Pat Pickens
It took just 66 seconds for the Anaheim Ducks’ good vibes to sail away in Game 3 against the Vegas Golden Knights.
The Golden Knights on their first shot of the game and rolled to a 6-2 win behind Mitch Marner‘s first-career Stanley Cup Playoff hat trick at Honda Center on Friday.
Former Ducks defenseman Shea Theodore had a goal and an assist, and Brayden McNabb scored a key short-handed goal in the first period. Lukas Dostal allowed three goals on eight shots and was pulled for Ville Husso for the second time in these playoffs.
Husso made 17 saves, and Bennett Sennecke and Chris Kreider each scored for Anaheim. Vegas leads the best-of-7 series, and Game 4 will be Sunday at Honda Center at 6:30 p.m. PT.
The Ducks Power Play Failed Again
The Ducks’ inability to solve the Golden Knights aggressive penalty kill was a huge storyline entering play Friday. But in Game 3, Anaheim’s man-advantage was an active hinderance.
The Ducks again put up an 0-fer in two power-play attempts — increasing their drought to 11 in the Vegas series. But McNabb’s short-handed goal, which came on a neat drop pass from Marner at 12:13 of the first period, was a back-breaker that put the Golden Knights ahead 2-0.
“I think we gotta break through there with a funny goal,” Ducks coach Joel Quenneville said. “I think we gotta establish more shots, not the perfect shot or not the perfect way to pass it into the back of the net.”
Anaheim’s power play was an X-factor in their upset, six-game series win over the Edmonton Oilers in the first round. Their first power play had a solid setup and some extended zone time, but neither unit could beat Vegas goalie Carter Hart, who made 31 saves.
“We had some good looks there,” Quenneville said. “I think we’ve gotta get greasy and pay that price on a second and third opportunity based on having those good looks.”
But the Ducks’ power play is becoming a momentum killer in this series, since aside from the allowed goal, Anaheim had as many shots on the power play Friday as Vegas had short-handed.
Vegas’ Strong Start Put Anaheim in a Bind
The Ducks have found a way to rally all postseason. But it’s hard to keep getting off the mat time and again.
Theodore struck just 1:06 into the game, fielding a neat, cross-slot pass from Jack Eichel and beating Dostal on the Golden Knights’ first shot.
The Ducks were resilient, drawing a pair of penalties again over the game’s first 10 minutes. McNabb’s shorty deepened the hole, and Marner’s goal, which came with 4.6 seconds left in the first period, sent Vegas to the dressing room with a 3-0 lead.
“I didn’t mind our start until they scored, and we lost the momentum there,” Quenneville said. “Getting that third one at the end of the period certainly was a killer. That was basically the game.”
Quenneville, a coach for more than two decades with three Stanley Cup rings, saw Vegas take its game to a new level in Game 3 and understands it’s time for his team to do the same.
“We’ve had games like this, and we’ve got to make sure we respond the right way, which is [this is] unacceptable,” Quenneville said. “I think there is a lesson to take out of today’s game. It’s only gouing to get harder every game. It’s not going to get easy, so let’s get ready to go to war.”
A Goalie Controversy?
Dostal was pulled in the first period of Game 5 against the Oilers, seemingly as a message sent to the Ducks and a way to get him a break in a game that had gotten out of hand.
But pulling Dostal in Game 3 on Friday felt more like a message to the suddenly embattled goalie, especially after he gave up two goals on the first three shots faced. His save percentage is down to .867, and Dostal has given up at least three goals in six of his 10 outings.
Even if you give him a pass for Theodore’s early goal, Dostal had to stop McNabb’s innocuous-looking shot that became the devastating short-handed goal. He also didn’t swallow Marner’s initial try, which allowed the wing to score on the rebound.
“Both,” Quenneville curtly said when asked whether he pulled Dostal to send a message to the team or the goalie.
Husso, who played 20 games for the Ducks during the regular season, gave up a pair of goals to Marner on 19 shots faced. Husso has a 2.12 goals-against average and .900 save% in his two outings, but did play seven games for the St. Louis Blues in the 2022 playoffs.
Falling behind 3-1 to Vegas, which is both veteran laden and seasoned, would effectively be a death sentence. So the most likely outcome would be Dostal to start with Husso waiting to enter if the Ducks goalie falters again.
Quenneville, unsurprisingly, wouldn’t confirm his plans for the all-important Game 4 on Sunday.
“We’ll see,” Quenneville said when asked who would play goal.
