Takeaways from the Ducks 5-1 Victory over the Senators

The second game of the Anaheim Ducks’ four-game road trip was on Thursday evening in Ottawa to take on the Senators. The Ducks entered play on a two-game losing streak after a 5-0 loss to the Montreal Canadiens on Tuesday, one of the more one-sided games in recent memory that only saw the Ducks tally 13 shots on goal. On the other end, the Sens come into this game on a four-game winning streak, averaging over four goals scored per game in that span.

Takeaways from the Ducks 5-0 Loss to the Canadiens

John Gibson got the crease for the Ducks and Joonas Korpisalo would be between the pipes for the Sens. Gibson was forced out of this game after the second period with an upper-body injury. His status will be closely monitored in the upcoming days. Here are my takeaways from this game:

Offensive Zone Cycle: The Ducks’ five-man cycle was far less stagnant in this game. The F3 joining the point for a high cycle kept their feet moving, defensemen moved down the wall after distributing the puck, and only one low forward remained a net-front presence. The other low forward searched out soft ice or released as a low option for a pass.

Troy Terry: Terry was in top form throughout this game. One will never find a more quintessential Troy Terry sequence than on the Ducks’ fourth goal; he pulled the puck off the wall on a breakout with his feet moving, made a slip pass to Vatrano in the neutral zone, gained body position to win the dump-in, spun off a check in the corner, moved the puck to the opposite corner, got it back, danced Chabot from below the goal line, and found Mason McTavish open on the backdoor.

Pavel Mintyukov: Mintyukov doesn’t stand still after making a pass in any zone. He is constantly jumping into open ice as an option for a return pass. His stride has found some significant explosion since returning from injury on Tuesday. He was able to read breakouts like a book and consistently made the proper decision on whether to pinch on the wall or retreat into the neutral zone.

Gustav Lindstrom: This was Lindstrom’s best game since being claimed off waivers from the Montreal Canadiens on Jan 10. He was especially terrific in defensive zone coverage where he not only remained on his check but consistently engaged puck carriers and won ensuing battles. His gap and footwork while defending the rush were textbook as well.

The Ducks’ next stop on the road trip will be on Saturday night in Toronto to take on the Maple Leafs at 4 pm PST. 

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