Takeaways from the Ducks’ 3-1 loss to the Golden Knights

The Anaheim Ducks played their second straight game on their short road trip with a matchup against the Golden Knights in Vegas on Monday.

Game #33: Ducks vs. Golden Knights game day preview

The Ducks pulled off an emotional comeback shootout win against the Utah Hockey Club on Sunday, looking to bring their record to .500 within a game.

The Golden Knights were looking to secure their fourth straight victory and solidify their place at the top of the Pacific Division before the short holiday break.

After leaving Sunday’s game in the third period, Leo Carlsson somewhat surprisingly returned to the lineup in his usual spot between Alex Killorn and Brock McGinn.

McGinn suffered a lower-body injury early in the first period and did not return.

Drew Helleson returned to the lineup in this game (pun intended) after serving as a backup in the Ducks’ previous seven games.

John Gibson got the start for the Ducks, but was forced out of the game late in the first period after taking a stick to the face. He stopped all 11 shots he faced before Lukas Dostal came into the game in relief.

Dostal stopped 19 of 22 shots, came into the game cold and had played 65 minutes the night before in Utah.

Adin Hill took over the scoring duties for Vegas in this one. He stopped 31 of the 32 shots he faced.

Here are my notes for this game:

outbreak: Early in the game, the Ducks showed an additional wrinkle in their breakout strategy. When the strong winger (Troy Terry specifically) felt pressure from a jamming defender, he would fly across the zone to fend him off in search of a stretch pass or an area chip.

As the defenseman retreated to the neutral zone, he curled up in support of the puck-carrying defenseman to gain speed through the neutral zone and attack the rush.

Fewer of those opportunities presented themselves as the game progressed, but Trevor Zegras can add something to his game when he returns from injury if he wants to become a full-time winger. Wingers like Mitch Marner, Artemi Panarin and David Pastrnak can make plays from the middle of the ice, and there’s no doubt that Zegras can too.

cycle: As the game length increased, the chances of a cycle also diminished. Vegas protected the middle of its defensive zone well, winning races to lose pucks before executing clean breakouts.

There were some promising signs of off-cycle offense early in the game, as forwards, as they did a night ago in Utah, carried pucks from the corner of the ice up the wall to create more dangerous seams within the opponent’s defensive coverage.

Cutter Gauthier: As he becomes more comfortable with the puck on his stick, Gauthier moves his feet more in the attack zone, processes plays more quickly and looks for optimal plays more consistently.

He finds a good relationship with Mason McTavish, who can win pucks off the wall from him in space.

Leo Carlsson: Carlsson felt much more comfortable and dangerous on the right side of the top power play unit in this game than in the bumper position, where he has been since returning from injury.

He has to keep moving and look for seams when the puck is on the other side of the ice. He instinctively goes towards the right post and eliminates himself as a passing option.

He also needs to improve his decision-making when he has the puck on his stick in the defensive zone. He has adjusted to the speed and ice of the NHL, but has been prone to losing the ball in that situation this season.

The Ducks’ next game will be a Saturday matinee on December 28th when they host the Philadelphia Flyers.

Junior World Cup preview: Four Ducks have a chance to represent their countries

Ducks have several alternative captaincy options to replace Cam Fowler