Here are three things to watch in Game 6:
1. Absences
Vegas defenseman Brayden McNabb will serve a one-game suspension for interference against Anaheim center Ryan Poehling in Game 5. Poehling is out with an undisclosed injury because of the hit.
McNabb was averaging 22:24 of ice time -- including 3:29 on the penalty kill, most on the Golden Knights -- entering Game 5, when he left at the 9-minute mark of the first period after receiving a major penalty for interference and game misconduct.
His absence puts pressure on a Vegas defense already without Jeremy Lauzon, who will miss his sixth straight game with an upper-body injury. Shea Theodore, who usually plays with McNabb on the right side of the top pair, likely will switch to the left to partner with Dylan Coghlan. Kaedan Korczak is expected to play for the first time in four games.
“I think we want to make sure that we make them defend more than their fair share without one of their top defensemen,” Quenneville said.
Poehling has five points (four goals, one assist) in 11 games and is a key penalty killer for Anaheim. Quenneville said Mason McTavish might move from wing to center, and Jansen Harkins could enter the lineup.
“I think everybody’s excited about getting the chance to play more,” Quenneville said.
2. Special teams
The Ducks are 3-for-6 on the power play over the past two games after going 0-for-11 over the first three, but they’re 2-for-4 on the penalty kill over the past two games and 9-for-13 in the series.
“The special teams is huge in any playoff series, and this one’s been no different,” Anaheim defenseman John Carlson said. “I think the power play’s started to chip in a little bit. The PK’s got to slam the door a little bit more.
“I think winning that battle in any game throughout the year is big, but certainly in playoff games, high stakes, there’s people diving everywhere. There’s probably less scoring than normal, and that amplifies those goals even more.”
3. Anaheim offense vs. Vegas defense
The Ducks scored at least three goals in five of six games against the Oilers in the first round. As expected, they’ve faced a stiffer challenge against the Golden Knights, limited to two goals or fewer in four of five games, not counting empty-net goals.
Forward Alex Killorn said Anaheim might look at defenseman Olen Zellweger’s goal at 16:55 of the third period of Game 5 as an example of what it needs to do, because “we kind of spread them out.
“We’ll give them credit,” Killorn added. “They do a really good job. They have a lot of veteran guys that play hard and defend hard, and it’s tough to get out of those spots when you get pushed into the boards there.”
