goal, in particular, LaCombe had the puck on the half wall but wasn’t much of a threat to score, given the angle and distance from the goal. What did he do? He saw traffic in front of the net and threw the puck there – a couple of redirections later, the puck went in. He also fed Radko Gudas for a breakaway, and Gudas followed his shot, battled hard to get the puck back, and threw it into goaltender Juuse Saros’ feet, and it dribbled in. That’s two examples of defensemen recognizing that the extra effort will pay off, and the simplest play is often the right one.
Troy Terry’s goal was a result of the same mix of puck luck and making the right play. He had the puck down low, attacked the net, and attempted to get it over to Ryan Strome, who readied himself for the finish if Terry was able to get the puck over. Terry tried, but his pass hit a defender, and it went into the net. Again, a smart, simple play and a fortunate bounce because the Ducks knew where to be and where to put the puck.
Goaltending Duo is the Ducks’ Best Asset
Time and time again, John Gibson and Lukáš Dostál have proved they are more than capable of being the guy in net. Against the Predators, Dostál was cool, calm, and collected until the final whistle, even when sloppier play in front of him in the final frame led to three goals. He made 32 saves.
Gibson probably gets the start tonight, and I would expect him to deliver much of the same. He doesn’t get rattled. He sticks to his fundamentals and challenges shooters. He’s tough to beat when he’s on his game, and he’ll need to be against Sebastien Aho, who has a commanding lead in Hurricanes scoring, and Seth Jarvis.
Ducks Can Find Success With A Simplified Game Plan
In another cruel stroke from the injury gods, the Ducks lost Trevor Zegras early in the Predators game with what looks like a significant ankle injury. We can probably expect an update today, and while it’s not best practice to speculate, his availability anytime soon is wishful thinking.
Related: Ducks News & Rumors: Gauthier, Zegras, Gibson, Luneau & More
Losing a player (a star player, no less) mid-game forces adjustments to the lineup and game plan. The loss of Zegras and his skillset – creativity, explosiveness, playmaking – forced a much simpler offensive strategy rooted in simplicity. They played a very north-south game, focused on retrieving pucks and putting the puck on net whenever possible. It worked well, and they will need to do it again against the Hurricanes.
Without Zegras, the skill level on offense drops. Vatrano and Adam Henrique can finish plays, and Terry and Mason McTavish can make them, but their forward unit isn’t fooling anyone. When it isn’t healthy, they struggle to outscore teams. Their last game was an anomaly, but the formula is there. We’ll see if they can replicate it.
Ducks Look for First Winning Streak Since November
After an electric home-opening win over the Hurricanes in October, the Ducks will now face them in Carolina for their second and final matchup of the season. A lot has happened since then. You could even make the argument that neither team is the same.
In the 39 or so games since that meeting, the Hurricanes have resumed their usual place in the Eastern Conference playoff race, while the Ducks have battled mediocrity, inconsistency, and severe injury woes that have sunk them to the near-bottom of the Western Conference standings. Tonight, however, presents the rare opportunity for a winning streak. If they can replicate their performance against the Predators, then they have a good chance of coming away victorious. The puckz drop is 4 PM PST.