Derek Lee and Patrick Present discuss the state of the Ducks in early-mid December On Thursday, the Ducks began their season-long six-game road trip with a matchup against former longest-tenured Duck Cam Fowler and the St. Louis Blues. Ducks Prospect Sennecke Named December OHL Player of the Month [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/anaheim-ducks/latest-news/ducks-prospect-sennecke-named-december-ohl-player-of-the-month] The Ducks entered play coming off an overtime loss on Tuesday to the Calgary Flames and having tallied points in five of their last six games. The opposing Blues were coming off back-to-back 6-4 road losses to the Columbus Blue Jackets and Minnesota Wild and were looking to return to the win column. Wednesday was a big day for Sam Colangelo, who received news he'd represent the San Diego Gulls as an AHL All-Star and that he'd been called up to the Ducks before their road trip. He slotted into the lineup in Troy Terry's typical spot next to Ryan Strome and Frank Vatrano. Terry remained in Orange County following the birth of his second child. Lukas Dostal got the start in this game for the Ducks and saved 16 of 22 shots before he was pulled for John Gibson. Gibson entered and saved all 12 shots he faced. Underlying numbers suggest Dostal saved -3.18 goals above expected [https://www.naturalstattrick.com/game.php?season=20242025&game=20661&view=limited], but none of the goals he allowed should have been considered soft. They were all caused by lapses in the defensive structure in front of him. Joel Hofer got the start for the Blues, stopping 21 of the 23 shots he faced. Here are my notes from this game: Breakout: The Ducks struggled mightily to connect on their first pass out of the zone due to an effective neutral zone forecheck from St. Louis. They repeatedly attempted to hit the cutting forward through center ice with outlets but rarely connected in stride. A simple adjustment could be to implore the middle forward to swing low and reduce the distance of that first pass significantly while simultaneously generating speed through the neutral zone for a rush attack. Jacob Trouba: This game was a complete manifestation of every questionable aspect of Trouba's game all at once. The Blues' first goal was scored directly after two failures to clear a puck to safety. Their third goal was due to a disrupted outlet from Trouba followed by a poor gap against the rush. Their fifth could have been avoided if his weak side positioning wasn't as nonchalant after a strong side turnover. Pavel Mintyukov: This game saw a vintage Mintyukov performance. He was swallowing outlets in the neutral zone that he had baited opposing defensemen to make. He immediately turned those turnovers into quick-ups, generating precious few rush attacks for the Ducks. He was the only defenseman to consistently connect on his breakout passes into the neutral zone. The Ducks saw a return of how dangerous he can be when he's active off the offensive blueline, operating down the wall and finding the most optimal plays to create quality looks. Defensive zone coverage: Defending the cycle this season has been an area of improvement for the Ducks. While, before this game, they had been hemmed in fairly regularly, they had remained meticulous and hadn't allowed assignments to find soft ice or seams as often as they had in previous years. That was all erased in this game, where the Ducks were far less connective, communicative, and astute when the Blues were cycling for an extended time. The Blues' fourth goal was manufactured from the creation of a seam down low with a miscalculated coverage from Vatrano, resulting in Dylan Holloway finding open space in the high slot. Their sixth goal was scored despite perfect execution from the Ducks' man-system following a switch on the half-wall when Pavel Buchnevich was able to get the inside lane on Brian Dumoulin. Sam Colangelo: Like Mintyukov, Colangelo was a bright spot following his call-up and seemed to make the most of the opportunity playing on the Ducks' listed top line. He connected plays after receiving outlets, transported pucks through the neutral zone for easy entry, displayed touch around the net, consistently pressured opposing defensemen on the forecheck, and found a soft lane to tally his first goal of the season. Leo Carlsson: Carlsson's offensive potential was hampered by the presence of Isac Lundestrom on his line, who performed well but struggles to extend plays in the offensive zone and find linemates in position to build plays. In the few times his line saw time deep in the offensive zone, when he didn't have the puck, Carlsson had a tough time getting to open ice and presenting himself as a passing option. He's supremely talented and dangerous with the puck on his stick, but he'll need to seek out soft ice and lanes after he distributes if he's to take the next step in his development. The Ducks will look to return to the win column on Saturday, when Cutter Gauthier makes his Philadelphia debut against the Flyers. Report: Ducks Shopping Pending UFA Dumoulin [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/anaheim-ducks/latest-news/report-ducks-shopping-pending-ufa-dumoulin] Troy Terry Named NHL Second Star of the Week [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/anaheim-ducks/latest-news/troy-terry-named-nhl-second-star-of-the-week]
