Derek Lee and Patrick Present discuss the state of the Ducks in early-mid December On Wednesday, the Anaheim Ducks returned from their four-game road trip to host the NHL-leading Winnipeg Jets. Game #30: Ducks vs. Jets Gameday Preview [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/anaheim-ducks/game-day/ducks-gameday-preview-12-17-24] The Ducks went 1-2-1 on their trip and returned home at the bottom of the Pacific Division standings. This was the Jets' second game of a back-to-back after defeating the San Jose Sharks in San Jose on Tuesday. Ducks head coach Greg Cronin changed up his forward lines a bit in this game as Brett Leason was on the business end of a healthy scratch. Brock McGinn took his spot next to Leo Carlsson and Alex Killorn. Ross Johnston returned to his fourth line role next to Jansen Harkins and Isac Lundestrom. Lukas Dostal got the start in net for the Ducks, his first start since the Ducks' 3-2 loss to the Maple Leafs on Dec. 12. He saved 21 of 23 shots in this game. Opposing Dostal was Eric Comrie in the Winnipeg crease. He stopped 28 of 31 shots. Here are my notes from this game: Offensive zone entries: Breakouts and regroups were significantly cleaner in this game for the Ducks. There was a concerted effort to carry pucks over the blueline with possession, and after, they were more willing to change pace and try to find seams rather than take a long-range shot with minimal traffic heading toward the net. Vatrano-Strome-Terry: The Ducks' top line went toe-to-toe with the Jets' top line and were responsible for all three of the Ducks' goals, all of which were scored at 5v5. They held 68.79% [https://www.naturalstattrick.com/game.php?season=20242025&game=20511] of the shot attempt share and 76.85% [https://www.naturalstattrick.com/game.php?season=20242025&game=20511] of the expected goals share. Frank Vatrano tallied three extraordinarily greasy points and assumed the majority of the blue-collar work on his line. His effort created space for Troy Terry and Ryan Strome to run give-and-gos and develop their chemistry, creating offense in a variety of ways off the cycle and rush. Penalty Kill: The Jets' power play was significantly more fluid and improvisational with the injection of Nikolaj Ehlers on their top unit, who returned from injury in this game after missing the team's previous nine. He darted through the defensive structure of the Ducks' diamond formation, drawing attention and penalty killers out of position in search of soft ice. This seems like the perfect use for Leo Carlsson if the Ducks intend to manufacture ways to get him more involved. He, along with Mason McTavish and Cutter Gauthier, have yet to carve out roles and find their most efficient spots on the ice with a man advantage. Jacob Trouba: Trouba led the Ducks in ice time in this game with 22:12 minutes. He can seem nonchalant at times in coverage, giving guys a little more space than one is comfortable with. However, he does well to close on shooters and get sticks on pucks more often than not. Offensively, he is refreshingly smart at the point with the puck on his stick. Every shot he takes is with a purpose and well placed, consistently shooting around screens, through traffic, or finding teammates' sticks looking for tips. The Ducks will look to build off this effort with another tough Central Division opponent on Friday, the Colorado Avalanche, who will be on the second game of a back-to-back as well. Ducks Have Several Alternate Captain Options to Replace Cam Fowler [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/anaheim-ducks/latest-news/ducks-have-several-alternate-captain-options-to-replace-cam-fowler] Diagnosing the Ducks' Offensive Struggles [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/anaheim-ducks/latest-news/diagnosing-the-ducks-offensive-struggles]
