The Anaheim Ducks played their final home game before the NHL’s 4 Nations Face-Off break when they hosted the Dallas Stars on Tuesday.
Game #53: Ducks vs. Stars Gameday Preview
Anaheim entered play following a 3-2 victory over the Montreal Canadiens on Sunday, their fourth win in five games.
Dallas came into this game on a hot streak of their own, winning five in a row and six of their last seven.
Troy Terry returned to the Ducks lineup in this game after missing Sunday’s game due to illness. The forward lines returned to how they were constructed before his absence.
Jansen Harkins and Pavel Mintyukov served as the Ducks’ healthy scratches in this game.
This game was Mason McTavish’s 200th career NHL game, Jacob Trouba’s 800th, and John Gibson’s 500th.
Gibson stopped 26 of the 27 shots he faced in this game.
Opposing Gibson in the Stars’ crease was Jake Oettinger, who saved 26 of 28 shots.
Here are my notes on this game:
Olen Zellweger-This was a trademark performance from Zellweger in this game, playing more like the two-time WHL Defenseman of the Year and the AHL All-Star he had been in previous seasons.
He didn’t hesitate to join a rush, constantly searching for an opportunity to present himself as a passing option and transport pucks up the ice. He was quickly closing in on attackers and seldom lost a battle he had anywhere near a 50% chance of winning.
He was the Ducks’ best pinching defenseman and kept several pucks alive in the offensive zone.
Power Play-The Ducks failed to convert on three power play opportunities, including a brief 5-on-3, and got four shots through to Oettinger.
The top unit, while still relatively stationary, was snapping the puck around crisply and with seemingly more intent. They attempted to set up the lateral goal line look to McTavish that had been effective against their own penalty kill several times this season.
The Ducks will need to keep experimenting with different looks and perhaps even shuffled personnel if they’re to find something that works and ignite a stale man-advantage effort.
John Gibson-Though neither goaltender let in a soft goal, Gibson won the goalie battle against his fellow countryman and US netminder for the 4 Nations Face-Off, Jake Oettinger.
Gibson’s rebound control was phenomenal in this game as he swallowed up every perimeter shot he faced while the defenders in front of him either blocked shots or cleared paths for him to see pucks.
Gibson’s most underrated asset remains his game-management skills. He inherently knows when to freeze a puck or deflect a shot to safety when he senses the team in front of him is frantic or scrambling. His poise in and out of the crease, when playing pucks makes the retrieving defensemen’s job significantly easier and renders breakouts smoother.
The Ducks will head to Los Angeles next to face the Kings on Saturday before their two-week break for the NHL 4-Nations Face-Off.
Ducks Legend Niedermayer Encouraged with Direction of the Rebuild
How the Projected Salary Cap Increases will Impact the Ducks
