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The Anaheim Ducks hosted the Boston Bruins Wednesday evening at Honda Center, a team they’re neck-and-neck with in the NHL league standings. The Ducks were looking to return to the win column after losing to the Carolina Hurricanes on Sunday and winning just one of their previous four games entering Wednesday.
Game #71: Ducks vs. Bruins Gameday Preview
For the first time since memory will serve, the Bruins were sellers at the trade deadline in 2024-25. They came to Orange County riddled with injuries, including to their top three defensemen: Charlie McAvoy, Hampus Lindholm, and Nikita Zadorov. They were looking to avoid a fourth straight loss, being swept by all three California teams on their road trip, and end their six-game winless streak.
John Gibson got the start in net for the Ducks in this one and saved 23 of 25 shots and only saw nine shots through the first two periods. He probably would have liked Boston’s second goal back, but the game was already so far out of reach by that point.
Opposing Gibson was Joonas Korpisalo, who stopped 31 of Anaheim’s 37 shots. He had a tough game in net for Boston and let in at least two goals that could be considered soft.
Ducks head coach Greg Cronin had a nearly healthy forward group to build a lineup with, as Ross Johnston was the only Ducks player out with an injury for this game. Sam Colangelo returned to the lineup after missing five games with an upper-body injury and slotted in next to Mason McTavish and opposite Trevor Zegras.
Here are my notes on this game:
Cycle-There was far more consistent off-puck movement in the offensive zone from all five Anaheim players on the ice at a given time in this game. When pucks moved low to high, the low forward who’d distributed looked to get open rather than make a beeline to the net front to create traffic.
Traffic was still created in front of Korpisalo, but it came more organically from the weak side with forwards in motion. Anaheim’s F3 rotated up high to the blueline to draw defenders out of position and attack downhill, often even before the puck arrived at the top of the zone. It forced the weak side defender to activate and find soft ice, creating more dynamic attacks and extended pressure.
Penalty Kill-Leo Carlsson and Troy Terry featured on the Ducks’ penalty kill in this game for 2:09 and 1:33, respectively. They represent the two Ducks forwards who can singlehandedly and consistently force turnovers and mistakes against opposing attacks, so giving them PK time may have been long overdue for the team with the 29th-ranked penalty kill (72.2%) in the league.
Carlsson pounced on a puck after it popped loose from a corner battle, evaded the pressuring defender from the point, and converted on a 2v1 with Alex Killorn for his first career shorthanded goal and the Ducks first of the game. The hope is that this isn’t a late-season experiment that will be abandoned by the start of 2025-26.
Trevor Zegras-Despite being held off the scoresheet in this game, along with Carlsson and Jackson LaCombe, it could be argued that Zegras was the most dangerous Ducks player. He put forth one of the more detailed efforts of the season, often as the first backchecker into the defensive zone and when disrupting opposing breakouts.
He’s blending a newfound puck protection dynamic with his trademark deception and vision to create a multitude of high-danger chances from below the goal line and in tight areas of the ice.
The Ducks will return to action against a desperate New York Rangers team who will be visiting Honda Center on Friday evening just one point out of a wild card spot in the Eastern Conference playoff picture.
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