Well, that preseason finale didn’t go as planned, eh? That was an atrocity, and the Anaheim Ducks have been stewing in that embarrassing blowout loss for almost a week now. Good thing there’s nowhere to go but forward, but things get twice as hard from here. Their opponent in game one? Nothing major, just a clash on the road with the defending champion Vegas Golden Knights, who have won their first two games by a combined score of 8-2.
The games count now. The roster is set. If the Ducks don’t manage to find the urgency with the flip of a switch, then the Knights are going to mop the floor with them tonight (Oct. 14). Anyway, let’s preview the opening game of the season for the Ducks by looking at storylines, personnel, and tactics.
Cronin Has His Roster
After a long offseason and training camp of study and evaluation, first-time head coach Greg Cronin has his opening night roster. Included on that roster are three players 19 and younger: Leo Carlsson, Pavel Mintyukov, and Tristan Luneau. There are an additional nine players under 25, making this team young, fresh, hopefully fast, and hopefully eager to get into regular season action. What’s more, is that both Trevor Zegras and Jamie Drysdale are back after longer-than-imagined contract negotiations.
Related: 3 Takeaways From Ducks Trevor Zegras Signing
A young roster also suits Cronin’s experience as a player-first, development-focused trainer and coach. He has player and systems development experience (and success) at every level of hockey, and he’ll get every chance to implement his styles and philosophies in Anaheim. The franchise desperately needs that, so he should feel right at home with this opportunity, right? While patience may be the name of the game for Cronin and the Ducks, the time is now for all parties involved to start moving forward in a positive direction.
Expect to See Gibson in Goal
Barring a bizarre and totally unforeseen set of circumstances, John Gibson should get the start in goal tonight, which shouldn’t surprise anyone. In front of him should be a better defensive team than last year (operative word, should), but there are factors to consider. The combinations might differ each night, but the defensive core in front of him includes two players – Radko Gudas and Ilya Lybushkin – making their Ducks debuts, three rookies – Jackson LaCombe, Mintyukov, and Luneau – with little to no NHL experience, and one player – Drysdale – who hasn’t played in a game since October 2022.
Gibson is entering his 11th season in Anaheim, and in the immediate future, things look like they could get worse before they get better. It’s not all doom and gloom though. Gibson is highly capable of keeping this team in games, and he’ll likely have to bail out this defense tonight so Zegras, Troy Terry, and company can levy some offense of their own.
Could be Tough Debuts for Many
It’s possible we won’t see each rookie defenseman make their debut tonight. In fact, it’d be wise to roll with a lineup with more experience. Season opener, ruckus crowd, highly-skilled opposition – the Ducks would be better off with a veteran-led defensive unit. Expect Cam Fowler, Drysdale, Gudas, Lybushkin, Jackson LaCombe, and perhaps one other rookie to see the ice. Urho Vaakanainen, who may draw into the lineup, also made the opening night roster. On the contrary, if Cronin fills half of his defense pairings with guys making their NHL debuts, it could be tough sledding. Vegas is full of daunting forwards from line one to four.
Keys for Anaheim: Limit Shots and Puck Possession on D, Capitalize on Opportunities Upfront
The Ducks are going to be playing a lot of defense against the Knights, which means they’ll need to control the middle of the ice, clear the front of the net, and limit high-quality shots on Gibson. Gibson will hold his own, and defensive additions Gudas, Lybushkin, and LaCombe are big bodies that will be relied upon for the aforementioned defensive responsibilities.
Offensively, the Ducks will need to be opportunistic. It will be hard to sustain any offensive attack against Vegas, so they need to take advantage of the chances they get. Look for Zegras, Terry, and Mason McTavish to be aggressive in the neutral and offensive zones. They’ll benefit from having two good puck-movers on the defensive end in Fowler and Drysdale, something they lacked last season. The Ducks are also down Alex Killorn and Carlsson for this one, meaning extra ice time likely awaits Ryan Strome and Frank Vatrano, both of whom produced 40-plus points in 2022-23. Look for them to take advantage of their uptick in opportunities.
Prediction: Ducks Catch Vegas By Surprise and Steal the Opener
Let’s call this a somewhat realistic scenario for the Ducks, at best. Vegas brings back a similar roster but could very well take the Ducks a little too lightly. Doing so would open up the opportunity for the Ducks to slide in and steal this game. Anaheim has enjoyed success in season openers of late, going 5-1 in their last 6. Their only loss was to these Golden Knights in January 2021. Call it the Duck fan in me, but I see them flipping a switch and doing just enough to get Cronin his first win as an NHL head coach in his first game. Prediction: Ducks 2, Knights 1 (OT).
How do you see the season opener playing out for Anaheim? Sound off in the comments below!
