The Anaheim Ducks wrapped up their five-game homestand on Tuesday when they hosted the San Jose Sharks at Honda Center. The Ducks were looking to bounce back from a 3-2 defeat at the hands of the Toronto Maple Leafs and return to the .500 mark on the season.
Game #74: Ducks vs. Sharks Gameday Preview
“The goal for the rest of the season is to finish with a winning record,” Trevor Zegras said after the game. “I think that’s all something that we’re getting behind. Where we were at this point in the last couple of seasons is not where we want to be as a team and an organization. A winning record this season will go a long way into next year and the years going forward.”
The Sharks entered play off of back-to-back losses to the New York Rangers and Los Angeles Kings by a combined score of 14-2. This marked the first time the Ducks faced 2024 first-overall pick Macklin Celebrini, as he was injured during the teams’ first two matchups.
Jacob Trouba returned to the lineup after he missed the Ducks’ last game with a lower-body injury suffered during their 5-4 overtime win on Friday against the New York Rangers. He slotted into his normal spot in the lineup on the right side of Olen Zellweger.
The Ducks' forward lines remained unchanged from their last outing.
Lukas Dostal got the start in the Anaheim crease and stopped 28 of 31 shots.
Between San Jose’s pipes stood Alexandar Georgiev, who saved 34 of 37 shots.
Here are my notes from this game:
Lukas Dostal-Dostal has now started as many games this season as he appeared in during the 2023-24 season. In his last handful of starts, including this one on San Jose’s first goal, he’s let in a soft goal from a stoppable angle.
He more than made up for it as the game progressed, and the “ones he wants back” have been typically early in a contest and haven’t been a deciding factor. However, speculation suggests fatigue could be a factor for the young netminder at this junction of the season.
“I don’t get involved with that much,” Ducks head coach Greg Cronin said after the game when asked about starting Dostal for a third straight game. “The goalie coaches talk about it. We just wanted to give Gibson one more day and let Dostal play tonight. I think he’s been great. He’s a great athlete. He’s in great shape, and he can handle it.”
Breakouts/Regroups-This game became sloppy for the Ducks as they attempted to maintain possession when progressing pucks up ice from their end. San Jose did well to clog the neutral zone in the second period and take away options for the puck carriers, forcing aimless area passes to vacant ice.
Cycle-San Jose packed the inner slot when the Ducks had possession in the offensive zone, keeping pucks to the perimeter. The Ducks had a tough time taking the skating and passing lanes afforded, settling for distance shots. They played a bit frantic with the puck on their sticks, leading to unforced errors and pucks missing the net in search of corners.
Matchups-Cronin used Ryan Strome’s line as a ...