Riding two emotional comeback victories since the return to NHL action after the Olympic break, the Anaheim Ducks hosted the Calgary Flames on Sunday evening at Honda Center.
The Ducks were technically undefeated in the month of February, going 4-0-0, looking to extend their winning streak to five games, and hoping for their 12th win in their last 14 games.
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Game #59: Ducks vs. Flames Gameday Preview (03/01/26)
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The Flames were playing their second game of a back-to-back, as they lost 2-0 to the Los Angeles Kings on Saturday.
With Frank Vatrano (upper body), Ryan Strome (under the weather), Troy Terry (upper body), and Mikael Granlund (upper body) still out of the lineup, this is how the Ducks’ lined up in this one:
Kreider-Carlsson-Gauthier
Viel-McTavish-Sennecke
Killorn-Poehling-Harkins
Johnston-Washe-Moore
LaCombe-Trouba
Zellweger-Gudas
Mintyukov-Helleson
Lukas Dostal got the start in net for the 10th time in the Ducks’ last 11 games. He stopped 32 of the 34 shots he faced in regulation and overtime. He was opposed by Devin Cooley, who saved 34 of 36.
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Once again, as has been a theme since the NHL’s return, the Ducks allowed a myriad of chances early, mostly due to late reactions to open seams and soft ice in the defensive zone. Dostal kept the game close early, and the remaining 45-50 minutes were dictated by Anaheim. Calgary proved pesky, diligent, and tenacious. They’re a team that is likely better than their record indicates, but their finishing ability this season has cost them games and points in the standings.
At 5v5, the Ducks finished with an even 50% of the shot attempt share, 48.98% of the shots on goal share, and 49.69% of the expected goals share.
Lukas Dostal: As mentioned, Lukas Dostal didn’t steal this game for Anaheim, but he kept the score close in the first period when the game easily could have gotten out of hand. With a lot of east/west puck motion and counterattacks, Calgary opened seam after seam early in this game, but Dostal was there to answer, making himself as big as possible in tight and making difficult saves look easy.
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The standout aspects of his game when he’s performing like this are his puck tracking and anticipation skills. He can read plays through traffic and push out toward the shooter to eliminate any potential angles. The Ducks have also begun to utilize him in overtime as an extra defenseman and puck handler. When they run into trouble, especially at the offensive blueline, they’ll simply regroup 120 feet, reset, and get a change if needed.
Building Attacks: Calgary’s roster, four lines and three pairs deep, but especially the forwards, are one of the more disruptive teams without the puck in the NHL. They backcheck with good angles, read developing plays, and time their stick challenges perfectly at the lines to manufacture turnovers and attempt counters. They’re a coach’s dream, but just lack the finishing touch that would allow them to win games like this.
Chris Kreider: Kreider isn’t necessarily a play-driver or forechecking specialist, but similar to Alex Killorn and Ryan Strome, his knowledge of reading, absorbing, and manipulating pressure to open up lanes for teammates is an underrated quality. An entertaining aspect to the Ducks’ breakouts has been Kreider finding clever ways to slip passes to Leo Carlsson in full stride after receiving an outlet on the wall.
Power Play: The Ducks generated several quality looks on the power play. The coaching staff and personnel seemed to have found optimal spots for their most talented players and have devised wrinkles with player and puck motion throughout the zone.
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On the top unit, after entry, Carlsson is utilized as a rover from the bumper, supporting the puck until pressure is established. Sennecke has been popping out from the net front to the bottom of the circle and corner, then replaced by Kreider. Depending on how Sennecke moves after receiving, Carlsson either finds soft ice in the bumper if Sennecke moves high, or he presents himself as an option on the left flank as an out. These sequences running through Carlsson or Sennecke can open up lanes to LaCombe at the point, Kreider backdoor, or Gauthier at the far side flank.
The Ducks will look to extend their winning streak to six games with a tall task on Tuesday, when they’ll host the NHL-leading Colorado Avalanche in the rubber match between these two Western Conference foes.
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