The Anaheim Ducks took to the road for a two-game trip, with the first being on Thursday night against the Dallas Stars.
The Ducks entered the game as one of the hottest teams in the NHL, having won their last four games and six of their previous seven, heading into this contest. They were coming off an emotional 7-3 victory over the Florida Panthers on Tuesday, which ended their three-game homestand.
Game #13: Ducks vs. Stars Gameday Preview (11/06/25)
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Leo Carlsson received a five-minute major and a game misconduct for an interference penalty early in Tuesday’s third period. For this game, he returned to the lineup in his typical spot on the top line, and the Ducks went with the exact lineup that earned them their last two victories.
Lukas Dostal got the start for the 11th time in 13 games for the Ducks and saved 21 of 26 shots. He was opposed by Jake Oettinger in the Dallas net, who stopped 18 of 24.
Here are my notes on this game:
There were 12 goals scored in this game, but only four of them came during 5v5 play. This game was a special teams slobberknocker, where each team went to the power play five times. Discipline has been troublesome of late for the Ducks, but their 5v5 play tonight was some of the cleanest they’ve played all season, especially defensively.
All the usual suspects found the scoresheet for the Ducks, now the highest-scoring team (4.15 GF/G) in the NHL by a wide margin, ahead of the Toronto Maple Leafs (3.71 GF/G). Carlsson and Cutter Gauthier extended their point streaks to eight games each, both contributing a goal and an assist. Alex Killorn (1-1=2), Troy Terry (0-2=2), Chris Kreider (2-0=2), and Beckett Sennecke (0-2=2) also added multi-point nights.
The Ducks now sit atop the Pacific Division and are the second-best team in the NHL in terms of points percentage (.731).
Defensive Zone Coverage-After an adjustment period, the Ducks seem to have grasped the intricacies of their new zone coverage system. They are making more precise reads when it comes to secondary pressure, collapsing when necessary, and protecting the slot at all costs.
When running as efficiently as possible, they’re able to kill plays early with second quick pressure, but even when they allow extended zone time to good teams like the Stars, they remain diligent to their assignments and close the seams opponents are attempting to exploit.
Penalty Kill-After a stretch of successful penalty killing that saw them kill 20 of their last 23 penalties heading into this game, they had a difficult time against one of the top power plays in the NHL. Dallas took advantage of the Ducks’ heavy high pressure that would send the weak side forward high, along with the strong. The Stars worked the puck across the top of the zone before sending it low and to the middle or backdoor, where they’d get off quality looks.
The Ducks surrendered three goals on five penalties, but the coaching staff and the killers did well to adjust late in the third period and were more conscious of the bumper and seams under the top pressure. They even got one back when Terry and Carlsson linked up for a shorthanded tally that wound up being the game-winner.
Jacob Trouba-Trouba can be a frustrating case study for defensive fundamentalists who value close gaps, textbook angles, body engagement, etc., especially against the rush. For a player who is known for his physicality, he utilizes his stick to do most of the defending for him and is rather choosy on when to fire up the “Trouba Train.”
He baits attackers into thinking they have more time and space than they do to get shots off or make an extra stickhandle before he cleverly disrupts. The same can be said for his off-puck work as well; he’s constantly breaking up passes through the middle of the defensive zone. His foot speed can be an issue, as he got burned early in this game through the neutral zone, and his stick work can be a double-edged sword, as he received his first penalty of the season in this game for a hook early in the third.
Killorn-Poehling-Nesterenko-The Ducks listed third line played 6:45 together at 5v5, won the shot attempt battle 9-3, and collected 74.9% of the expected goals share. Poehling can recover on a dime and is a vacuum in the middle of the defensive zone. Killorn’s anticipation skills led to a goal as well as a handful of clever breakups, while his play-building skills, especially at the offensive blueline, were top-notch.
Nesterenko has blossomed into a valuable piece of what the Ducks set out to accomplish in every zone. His increasing comfort level and NHL hockey IQ are leading to his line maintaining possession of pucks moving north, while his skating and puck skills are buying him an extra half second to scan and make optimal choices.
Beckett Sennecke-Sennecke had a notably professional game, minus a key blunder in the second period that broke a 2-2 tie. Rather than simply chipping a puck deep into the offensive zone after a long shift, he attempted to break down Miro Heiskanen, one of the NHL’s premier rush defenders, in a period where his team had the long change. Heiskanen cleanly stripped him of possession and swiftly sent his forwards on an odd-man rush.
The response to what was his only glaring hiccup was impressive. He’s learning how to absorb NHL defenders and protect pucks on the wall with greater success, making keen defensive reads on the forecheck, and finding ways to translate the special aspects of his game to the highest level of the sport; an encouraging game all around for the Ducks’ talented rookie.
The Ducks will conclude their brief two-game road trip on Saturday when they head to Nevada to take on the Vegas Golden Knights in a battle for the top spot in the Pacific.
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