The Anaheim Ducks hosted their rival Los Angeles Kings for the first iteration of the 2024-25 “Freeway Face-Off” on Sunday night at Honda Center.
Game #5: Ducks vs. Kings Gameday Preview
Frank Vatrano returned to the Ducks lineup after missing Friday’s game against the Colorado Avalanche. He was home with his family, awaiting the arrival of his second child.
Isac Lundestrom remained out of the lineup due to an upper-body injury suffered Wednesday in the Ducks OT win over Utah.
Jackson LaCombe made his 2024-25 debut in this game after missing the team’s first four games with an illness.
Lukas Dostal got the start for the Ducks in the crease following a 45-save performance on Friday in Denver. Dostal logged another spectacular performance in defeat with 28 saves on 30 shots faced.
To oppose him, David Rittich got the cage for the Kings, stopping 12 of just 13 shots.
“We didn’t skate,” Ducks head coach Greg Cronin said after the game. “The way we played, you’re not winning shifts, you’re not winning games. We had no pressure on the puck and we did everything half speed. I’m not sure why. We looked slow.”
Here are my notes on this game:
Kings: Now that the Kings deploy a 1-2-2 neutral zone forecheck, they play an extremely similar defensive style to the Cronin desires to ice in Anaheim. They cause disruption deep in the offensive zone on the forecheck, recover loose pucks at will, and capitalize on the chaos created by their tenacity.
Jackson LaCombe: This was LaCombe’s first game back after a spectacular preseason was followed by illness. He showed flashes early of the player who was praised by coaches and teammates during training camp.
He was defensively sound, killing rushes and remaining on assignments. He used his poise and skating ability to lead rushes. He made two significant mistakes and unfortunately they ended up in the Ducks’ net.
“I thought he played really well, and he had two shifts that weren’t good,” Cronin said. “I thought his other shifts were fine.”
Power Play: The Ducks power play is now 0-17. The coaching staff switched the personnel, but it didn’t yield better results in this game.
The Los Angeles PK recognized the disjointedness of the Ducks’ combination of unfamiliarity with each other and their support and pressured heavily along the perimeter. The Ducks were often forced to rim pucks just to maintain possession and only managed two shots in six minutes with a man-advantage.
Cutter Gauthier: While his effort level hasn’t been an issue since he saw very little ice in the last half of the Ducks’ game against Utah on Wednesday, he does have some aspects of his game that need refinement and attention.
His decision making with the puck on the power play is questionable at times as is his approach to forechecking at 5v5. To be a successful forechecker in the NHL, a forward either must outsmart the puck retriever or display a high-motor and outwork them, forcing turnovers. Gauthier is caught in the middle as an NHL forechecker early in his career.
He has the tools to make an impact deep in the offensive zone, but he requires some adjustment in that department.
The Ducks will look to turn their fortunes around when they host the San Jose Sharks on Tuesday night at 7:15 pm PST, as part of the NHL’s “Frozen Frenzy,” where all 32 teams will play on one day.
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