Game Notes: Sloppy Ducks Falter Against Canes
Here are my notes from the Ducks 4-1 loss against Carolina.
Sloppiness Strikes Again
The Ducks showed some real promise in this game. We saw their quick strike, possession-based attack pay dividends at times. But once again, as seen in their previous games, the mental errors and sloppy play were problematic.
Jackson LaCombe’s turnover on Carolina’s fourth goal was emblematic of this. LaCombe has looked supremely confident with the puck on his stick this season — even throughout this game — almost making it look effortless. Sometimes, it leads to magic, and other times, to disaster.
On the fourth goal, he tries a casual stickhandling maneuver around a tenacious forechecker in Seth Jarvis and gets immediately picked off, leading to a back breaking goal.
You don’t want to take away what makes a player special, but we’ve seen LaCombe be prone to these errors in the past. Something the coaching staff will surely discuss with him.
LaCombe was far from the biggest culprit, though. Mikael Granlund made a questionable decision on the Canes first goal, where he tried a risky move in front of his own net, passing the puck to a covered Troy Terry. Not good enough from a veteran there.
The Ducks continue to show flashes, but it’s difficult to beat good teams when you constantly shoot yourself in the foot.
Leo Carlsson’s speed
Now for some positives. We just have to discuss how perfect the execution was on Carlsson’s goal. Mintyukov with a quick touch over to Hellson, who then plays it up the wall to Killorn, who then finds Carlsson with speed. Patrick and I discussed on the latest CTP episode how Killorn is a great fit next to Carlsson because he’s always looking for Carlsson flying up the ice. No better example of it than on that goal.
Carlsson was causing problems for Carolina all night. He pierced the neutral zone in the third, turning a corner on Taylor Hall and getting a chance in tight. He also had some quality backhecking plays, breaking off Carolina’s rush.
The Ducks’ franchise center looks every bit the player they saw in him when he was drafted, and that should be very exciting for all involved.
Ross Johnston
Johnston barely played down the stretch of the third period, tallying up 7:24 of ice time on the night.
He had two poor turnovers in the first period, and was a non-factor against a contending Canes team. At this point, it’s really hard to see why he’s in the lineup at all. Sam Colangelo is clearly a better player.
Sennecke Watch
Simply put, this was a rough night for Sennecke, who looked more like his preseason self. Not to be unexpected against an elite team, but it was rough nonetheless. He struggled to make plays, made some ill-advised moves with the puck in dangerous situations leading to turnovers, and was muscled off the puck consistently.
On the flip side, he did look to use his shot more. which he hadn’t done much of in the first three games. This is all part of the learning process for him as he adapts to the NHL, though it will be interesting to see how he looks in the next game or two.
Zellweger, Again
I’m not done pointing this out. Zellweger looks like a legitimate top-four NHL defenseman right now. He makes plays all over the ice, and has added a physical presence to his defensive game.
Third Pairing Shines
In a game that was defined by the Ducks’ mistakes, their young third pairing was the exact opposite, playing a very solid brand of hockey. Mintyukov looked like his rookie year self, making plays deep into the offensive zone, moving pucks quickly on the breakout, and aggressively closing gaps in the neutral zone.
Drew Helleson was also excellent. He broke up a 2 on 1, and was an efficient puck mover. Exactly the kind of performance you want to see from him.
Quenneville playing the long game?
One of the themes of training camp was Quenneville telling his players to “not be afraid of making mistakes”. Well, they’re making mistakes at really inopportune times right now. Perhaps from a coaching standpoint, it’s easier to give your players that fearless attitude to go out there and make plays, then reel them back in once the mistakes come in. We saw Cronin do the opposite: beat everyone over the head with “standards”, only to ultimately see the creativity and offensive game whither away.
As sloppy as the Ducks look at times, they also have flashes of brilliance. Quenneville’s approach does appear to be yielding positives in that regard, which is really important for a group starved to break out offensively. The refiniment will certainly come, and Quenneville will have plenty of clips to use in video room sessions to point out what needs to be fixed.
Other Notes
Nikita Nesterenko is playing a solid brand of hockey right now. He’s using his skating stride and long reach to make an impact in all three zones.
Svechnikov faking a Zegras flip pass behind the net, then trying a wraparound was extremely creative.
McTavish’s best game this season. Making plays for linemates, and showed some crafty stickhandling maneuvers. Good to see him get some quality shots off as well.