It's hard to be overly critical of the Anaheim Ducks' 4-1 loss to the Los Angeles Kings. The Kings iced a much stronger lineup, one you'd expect to convincingly beat the Ducks' more inexperienced lineup and that's how the game played out.
Yes, the Ducks were dominated in most areas of the game, but that was to be expected.
Still there were some positive performances in this game and some things worth noting.
A Strong Performance From Leo Carlsson:
Even though he finished the game with zero points and a negative two, this was a solid performance from Leo Carlsson.
He was always fighting an uphill battle in this game but he flashed some of the high-end skill and hockey IQ that saw him drafted second-overall.
After beating Jordan Spence along the boards he set up Ryan Strome for the Duck's best chance of the first period, which Strome rang off the post.
He often made the right plays with the puck and looks very good positionally for such a young player. There's still a bit of work that needs to be done defensively, but that's to be expected with such a young player.
He then flashed his skill again in the shootout, sending Cam Talbot to the wrong side of the net with a nifty move before scoring the Duck's only goal in the shootout.
There were promising signs from Carlsson against a strong Kings lineup and signs that he's more than capable of playing in the NHL this season. Especially if he doesn't have to deal with the oppositions top lines as he did on Tuesday.
Jackson LaCombe Continues to Impress:
It was another strong performance from defenseman Jackson LaCombe Tuesday, as he was one of just two Ducks defensemen to escape Tuesday night without a negative.
He did produce one highlight early in the game, stepping up and hammering Kevin Fiala at his own blueline, but mostly played a quiet and efficient game.
He's skating stood out again on Tuesday and he used it well to kill attacks on the rush and move the puck up ice but was rarely caught out of position.
It's still yet to be seen where whether LaCombe starts the season in the AHL or NHL, but he showed good signs that he could handle third-pairing minutes in the NHL on Tuesday.