Ducks stick to basics, top Golden Knights in Game 2 to even series

LAS VEGAS — The Ducks spent 60 minutes trashing a narrative on Wednesday night. It was said they couldn’t play defense effectively. It was said they would rather outscore opponents than prevent them from scoring. It was said they weren’t a quality playoff team because they didn’t play playoff-style hockey.

Read more Zach Neto, Angels flip the script, outlast White Sox

None of it could be said after the Ducks’ 3-1 victory over the Vegas Golden Knights in Game 2 of their second-round Stanley Cup playoff series at T-Mobile Arena evened the best-of-seven series at one victory apiece. The Ducks buckled down and were six seconds away from shutting out the Golden Knights.

Above all, the Ducks used their remarkable speed to defend their end of the ice as well as to explore offensive chances at the other end. It wasn’t always that way during the regular season or during their first-round victory over the Edmonton Oilers, their first series victory since 2017.

“It’s not our tradition to play that type of game, a low-scoring affair,” Ducks coach Joel Quenneville said. “I think we’ve had some stretches showing over the course of the season, particularly late, that this is the only way you’re going to be successful in the playoffs. You’ve got to win games like tonight.”

The series now shifts to Honda Center for Games 3 and 4 on Friday and Sunday nights. Game 5, now necessary after the Ducks matched the Golden Knights’ 3-1 victory in Game 1 with their own 3-1 win in Game 2, will be Tuesday night at T-Mobile Arena.

The Ducks misfired on more than six minutes of power-play time in the first period, including 1:41 while on a 5-on-3 advantage. They showed no frustration whatsoever, though. They outshot the Golden Knights 13-4 in the first period, but they couldn’t put a puck behind Carter Hart.

It didn’t seem to faze them in the least. They continued to apply 200-foot pressure on the Golden Knights, denying them easy entry into the attacking zone. They didn’t allow Vegas to build momentum through sustained pressure, and they got superb play from goalie Lukas Dostal when it mattered most.

When they had the puck in their possession, the Ducks didn’t get too cute with it. They went to the front of Hart’s net and they were rewarded with goals from point-blank range from rookie Beckett Sennecke in the second period and Leo Carlsson in the third. Jansen Harkins added a late empty-net goal.

Dostal made 24 saves before Mark Stone scored a power-play goal with 5.6 seconds to play, deflecting a perimeter shot by teammate Jack Eichel. Dostal faced the most intense pressure of Game 2 while the Ducks were shorthanded after Ryan Poehling was penalized for tripping at 11:37 of the third.

Read more Alek Manoah joins Angels’ bullpen two years after Tommy John surgery

“We were all swimming in the crease,” Dostal said of scrambling along with the Ducks’ penalty killers to keep the puck out of the net as the Golden Knights swarmed him. “I was playing more like a soccer goalie than a hockey goalie out there, but it didn’t go in. I mean, they did a hell of a job.”

In fact, the Ducks made a commitment to play a more well-rounded game in their 5-2 series-clinching victory over the Oilers in Game 6 on April 30 at Honda Center. It carried over to their Game 1 loss on Monday and again in their Game 2 victory Wednesday.

“Honestly, we don’t listen to that too much,” Poehling said of the chatter about their inability to play sound defense. “It’s game-by-game. Some games, we’re a team like you saw in the Edmonton series where it’s so fast and flowing. Sometimes you’re giving up more chances, but you’re also getting more.”

So far, the series against Vegas has showcased the Ducks’ ability to disrupt the Golden Knights’ offense with their speed without the puck. At times, the Golden Knights have been forced to navigate their way through the neutral zone and into the attacking zone through a forest of sticks.

It’s been a point of concern for Vegas coach John Tortorella in each game.

“A lot of times, we’re one and done,” he said. “We need to create more pressure there, and I think that will hurt their attacks. I thought there were some really good minutes within the game and some minutes that were just not there, but that’s why you play the series. I have full trust that we’re going to find our way.”

The Ducks haven’t allowed Eichel and Mitch Marner room to roam. Eichel hasn’t scored a goal in two games and Marner has only an empty-net goal in the closing moments of Game 1. The Ducks also shut down the Oilers’ dynamic duo of Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl in the first round.

McDavid had one goal in six games; Draisaitl had three.

It was a team effort in the first round and it is again in the second.

“We have speed on all the lines and I think we’ve got balance in our lines and I thought, defensively, we played one of our better games all year,” Quenneville said. “We had good puck pursuit. We had some good shifts in the second (period) with possession. A lot of positives out there.”

Read more Angels beat White Sox for their 1st series victory in more than 3 weeks