3 Things to Watch: Golden Knights at Ducks, Game 3 of Western 2nd Round

(1P) Golden Knights at (3P) Ducks 

Western Conference Second Round, Game 3

Best-of-7 series tied 1-1

9:30 p.m. ET; HBO MAX, truTV, TNT, SN360, SN, TVAS

ANAHEIM -- The Anaheim Ducks are looking to make the most of home-ice advantage and take the series lead against the Vegas Golden Knights at Honda Center on Friday. 

Anaheim wrestled home-ice advantage away from Vegas with a 3-1 win at T-Mobile Arena on Wednesday. The Ducks are 3-0 at home so far in the playoffs and were 24-13-4 here in the regular season. 

"We feel confident," Ducks forward Beckett Sennecke said. "The (first round), we were all fresh and new and now we kind of know what to expect a little bit here, so it's a similar feeling." 

The Ducks won both home games after splitting the first two games of the first round against the Edmonton Oilers. Anaheim went on to win the series in six games. 

Vegas presents a similar challenge with a playoff veteran team. The Ducks are aware things can change in a hurry in the postseason, and are expecting a big push from the Golden Knights.

"That's just the playoffs, even in the first series, there were plenty of games where we thought we were in a good spot and things can change quickly," Ducks forward Alex Killorn said. "I think most of the guys know that. It's the same attitude and we're going to play the same way we did in the first two games and not worry too much about those things."

Vegas has been in this position before and say they feel they were able to get a split at home despite having yet to play its best hockey. 

"We're 1-1 and this time of year, most of the series are usually 1-1 because all the teams are usually pretty evenly matched," Vegas captain Mark Stone said. "Our is no different, so we're coming in to win one game, that's got to be our mindset tonight, play our best game try to get a win and get things back on track." 

Teams that take a 2-1 lead in a best-of-7 series have an all-time series record of 248-126 (66.3 percent), including 3-2 in the 2026 playoffs.

Here are three things to watch in Game 3: 

1. Pucks in deep 

The Golden Knights have been doing a good job taking care of the puck and not giving the Ducks rush opportunities the other way. Vegas would like to have more possession in the offensive zone, however, which is how it generates most of its scoring opportunities. 

"We have to be harder on the puck, that's the big thing," Golden Knights forward Jack Eichel said. "We have to be better with the puck when you have it on your stick and understand what they want to do defensively and how we can try and counter the offense when they have the puck." 

Vegas has been limited to 22 shots on goal in each of the first two games of the series.

"It's a simple thing, get pucks to the net, getting bodies to the net and trying to screen their goaltender," Eichel said. "(Anaheim goalie Lukas Dostal) obviously had a good game the other night and you want to try and make things uncomfortable for him." 

2. Defense first

Anaheim is not playing a run-and-gun game against Vegas the way it did at times against Edmonton. The Ducks are happy with their defensive game in the opening two games of the series, and are looking to maintain a similar approach in Game 3. 

"When we played Edmonton in the first series, they kind of want to get up and down the ice; maybe we lean into that whereas Vegas kind of defensively shuts it down and plays a really good O-zone game," Killorn said. "So, I think you can kind of play similarly to the teams you're playing against."

The Ducks conceded four goals through the first two games of the series against the Golden Knights whereas they gave up eight in the first two games against the Oilers. 

3. Keeping it tight 

Not including empty-net goals, the first two games of the series have been one-goal games, which is something Anaheim has been comfortable playing in all season. 

Anaheim was 24-6-6 in one-goal games in the regular season and is 1-1 so far in the playoffs. 

If the first two games were any indication, Game 3 should be tight as well. 

"We're comfortable in pretty close games," Ducks coach Joel Quenneville said. "I think your starts are important going into this game like they were in the first two; we did pretty well in that area. At the same time, the games keep getting a little bit more important and bigger and more challenging, and you know, let's, let's be ready for it."

Golden Knights projected lineup

Ivan Barbashev -- Jack Eichel -- Mark Stone

Brett Howden -- William Karlsson -- Mitch Marner

Pavel Dorofeyev -- Tomas Hertl -- Keegan Kolesar

Cole Smith -- Nic Dowd -- Colton Sissons

Brayden McNabb -- Shea Theodore

Noah Hanifin -- Rasmus Andersson

Ben Hutton -- Dylan Coghlan

Carter Hart

Adin Hill

Scratched: Brandon Saad, Akira Schmid, Reilly Smith, Kaedan Korczak

Injured: Jonas Rondbjerg (lower body), Jeremy Lauzon (upper body)

Ducks projected lineup

Chris Kreider -- Leo Carlsson -- Troy Terry

Alex Killorn -- Mikael Granlund -- Cutter Gauthier

Jeffrey Viel -- Tim Washe -- Beckett Sennecke

Ross Johnston -- Ryan Poehling -- Jansen Harkins

Jackson LaCombe -- Jacob Trouba

Pavel Mintyukov -- John Carlson

Tyson Hinds -- Drew Helleson

Lukas Dostal

Ville Husso

Scratched: Frank Vatrano, Olen Zellweger, Mason McTavish, Ian Moore, Radko Gudas

Injured: None

Status report

Coghlan, who last played on Feb. 25, will enter the lineup for Korczak. ... Gudas participated in the morning skate, and Quenneville said "he could be possible for the series." The defenseman has not played since Game 1 of the Western Conference First Round against the Edmonton Oilers. ... Terry took a maintenance day as has been his routine since the Olympic break, but will play.