Takeaways from the Ducks 3-1 Win over the Islanders
Detailed notes on Tuesday's game between the Anaheim Ducks and New York Islanders
The Anaheim Ducks continued their four-game road trip with a matchup in Long Island to take on the New York Islanders.
The Ducks hoped to snap a two-game losing streak as they sustained back-to-back losses to the New York Rangers and New Jersey Devils over the weekend.
Ducks head coach Greg Cronin shuffled his forward lines once more to optimize his roster.
Trevor Zegras found himself back at center in this game, the first time he's lined up down the middle this season. He was between Cutter Gauthier and Alex Killorn.
Mason McTavish was reunited with Ryan Strome and Frank Vatrano. The trio was the Ducks second-most consistent line during the 2023-24 season, playing 313 minutes together.
Jackson LaCombe returned to the lineup next to Radko Gudas while Tristan Luneau was given the night off on the blueline.
Lukas Dostal got the start in the Anaheim crease and continued his early stellar play, stopping 40 of 41 shots, including seven of eight against the New York power play. His season SV% is now .946 and he's saved 10.75 goals above expected.
Opposing him in the Islanders crease was Ilya Sorokin, who stopped 19 of the 21 shots he faced in this game.
Here are my notes on this game:
Trevor Zegras: As mentioned above, Zegras was shifted to the middle of the ice, centering Gauthier and Killorn. Production remains elusive, but his attention to detail in every zone jumps off the screen at everyone paying close enough attention.
His engagement forechecking, backchecking, and in coverage coupled with his disruption to opposing attacks made him the Ducks best defensive center in this game. His line was mostly matched against the Islanders' second line of Tsyplakov, Nelson, and Palmieri, holding 64.66% of the expected goals share.
Shifting to the middle of the ice also rendered him mostly the third touch out of the zone on breakouts, allowing him to support, anticipate, and attack with space, where he's at his most dangerous.
Lukas Dostal: Dostal continues his impeccable performance early in the season. He made the handful of difficult saves he had to make in this game look casual. His east-west puck tracking and ability to make saves through screens has been a separating factor for the Ducks' MVP this season.
It took a 60-foot seam pass on a dying 5v3 power play and a perfect shot to get a puck behind him in this game.
Defensive Zone Coverage: The Ducks defended for roughly one third of this game by most metrics, both underlying and traditional. The coverage breakdowns that led to their defeats against the Rangers and Devils were all but eliminated.
Against the cycle, they defended as a five-man unit, helping when necessary, but mainly sticking to their assignment, eliminating dangerous passing options, forcing perimeter shots, and swallowing second chance opportunities.
Power Play: The Ducks' familiarity with their new power play system and with teammates' tendencies is now yielding extended offensive zone time and a greater volume of chances.
The team knows where their support is and they're displaying increased confidence with the puck on their sticks. We're seeing less rim and teams are forced to pressure with less intensity.
The Ducks will seek out a win in Pittsburgh against the Penguins at 4 pm PST on Thursday to head home to Southern California with four points to show for their four-game road trip.