Ducks vs Kings RECAP: Ducks Got Rolling, Kings Left Hatin'
The Anaheim Ducks took a stroll up the 5 freeway to take on the Los Angeles Kings at Staples Center tonight. This was the first meeting of the season between these two teams and both fanbases got to see how they actually stack up against their cross-town rivals.
Some notable lineup changes: Adam Henrique slotted back in on the top line after sitting out last game, though this time he was on the wing. The Kings also debuted Arthur Kaliyev, the 33rd pick in the 2019 NHL Draft.
FIRST PERIOD
Nicolas Deslauriers decided that his team needed a morale/energy boost before even starting the game, so he dropped the gloves right away with Kurtis MacDermid. Deslauriers couldn't get it going and ultimately got lit up in the first fight of the game.
Most of this period consisted of the Kings and Ducks battling in the neutral zone with very few high danger chances for either team. At one point, it seemed like the Ducks couldn't complete a pass to a teammate cleanly leading to some sloppy play. Very frustrating.
After a fight in the offensive zone corner, the puck wiggled free thanks to Adrian Kempe. He slipped a pass to a streaking Alex Iafallo who managed to get a shot off from a bad angle. It was such a bad angle that John Gibson was getting ready to move laterally right as the shot got off and it almost slipped behind him between the pads, but luckily, he was able to stop it.
About halfway through the period, the Ducks were able to control the play in the offensive zone with the Steel line on the ice. After an errant put-back shot by Kevin Shattenkirk, Sam Steel wins a puck battle with Jakob Silfverberg gaining possession. He chipped a beautiful pass right to Danton Heinen's stick and Heinen finishes it top shelf. What a finish by Anaheim's offensive juggernaut.
Overall the Ducks had a great period. For a team struggling to score, they controlled the puck well with limited mistakes. That's all one can ask for after the last few games.
SECOND PERIOD
It wouldn't be Ducks hockey without something eventful happening in the first minute of any given period. After a faceoff win, Cam Fowler dumped the puck in from center ice. Carter Rowney gained possession and sent a blind, backhand pass to a diving David Backes who buried it top shelf. Backes got his first goal as a member of the Ducks. This is exactly what you want from your 4th line - hustle, defense, and scoring. Who knew.
A few minutes into the period, Comtois starts to have a little fun. Comtois gained control of the puck behind the Kings net and tried to do the Michigan / lacrosse-style move. Drew Doughty was not happy and had some choice words for the young forward. If the Ducks won't be scoring a lot of goals the normal way this season, might as well see attempts like this. Entertainment value for the win.
The Kings would finally get on the board in the second period as Doughty received a pass while streaking into the offensive zone. Comtois and Hampus Lindholm converged on to him leaving Kevin Shattenkirk alone to cover Michael Amadio and Arthur Kaliyev who had a step on Rowney. Doughty sent a puck to Amadio who tipped it into Gibson's pads. The puck bounced straight to Kaliyev who converts his first NHL goal because of course, he would.
The Ducks continued to drive play in the offensive zone. Troy Terry gained the line and dropped a soft pass for Getzlaf who let it rip from the slot. About 30 seconds later on a dump in, Comtois got possession of a loose puck and walked right in front, but couldn't convert. Comtois had himself a game today. Anaheim spent the rest of the period controlling play and had a couple of extended offensive shifts in the Kings zone, a nice change of pace for this squad. After two, the Ducks had an xGF% of 73.22% and a 33-11 shot advantage. Ducks lead 2-1 heading into the third period.
THIRD PERIOD
A minute into the third, the Ducks got the first penalty of the game as Lindholm was sent off for holding. The Kings had no problems getting set up in the Ducks' zone whenever they had possession, but luckily the Ducks' top-10 penalty kill was able to get away unscathed.
Immediately after the PK, Lindholm comes out at the box and runs a 2-on-1ish with Backes. Lindholm sent a nice pass to Backes, but Backes didn't get much on it. The Kings were also called for a too many men penalty and sent the Ducks on the powerplay. Anaheim had a few chances including a shot off the post by Adam Henrique, but was unable to sustain pressure. The second powerplay goal on the season will have to come at another time.
The Ducks continued to pour on the pressure with a few scary moments from the Kings here and there, but nothing got past Gibson as he led his team to another victory as Deslauriers hit the empty net. While he has been the MVP of the season thus far, this was the first win that the Ducks earned for themselves without needing Gibson to steal it for them. They should have had more goals in this one after a whopping 43 shots on goal, but without true goal scorers on the roster, goals will always be hard to come by. Overall, a big win for this team, breaking a 3-game losing streak, sending them home on a high note to prepare for back-to-back games against the San Jose Sharks starting on Friday evening.
3 Takeaways From Tonight's Game
Finding the Soft Spots - Both goals came from right in front of the net in the slot area while the puck was behind the net. A lot of goals come from that spot and if you can catch defensemen watching the puck, that shot will be available often.
Hidden Gems - With all of the attention being on the younger players on the team, Anaheim has seen a few players really fly under the radar. No one really knew what kind of player they were going get out of Danton Heinen, but lo and behold, he is our offense while also being defensively responsible. He is our best two-way player right now and it's fun to watch. Other notable players making a splash are Jani Hakanpaa and Ben Hutton. Ben Hutton had a great game tonight.
Kings and Ducks Young Talent - With Arthur Kaliyev's first NHL goal, it's a good reminder that the Kings and Ducks should be fun to watch for years to come. There's a ton of young talent on these rosters and exciting hockey is here to stay for a while.
The Ducks get back on home ice Friday against the San Jose Sharks at 7 pm. We'll see you then!