2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs: Round 2, Game 5 - Ducks vs. Golden Knights Gameday Preview (05/12/26)

It's now a best of three as the Ducks and Golden Knights enter Game 5 of the series tied at two wins apiece. The Ducks responded well to a slow start in Game 3, scoring first in Game 4 and never relinquishing the lead.

“Better start,” Chris Kreider said of their Game 4 approach. “I think we got through the neutral zone, got pucks behind them, and then turned.”

“We want to make sure that we're ready from the start,” Ducks head coach Joel Quenneville said. “They're a good starting team. They're good with the lead. I thought we did a good job of scoring early last game and not giving (the lead) up. When I say giving it up, not letting them get it. So we'll try to emphasize the importance of tonight's start and expect rising to the next challenge of another battle."

Mason McTavish was re-inserted into the lineup for Game 4 after being a healthy scratch in Games 2 and 3. Though he didn't record a point, his line of Ryan Poehling and Cutter Gauthier was among the best, analytically, in Game 4. Gauthier recorded three assists, with two of them coming on the power play.

"He's been awesome," Gauthier said of McTavish after Game 4. "Throughout these playoffs, he's just been a player who keeps his head down and just works really hard. Definitely a heartbeat of our line with me and Poehls. Tonight, I thought he played a great game, getting on the inside, getting in front of the goalie's eyes, making life difficult for the defensemen. He didn't get on the scoresheet, but it definitely doesn't go unnoticed."

"Played great," Kreider said. "Tenacious, hard on pucks. (He) wanted to have an impact on the game and he did, so it was great."

"I thought he had a heck of a game," Quenneville said. "I really liked his attitude coming into the game. Not easy for him not to be in the lineup and then play the way he did, (it) shows character. He wanted to be a big part of it and he was in a lot of ways. Not just power play, but I thought he played a real solid game."

Defenseman Radko Gudas was a game-time decision for Game 4, but did not play. Quenneville said that Gudas is out for Game 5 as well. Troy Terry will play in Game 5 despite missing the morning skate, though that's been the norm during this playoff run.

With Gudas out, Olen Zellweger and Ian Moore will once again slot in as the third defensive pair. Both Zellweger and Moore were inserted into the lineup for Game 4, with Tyson Hinds being a healthy scratch. Moore scored Anaheim's fourth goal, which ended up being the game-winner. Zellweger had the primary assist on the goal.

"We read off each other well," Zellweger said of his partnership with Moore. "I thought we worked together well. Just playing those situations right and giving the team stability defensively. And then when we get the opportunities, being confident, jumping in the play."

Mark Stone, who left Game 3 early in the first period with a lower-body injury, will not be in the lineup for the Golden Knights once again. Brandon Saad will play in his second consecutive game after entering the lineup for Stone in Game 4.

Ducks Projected Lines

Chris Kreider - Leo Carlsson - Troy Terry
Alex Killorn - Mikael Granlund - Beckett Sennecke
Mason McTavish - Ryan Poehling - Cutter Gauthier
Ross Johnston - Tim Washe - Jeff Viel

Jackson LaCombe - Jacob Trouba
Pavel Mintyukov - John Carlson
Olen Zellweger - Ian Moore

Lukáš Dostál (confirmed)

Golden Knights Projected Lines

Ivan Barbashev - Jack Eichel - Pavel Dorofeyev
Brett Howden - William Karlsson - Mitch Marner
Brandon Saad - Tomáš Hertl - Colton Sissons
Cole Smith - Nic Dowd - Keegan Kolesar

Brayden McNabb - Shea Theodore
Noah Hanifin - Rasmus Andersson
Ben Hutton - Dylan Coghlan

Carter Hart (confirmed)