Detailed notes on Saturday's game between the Anaheim Ducks and Columbus Blue Jackets
The Anaheim Ducks wrapped up their four-game road trip with a Saturday evening matchup against the Columbus Blue Jackets.
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The Ducks were coming off of a five-game winless streak entering this game and sat in last place in the Pacific Division. They won their first meeting against the Jackets on Nov. 10 in Anaheim by a score of 4-2.
The Blue Jackets also came into this one at the bottom of their division standings, hoping to surpass the .500 mark.
Saturday morning, the Ducks announced they had traded veteran defenseman Cam Fowler to the St. Louis Blues, bringing their number of rostered defensemen down to seven.
As did Ross Johnston, Drew Helleson remained a healthy scratch in this game.
John Gibson got the start in goal for the Ducks. He made every save he had to in order to keep his team in the game and walked away stopping 39 of 42 shots.
Jet Greaves got the crease in this game for the Jackets. He stopped 23 of the 27 shots he faced.
Here are my notes on this game:
Jackson LaCombe: LaCombe led the Ducks in ice time for the second game in a row and was dominant on both sides of the puck. His angles were flawless, and he used his escapability to evade forechecking pressure. He displayed a stellar first pass shortly after manufacturing turnovers and showcased his skill and creativity off the rush.
LaCombe has made the most of his elevated role with the departure of Cam Fowler. This may have been his best and most impactful game in his career.
Defensive Zone Coverage: The Duck's coverage will be most effective when they pressure heavily enough to create early turnovers. They started to trend in that direction in this game but were thwarted when attempting to build counterattacks the other way, causing several turnovers at the defensive blueline and limiting potential rush chances.
Cutter Gauthier: Gauthier is becoming more confident with each passing game, manipulating and dictating play when he has the puck on his stick. He could have been accused of coasting at times and cheating for offense in college last year, but he is engaged every time his steel hits the ice.
He's drawing defenders after receiving outlet passes and slipping pucks to teammates with speed through the neutral zone, he's diagnosing defensive structures before pucks get to his stick in the offensive zone, and he's driving defenders deep into their own zone to open space behind him for linemates with possession.
Radko Gudas: Gudas is guilty at times of becoming too focused on finishing a hit on an attacker off the rush who recently moved the puck and who is already covered. This leaves his teammates outnumbered at other areas of the ice and has led to quality chances for opponents.
Jacob Trouba: Trouba has defended well in front of the Ducks net since his arrival. A greater sense of urgency at times to close in on attackers and make quicker puck decisions will go a long way toward maximizing his effectiveness on the Ducks' blueline.
The Ducks will get a bit of an extended break as their next game won't be until Wednesday, when they'll host the Winnipeg Jets at Honda Center.
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