The Anaheim Ducks opened their two-game road trip on Monday when they visited the Dallas Stars.
Ducks vs Stars Pre-Game Stat Pack
Before their departure, the team announced they had recalled forward Sam Colangelo and defenseman Tyson Hinds from the San Diego Gulls of the AHL.
They had additionally placed forward Mason McTavish on Injury Reserve.
Despite the added depth, Ducks head coach Greg Cronin started the same 18 skaters he deployed on Friday when the Ducks defeated the Red Wings 6-4.
Takeaways from the Ducks 6-4 Win over the Red Wings
The forward lines were shuffled a bit in this game and resembled how they ended Friday’s game, while the defensive pairs remained the same.
Brock McGinn was forced out of this game after a collision into the boards in the second period. His status will be monitored moving forward.
Lukas Dostal got the start in this game, his first start since Wednesday’s 3-2 loss to the Vegas Golden Knights. He stopped 34 of the 36 shots he faced in this game.
The Stars gave the nod to Casey DeSmith in the crease, where he saved 23 of 27.
Here are my notes from this game:
Brett Leason: Leason booked his first three-point performance in this game. His speed and skill have always been apparent, but now he’s incorporating several new details, making him a more effective offensive threat.
In the modern NHL, because offensive zone forechecks are so efficient and suffocating, defenders often have to resort to chips or flips out of the defensive zone. The ensuing battles in the neutral zone are becoming increasingly important toward influencing the outcomes of games.
Leason is learning to anticipate how pucks will bounce off the glass, how defenders play said chips, and how to catch opponents flat-footed.
Once in the offensive zone on the rush, he’s leveraging his speed by lowering his inside shoulder to protect the puck and drive to the crease. He’s becoming a difficult player to maintain for the opposition.
Backcheck/Neutral Zone Forecheck: Dallas is a team that prioritizes generating their offense off the rush. The Ducks negated those opportunities with a layered neutral zone 1-1-3 forecheck and tenacious backchecks to eliminate trailing options.
Olen Zellweger: Zellweger is dictating pace of play when he’s on the ice without “slowing the game down.” He’s adding elements of fundamental defense like angling and body play while showcasing his elite speed and edges to win battles and turn pucks up ice. He’s becoming an excellent all-around player right before our eyes.
Trevor Zegras: Zegras was listed as the top line left winger in this game, but make no mistake, he was that line’s center. He took 17 of 19 draws, played as the low forward in defensive zone coverage, and supported breakouts below the puck.
He played with a new-found pace in this game, as he was attacking with ample speed, consistently hounding puck retrievers as the F1, and was quick to help-defend for teammates in corner battles.
Drew Helleson: Helleson displayed more of the pro habits in this game that he’s been praised for since his draft year. He angled attackers to the corners to kill plays, boxed out his assignments in front of the net, and took care of pucks by playing them to safety.
The Ducks will play their second game of a back-to-back on Tuesday in Chicago, when they’ll take on the Blackhawks.
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