Game Notes: Sennecke, Ducks Show Out Against Devils

Here are my notes from a Ducks 4-1 win against the New Jersey Devils. I have broken this up into three sections: “Pluses” (positives from the game), “Minuses” (negatives from the game), and an “Open Ice” section for overall thoughts and random notes.

Pluses

• Beckett Sennecke

  • It’s no secret that I’ve been critical of Sennecke’s game this season, and he made me eat crow in what was his best game of the campaign.

  • Sennecke made plays all throughout the night, but it all started with his first period goal. He used his long reach to gather a puck, fend off a defender, then roof the puck home in-tight at a very difficult angle.

  • That would not be the last chance for Sennecke. He had more dazzling stickhandling sequences, dangling through defenders to generate opportunities (including one where he dangled Luke Hughes out of his skates en route to the net). He also had two golden chances in the slot thanks to Mason McTavish’s passing.

  • Notably, Sennecke seemed a lot more poised with the puck. There was a sequence in the third period where he entered the zone off the rush, and briefly looked like he was about to precipitate a pass into the middle.

  • Instead, he held on to the puck for a couple of beats longer, allowing the play to develop, eventually finding Jackson LaCombe cross-ice for a one-timer.

  • That conscious decision to slow himself down mentally to assess the play was a positive sign. This was the kind of game that should provide a huge confidence boost for Sennecke.

• The Kid Line

  • I don’t usually do stats in here, leaving that to my intrepid co-host Jake’s articles, but this one has to be mentioned.

  • With the Gauthier-McTavish-Sennecke line on the ice at five on five, the Ducks generated 25 (!!) shot attempts, and only gave up 8. They flat out dominated.

  • What was even more encouraging from an eye test standpoint, though, was how those numbers were achieved.

  • The trio dominated in-zone, prolonging possession thanks to tenacious board work, smart sticks, and heady passing. Sure, Cutter Gauthier’s goal was a bit fortunate, but the three players made a number of plays on that shift to prolong the sequence. Sometimes, you really do make your own luck.

  • I’ve said it a bunch before, but I’ll say it again: Mason McTavish looks like a legit NHL playoff 2C right now. He was the straw stirring the drink offensively tonight for Anaheim, constantly winning battles along the boards to then find his teammates. He put a puck on a tee for Sennecke on the power play, showing off his vision once again.

• Frank Vatrano and the Fourth Line

  • Vatrano picked up his first goal of the season and looked more like the Vatrano we’ve seen the last couple of years. His line with Ross Johnston and Jansen Harkins was giving the Devils fits, landing big checks and chasing the puck all over the ice with some tenacious forechecking. Somewhere, Greg Cronin is smiling.

• Ian Moore

  • The downside of these articles is I end up repeating myself a lot, but I don’t care. Ian Moore is very good at hockey. This game was further proof of that. Whether it was chasing down Timo Meier to kill off a potential breakaway, bumping opponents off the puck, or getting involved offensively, Moore did it all tonight. We need to start considering that this guy is much more than a third pairing defenseman.

• Resiliency

  • The Ducks had a shaky first period, make no mistake. But as the game wore on, they began to minimize their own in-zone errors, while pushing the pace offensively. There was a good ten minute stretch in the second period where it felt like the Ducks had total control.

  • Tape to tape passes, off-puck support, positional responsibility, we got a glimpse into what Quenneville’s system looks like at its best.

  • We’ve now seen a few games this season where the Ducks come out looking shaky, then end up righting the ship. To do so in such an emphatic fashion against a good Devils team is highly encouraging.

Minuses

• Power Play

  • This feels like nitpicking, because I really thought this was one of the best games the Ducks have played in years. But, the power play was flat at times, although there were still chances. I’ll leave this one alone because the vibes are high.

open ice

• A look into the future

  • This game felt like a glimpse into what’s possible for this Ducks franchise when everything is clicking. There’s so much talent among the kids. Once these guys all come of age, this team is going to be very difficult to beat.

• LaCombe’s Twig

  • Did LaCombe go to a shorter stick this season? It kind of seems like it. Someone should ask him about this.