The Anaheim Ducks hosted the Edmonton Oilers for a Sunday matinee one day after a Saturday matinee loss to the Philadelphia Flyers.
Game #35: Ducks vs. Oilers Gameday Preview
The Oilers were also playing their second game of a back-to-back after they lost 4-3 in overtime against the Los Angeles Kings on Saturday.
The Oilers had defeated the Ducks seven straight times coming into this game.
Ducks head coach Greg Cronin stuck with the same forward lines as Saturday’s loss but shook up the defensive pairs quite a bit.
Olen Zellweger served this game as the team’s healthy scratch, with Pavel Mintyukov returning to the lineup.
Mintyukov slid in next to Drew Helleson as Jacob Trouba and Brian Dumoulin were paired together to absorb the Connor McDavid matchup.
With John Gibson unavailable and Calle Clang having never started an NHL game, Lukas Dostal drew in the crease for the Ducks for the second day in a row. He stopped 20 of 23 shots.
For Edmonton, Calvin Pickard got the start and saved 27 of the 31 shots he faced.
Here are my notes from this game:
Pressure: The Ducks seemed to have gained confidence in their system and trust within their linemates enough, perhaps, to pressure slightly heavier and earlier in the neutral zone and after entry to kill plays.
They took advantage of a handful of miscues from Edmonton to turn defense into quick-strike offense.
Their puck management wasn’t always as polished as they’d hoped, but the other four teammates on the ice did well to recover when there was a misstep.
Power Play: The power play continues to struggle to produce. They were generating chances early in this game with rotation and player movement. As the game wore on, and especially when they were awarded a four-minute man-advantage, they had trouble fighting through blueline pressure and connecting upon entry.
Dumoulin-Trouba: Brian Dumoulin and Jacob Trouba were paired together for the first time this season and received a matchup against Connor McDavid, the tallest of tasks in the NHL.
They did well to retrieve pucks and move them quickly in their own zone, spending as little time with the puck on their sticks below the goal line as possible. They were tenacious in small areas and disruptive in open ice to break up cross-ice attempts and cutbacks.
Ryan Strome: Strome earned his game-winning goal with his 200-foot, 60-minute effort in this game. He established himself as more of a shooting threat than had been typical of him, persistently getting to loose pucks first and driving them into the goal mouth area.
His line received the McDavid matchup as well and didn’t sit back on their heels but pounced on loose or bobbled pucks to turn them back up ice quickly with ample speed.
The Ducks will look to carry momentum into Tuesday when they’ll host the New Jersey Devils on New Year’s Eve.
Ducks World Junior Recap Day 2: Uljanskis, Latvia Stun Canada
Ducks World Junior Recap Day 3: Terrance, Burnevik Contribute to USA Win Over Uljanskis, Latvia. Port, Czechia Dismantle Kasakhstan