Detailed notes from Thursday's game between the Anaheim Ducks and Vegas Golden Knights
The Ducks' final game of the 2023-24 season saw them travel to Vegas to take on the Golden Knights resulting in a 4-1 win.
While this game didn't have significant meaning in the NHL standings for the Ducks, it had meaningful implications for the Golden Knights' playoff picture. A win in this game would have meant the Golden Knights' first-round opponent would have been the Edmonton Oilers. They will now take on the Dallas Stars who finished at the top of the Western Conference standings.
This was Jakob Silfverberg's final game in the NHL and in a Ducks sweater. In his 12-year career (11 with the Ducks), he played 820 games, scored 168 goals, and added 205 assists. In the playoffs throughout his career, he scored 18 goals and 27 assists in 69 games. He's left a lasting legacy in the Ducks locker room and among the fanbase.
One door closes, another opens. Cutter Gauthier made his NHL debut in game 82 of the Ducks season. He played 15:24 minutes and tallied an assist on Jackson LaCombe's game-winning goal.
Frank Vatrano scored a hat trick in this game, his third this season and sixth in his career. He scored a goal in every situation in this game; even strength, on the power play, and shorthanded. He finished his career year with 37 goals and became the sixth Duck in history to surpass the 35-goal mark (Paul Kariya, Teemu Selanne, Corey Perry, Bobby Ryan, and Troy Terry).
Lukas Dostal manned the crease for the Ducks in this game. In his 38th start of the season, he stopped 32 of 33 shots.
"He's prepared. He's invested in his position," Ducks Head Coach Greg Cronin stated after the game when asked about Dostal's performance this season. "He probably played more games than he thought he was going to play. He's a consummate pro. He works out hard, he practices hard, he's so competitive, and I'm really happy for him."
Here are my notes from this game:
Neutral Zone Forecheck: The Ducks deployed a much more passive 1-2-2 forecheck through the neutral zone against the Golden Knights than they typically do. Against a team like Vegas who prefers to generate offense off the rush, the Ducks kept four players above the puck as it approached the defensive blueline. That rendered zone entries more difficult and resulted in more pucks chipped into the zone.
Cutter Gauthier: Gauthier showed a surprising level of spacial awareness for a player who hasn't played much on the wing over the last several seasons. His shot is his show-stopping asset, but he's an underrated facilitator.
"He hasn't played wing, so those plays up the wall where he's probably had no practice managing pressure from a defenseman coming down on top of him," Cronin said of Gauthier's performance. He's got good hands, good vision, and a good burst of speed."
Leo Carlsson: Before the season, Carlsson had stated the aspect of his game he wanted to work on most was explosion in his first three steps. Mission accomplished. He times his supporting cuts incredibly well so when he gets feeds from outlets off the wall, he's able to slice into the offensive zone with an overwhelming blend of speed and power.
Brett Leason: Leason played his first game at center against the Golden Knights on the Ducks' fourth line. He has all the tools to be successful in that spot, like defensive diligence, a good hockey IQ, and a high motor. If he's to succeed at that spot long-term, he'll need to work on his prowess at the face-off dot and simplifying his game from the middle on breakouts.
Sam Colangelo: Colangelo is proving to be an intelligent and effective forechecker. He's engaging opposing puck carriers through their hands and stick before making contact and eliminating them from future plays. He doesn't give up on plays when he's defended well and will show a high motor to extend plays until support arrives.
The Anaheim Ducks finish the 2023-24 season with a record of 27-50-5, earning them 59 points in the standings.