At a critical juncture of the 2025-26 season for both teams, the Anaheim Ducks [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/anaheim-ducks] and Los Angeles Kings [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/los-angeles-kings] participated in a Friday-Saturday home-and-home series this weekend. The Ducks just saw their nine-game winless streak mercifully come to an end on Tuesday, with a 3-1 win over the Dallas Stars [http://thn.com/dallas]. They once sat atop the Pacific Division, but had fallen four games out of the playoff picture heading into Friday’s game. Appreciating Anze Kopitar, His Contributions to Ducks vs. Kings Rivalry [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/anaheim-ducks/players/appreciating-anze-kopitar-his-contributions-to-ducks-vs-kings-rivalry] Game #48: Ducks vs. Kings Gameday Preview (01/17/26) [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/anaheim-ducks/game-day/game-48-ducks-vs-kings-gameday-preview-01-17-26] The Kings weren’t in quite as severe a tailspin, but their recent play had dropped them out of the playoffs picture as well, as they had only won five of their prior 17 games heading into this series. Before Friday’s game, the Ducks had traded for forward Jeff Viel from the Boston Bruins, Troy Terry was placed on IR, and Leo Carlsson underwent a procedure to treat a rare thigh lesion that will cost him the next 3-5 weeks. Sam Colangelo was recalled from the San Diego Gulls and played on Friday night. Viel made his Ducks debut on Saturday. Chris Kreider missed both games with an illness. Lukas Dostal got the start for the Ducks on Friday and stopped 26 of 28 shots in a 3-2 shootout win for the Ducks. Ville Husso got the nod on Saturday and saved 17 of 18. The Kings turned to Darcey Kuemper on Friday to oppose Dostal, and he mirrored Dostal by saving 26 of 28 shots. Anton Forsberg was given the cage for the Kings on Saturday, stopping 31 of 33. NOTES Desperate and without a trio of top-six forwards, the Ducks basically iced two second lines and two fourth lines for these two games. The Kings are notoriously one of the stingiest, defensively diligent, and low-event teams in the NHL, but Anaheim managed to tweak their game plan, focusing more on chipping pucks below the goal line if clean entries were denied. Defensively, Anaheim went back to quick, aggressive second pressures, which burned them in the first half of Friday’s game, but played a much more contained brand of hockey, akin to Tuesday’s game against Dallas, through the latter 90 minutes of the weekend. Beckett Sennecke: Sennecke was the star of the weekend for Anaheim, notching three assists, positively impacting every shift, creating, and rendering himself dangerous not only every time he touched the puck (which was a lot), but every time he stepped foot on the ice. He filled in a significant percentage of the offensive vacancy left behind by Carlsson, Terry, and Kreider (and Cutter Gauthier, who didn’t play much as he was recovering from an illness of his own). His most impressive quality, especially for a 19-year-old winger, is his anticipation skill. Either he has the puck, or he’s going to very soon. He has a “nose for the puck” and can sniff out how pucks are going to exit a battle, where opponents are trying to go with it, and how to get into positions to receive outlets or chips that he can pick up at full speed. The dynamism, puck skills, and tenacity in small areas speak for themselves. Defensive Zone Coverage: In Friday’s game, LA forwards were able to spin off low defenders, find soft ice, and pop out for dangerous one-timers that Dostal was thankfully able to read and eliminate angles. All six Ducks defenders and all four centers made concerted efforts on Saturday to box out and pounce on rebound opportunities, protecting the low slot and not allowing LA forwards to occupy dangerous ice. In an effort to counter, the Kings released their F3 high to the blueline so they could attempt to pull the Anaheim center high and cause confusion. However, the Ducks were solely focused on protecting the lower slot and underneath seams, succeeding in the process. Cycle: Ducks' defensemen were far more involved in the offensive zone on Saturday, actively attempting to disrupt the Kings’ man coverage and pull defenders out of position. It allowed them to play the puck possession game they prefer and keep it out of their end for extended sequences. They were able to conduct cohesive weaves and switches at the top of the zone to create downhill ice and cross-ice seams to exploit. Tim Washe: Washe’s five games into his NHL call-up and is becoming more impactful with each passing shift. He’s done well to adjust to the speed and details of the NHL game. Though he’s a serviceable puck transporter, he does his best work on the forecheck, influencing opposing retrievers and disrupting outlet attempts as an F1. He’s tenacious and effective when protecting pucks below the goal line and extending cycles. His first career goal on Friday was much-earned and an exemplification of what he can bring to the lineup. He’s becoming a reliable and versatile forward, winning seven of ten draws on Saturday after winning five of 11 on Friday. The Ducks have seemingly gotten their season back on track a bit, but remain outside of the playoff picture. They’ll look to extend their winning streak to four games when they host the New York Rangers [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/new-york-rangers] on Monday. Injury Update: Leo Carlsson Set to Miss 3-5 Weeks with Rare Thigh Injury [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/anaheim-ducks/latest-news/injury-update-leo-carlsson-set-to-miss-3-5-weeks-with-rare-thigh-injury] Ducks Acquire Jeffrey Viel From Bruins [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/anaheim-ducks/latest-news/ducks-acquire-jeffrey-viel-from-bruins] Takeaways from the Ducks 3-1 Win over the Stars [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/anaheim-ducks/game-day/takeaways-from-the-ducks-3-1-win-over-the-stars]
