To wrap up their four-game road trip and while in a standings free fall, the Anaheim Ducks traveled to Western New York to take on the Buffalo Sabres on Saturday evening.
This was a battle between two teams with seasons heading in the opposite direction. The Ducks entered Saturday winless in their previous eight games and had only won two of their last 14 games. The Sabres came into this game looking to extend their winning streak to three games and having won 12 of their last 13 games.
Takeaways from the Ducks 5-2 Loss to the Hurricanes
Takeaways from the Ducks 5-2 Loss to the Flyers
Ducks defenseman Jacob Trouba was unavailable for Anaheim in this one, as he returned home to Orange County in anticipation of the birth of his second child. Ducks forward Troy Terry missed his second consecutive game with an upper-body injury.
Ducks head coach Joel Quenneville, in another attempt to manufacture a spark within his lineup, blended his lines and pairs again for this game. Here’s how they lined up to start:
Gauthier-McTavish-Granlund
Killorn-Carlsson-Sennecke
Kreider-Poehling-Strome
Johnston-Washe-Nesterenko
Zellweger-Gudas
LaCombe-Moore
Mintyukov-Helleson
Lukas Dostal got the start in the Ducks’ crease and stopped 27 of 31 shots. He was opposed by Ukko-Pekka Luukonen in Buffalo’s net, who saved 31 of 34.
Game Notes
The Ducks got off to a slow start offensively in this game, struggling to string together multi-shot sequences and sustain pressure. Their start with the puck was compounded by their sizable defensive missteps, especially at the bluelines, which led to another 3-0 hole they had to attempt to climb out of.
The Ducks began a push around the halfway mark of the game, but it was ultimately too little, too late, despite encouraging signs both on the ice and analytically. At 5v5, they finished the game holding 60.38% of the shot attempts share, 51.92% of the shots on goal share, and 49.21% of the expected goals share, indicating they were funneling pucks to the Buffalo net from the perimeter; however, the Sabres were allowed more dangerous chances.
Rush Defense: When defending in transition, the Ducks’ weak-side defenseman is often too quick to pressure puck carriers on the strong side if their partner gets beaten on a pinch. They’re counting either on that partner to recover and track back through the middle or a back checker to cover. However, a quick scan will often display that there is no such support, and if that defenseman pressures the puck on the strong side of the ice, the middle would be left open.
The Ducks gave up several odd-man rushes in this game, as Buffalo’s wingers often flew the zone when they gained possession deep in the d-zone. Oftentimes, it wasn’t the fault of the pinching defenseman, but of the F3 covering or the F2 tracking back. F3 and F2 would often attempt to engage in the battle created by the pinching defenseman rather than taking a more responsible approach and continuing their trajectory into the neutral zone. The Sabres’ forward on the boards would often simply chip pucks into the neutral zone if they won possession and spring teammates on a 2v1.
Pavel Mintyukov: Mintyukov was a positive factor all game for Anaheim. He displayed his escapability to evade F1 pressure and led clean breakout sequences, often joining in on rushes after. Though he’s much improved in his end since the start of the season, he is still susceptible to failing to tie up his assignment at the crease, leading to them getting a tip on a perimeter shot or allowing them to get to a rebound first.
Beckett Sennecke: With Leo Carlsson’s struggles and Troy Terry’s absence, Sennecke is now the Ducks' most impactful offensive weapon on the roster. He is a threat to score any time he touches the puck; his puck protection has progressed leaps, and he’s diagnosing opposing defenses at an elite NHL level. Buffalo’s third goal proves he has a long way to still in his end, as he tends to lose his activated point man, which, even if done for a split second, can lead to a goal in the NHL. Ultimately, it’s a rookie making a rookie mistake, which is expected, and he’s sanded out a lot of other typical rookie blemishes through the first 45 games of his NHL career. There shouldn’t be too much cause for concern.
The Ducks will return home with a tall task ahead of them, as they’ll be hoping to snap their losing streak against the lethal Dallas Stars on Tuesday night at Honda Center.
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