Facing elimination for the first time this postseason, the Anaheim Ducks have home ice in Game 6 against the Vegas Golden Knights. Game 5 came down to a pair of special shots from the Golden Knights' Pavel Dorofeyev, who won the game in overtime.
Ducks forward Ryan Poehling left the game in the first period with an upper-body injury due to a hit from Brayden McNabb and did not return. He is out indefinitely. McNabb had a hearing with NHL Player Safety on Wednesday afternoon and was given a one-game suspension.
With Poehling out, Jansen Harkins is expected to draw back in after being a healthy scratch in Games 4 and 5. Mason McTavish is expected to center the Ducks’ third line, with Jeff Viel and Cutter Gauthier flanking him.
May 6, 2026; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; Anaheim Ducks center Jansen Harkins (24) shoots and scores an empty net goal against the Vegas Golden Knights during the third period of game two of the second round of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs at T-Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images“I think all year long, you share responsibility,” Ducks head coach Joel Quenneville said. “A lot of times, the guy coming in there doesn't have to be that guy, but I think everybody can absorb—whether it's more quality ice time or more ice time or you don't play as much, I think we adapted to the situations quite well. Everybody's excited about getting the chance to play more. (McTavish) might get more middle. We’ll see.”
“He’s just a tremendous part of this team,” Tim Washe said of Poehling. “But we’ve got some guys stepping up here. Everyone’s got to be at their best and help the team out any way they can.”
“It’s a hard role to fill,” Leo Carlsson said. “But we have a lot guys who can do it, too, so I'm not too worried.”
After registering eight points in the Ducks’ first round series against the Edmonton Oilers, Carlsson had just two points and a minus-3 rating through five games. His linemates Chris Kreider and Troy Terry have just two points apiece as well. Their line was guilty of not getting the puck out of the defensive zone prior to Dorofeyev’s overtime winner.
May 12, 2026; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; Anaheim Ducks center Leo Carlsson (91) shoots against the Vegas Golden Knights during the second period of game five of the second round of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs at T-Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images“Vegas plays tight defensively,” Quenneville said. “They don't give up much. (That line is) targeted and then for (Vegas) to be aware of them of being out there. But they've seen that throughout the whole season. And obviously the attention grows come playoff time. I think that tonight, we're gonna need them to be a factor. You don't have to score, just want to make sure that your line's going to be generating and spending some offensive zone-possession time and solid in the defensive structure.”
“Just need to play a little more simpler,” Carlsson said. “Breakout easier. They’re on us on breakouts, too, but just play a little bit simpler in the o-zone and (on) breakouts, too.”
Troy Terry, Alex Killorn, Jackson LaCombe and Mikael Granlund were all absent from Thursday’s morning skate, but all four are expected to be in the lineup for Game 6. Radko Gudas (lower-body) participated in morning skate once again, but Quenneville said that he is not likely to play in Game 6.
Golden Knights forward Mark Stone is again out with a lower-body injury that he suffered in Game 3. With McNabb serving his one-game suspension, Kaeden Korzcak will draw back into the lineup.
Ducks Projected Lines
Chris Kreider - Leo Carlsson - Troy Terry
Alex Killorn - Mikael Granlund - Beckett Sennecke
Jeff Viel - Mason McTavish - Cutter Gauthier
Ross Johnston - Tim Washe - Jansen Harkins
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
Shea Theodore - Dylan Coghlan
Noah Hanifin - Rasmus Andersson
Ben Hutton - Kaeden Korczak
Carter Hart (confirmed)