Detailed notes on Friday's game between the Anaheim Ducks and Los Angeles Kings
Detailed notes on Friday's game between the Anaheim Ducks and Los Angeles Kings
The Anaheim Ducks hosted their "Freeway Faceoff" rival, the Los Angeles Kings, in their annual Black Friday matinee game.
Game #22: Ducks vs. Kings Gameday Preview
The Kings won the first meeting between the two teams on Oct. 20 by a score of 4-1.
The Ducks went into this game having earned points in five of their previous six games.
The Ducks were without star center Leo Carlsson for the second game in a row after he sustained an upper-body injury in Monday's 3-2 loss to Seattle.
Ducks head coach Greg Cronin went with the same lineup that earned his club a 5-2 victory on Wednesday against Seattle.
John Gibson drew back into the Ducks' crease in this game. He stopped 16 of only 18 shots surrendered by Anaheim.
Opposing Gibson was Kings' rookie goaltender Eric Portillo, who made his NHL debut in this game. He saved 28 of 29 shots for a stellar first game in the world's best league.
Here are my notes from this game:
Cycle: The Ducks generated a substantial amount of offense from cycle opportunities against the Kings. The Kings play a similar man-to-man defensive zone coverage scheme as the Ducks, so the Ducks sent their F3 closer toward the blueline when they had sustained zone time to draw forwards higher and create lanes underneath.
They were able to attack dangerous areas from lower in the zone, and Portillo spat out optimal rebounds, but the Ducks couldn't find a way to convert.
Neutral Zone Forecheck: The Ducks' 1-1-3 neutral zone forecheck was a touch more passive in this game, as the Kings prefer to create off forechecking opportunities of their own.
Defensemen did well to absorb the first wave of the Kings' forecheck and move pucks cleanly to their first option.
Power Play: Early in the game, the Ducks adjusted their top unit's zone entry strategy with the man advantage. Rather than run a give-and-go with two trailers (usually Trevor Zegras and Troy Terry), they elected to utilize Terry as the lone trailer to attempt to generate a chance or two off the initial rush.
It worked to a degree, but the Ducks adjusted back for their lone power play of the third period.
Penalty Kill: The Ducks have now yet to surrender a power play goal in their last six games, going a perfect 15 for 15 in that stretch.
The Kings' top unit deployed five forwards and (like Seattle) opted not to use a player in the bumper. This allowed the Ducks to pressure an inexperienced player at the blueline and collapse when the puck was sent low to not allow seams to open or become outnumbered in high-danger areas.
Radko Gudas: Gudas made a crucial mistake trying to step up in the neutral zone on Alex Laferriere on the Kings' game-winning goal. He has been a step late to make critical decisions with and without the puck lately. A shift toward a more conservative approach against the rush and more elaborate scanning before pucks get to him could aid in him regaining his impact.
The Ducks will next host the Ottawa Senators on Sunday at Honda Center for the second game of their four-game home stand.