The Ducks set their compasses north, heading for a weekend jaunt through Western Canada that will take them to Winnipeg in an effort to down the Jets on Friday and to Calgary to face the Flames on Saturday.
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They started the season with seven solid periods but crumbled in the eighth, turning a high-flying first frame and a 2-0 lead into a 5-2 thumping at the hands of the Edmonton Oilers on Wednesday.
“We approached the start of the year in good shape. We got a market correction today, so let’s see how we’ll handle it. Let’s respond in the correct way,” said Ducks coach Joel Quenneville of his team’s quick pivot to consecutive road games.
Quenneville also pointed out that in their two home games the Ducks (2-1-0) had no 5-on-5 goals, scoring five times on the power play in a split of their decisions. All their goals in a 4-3 victory to open the season in Vegas did come at even strength.
Winger Beckett Sennecke, who lit the lamp twice Wednesday, noted that the Ducks were excelling at high tempos and when they had room to skate, but weren’t nearly as dangerous when play slowed down.
“We know we have a lot of fast guys, and we know when we play that way we’re tough to beat, but when we don’t, we’re not that effective,” Sennecke observed.
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Nikita Klepov, 18, made his debut against Edmonton, playing just over 10 minutes and being credited with five hits. He was also on the receiving end of a few checks. Quenneville was still deciding how much, if at all, Klepov would figure into the brief road trip. Klepov was the third player in three games to skate on the right side of the third line, which has lacked identity thus far.
Before the Ducks were saddled with their first loss of the season, the NHL’s only other undefeated team, the Colorado Avalanche, lost earlier in the evening. They slipped against the opponent in the on-deck circle for the Ducks in Winnipeg.
After grilling up a slump sandwich last year, bookending their campaign with surges but descending into a midseason abyss, the Jets have again looked solid out of the gate. They have yet to lose in regulation (3-0-1) with Kyle Connor and Cole Perfetti leading the way offensively.
They’ve been without discontented star goalie Connor Hellebuyck after he was suspended for not reporting to training camp, and might be sans top defenseman Josh Morrissey due to an upper-body injury he sustained Wednesday.
Calgary, on the other hand, appears destined for the top draft lottery odds at wunderkind defenseman Landon Dupont. Not only are they one of three franchises without a win in 2026-27, they’d scored just three goals in their first three games ahead of a buzzsaw matchup with Colorado on Thursday. There are 26 individual players who have at least three goals already in 2025-26.
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Ducks at Winnipeg
When: 5 p.m. PT Friday
Where: Canada Life Centre, Winnipeg, Manitoba
How to watch: KCOP (Ch. 13), Prime Video
Ducks at Calgary
When: 7 p.m. PT Friday
Where: Scotiabank Saddledome, Calgary, Alberta
How to watch: KCOP (Ch. 13), Prime Video