PREVIEW: Ducks Open Second Round Series in Vegas Tonight

The Ducks hit the road for Game 1 of the Second Round, as they take on the Golden Knights in Vegas.

Puck drop is set for 6:30 p.m. PT and will air nationally on ESPN.

Game 1 Factoids

With the series win over Edmonton last Thursday, Anaheim advanced to the Second Round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the ninth time in franchise history.

Jackson LaCombe had nine points in the series setting the team’s single-series record for First Round points and assists by a defenseman (1-8=9). Additionally, he leads all defensemen in points and assists this postseason. Cutter Gauthier leads the team with four goals in the playoffs while Troy Terry, Leo Carlsson, and Alex Killorn have three apiece.

Vegas enters the Second Round after beating Utah in six games marking back-to-back Round 2 appearances for the club. Jack Eichel’s eight assists are tied for the league-high while Brett Howden’s four goals lead the club this postseason.

This is the first meeting between the clubs in the playoffs; however, the Ducks swept the Golden Knights in the regular season, winning all three games by one score – albeit, the same score, 4-3 – with two of the three wins coming in overtime.

Despite the sweep, a new season starts now, and the Ducks know starting fast and opening the scoring is of the essence against a club like Vegas.

“Not a lot of holes,” head coach Joel Quenneville said of his team’s next opponent. “I think that we’ve gotta be at our best. We have to make sure we start the series (fast). Every game’s going to be important that we play consistently. We can’t give up leads. When I say leads, we can’t give up chasing a game like we saw most of the year and in that last round, as well. Let’s make sure our starts are going to be better. We’re going to need everyone.”

“It’s important that we’ve gotta be ready from the start,” LaCombe added. “Last round, our start to Game 1 wasn’t great. I know we bounced back in Game 2 after that, but I think just being ready to go right away.”

As the team heads to Sin City, some pundits say the club is playing with house money in the playoffs. If you ask the players, they’re focusing on playing gritty, knowing there’s still a lot left to accomplish.

“We’re going to play as underdogs through the whole playoff series,” LaCombe reflected. “We’re going to just keep playing our game, doing our thing, and keep rolling.”

VGK head coach John Tortorella said William Karlsson will return to the lineup for the first time since last playing the Ducks in November. The center has been sidelined on injured reserve with a lower-body injury.  

As for the Ducks, Quenneville said Radko Gudas (lower-body) “is more than ready to help us at some point” while Terry will be in the lineup tonight.