mikael granlund was part of the Ducks’ push to even the Second Round series on Sunday night, when Anaheim hosted Vegas in Game 4 at Honda Center. The Ducks trailed 2-1 after a 6-2 loss on Friday and needed a cleaner start to get back level.
Honda Center Game 4
The puck dropped at 6:30 p.m. PT, with the game set to air nationally on. Anaheim entered needing a win to even the series, while Vegas brought a 2-1 lead into the building.
That set the frame for a lineup that had moving parts on both sides. Lukas Dostal returned to the net for Anaheim, Mason McTavish came back into the lineup, Drew Helleson was out with an undisclosed injury and Radko Gudas was a game-time decision because of a lower-body injury.
McTavish on Dostal
McTavish said he was “ready to go” and said the Ducks wanted to give Dostal more help after the 6-2 loss. He also pointed to the goaltender’s season-long form: “He’s been so good all year, Obviously, we know the kind of goalie he is. We have so much confidence in him. He’s bailed us out so many times and always comes back stronger so I’m excited to see his game today.”
The ask from Anaheim was straightforward. McTavish said, “I think we just gotta look to shoot more, especially maybe from the top, too, get some one-timers and some better screens, But I think the biggest thing is getting those second chances. I think we’re doing a really good job of getting in there and getting set up and getting a shot, but just to stay in that pressure and tire (Vegas) out, that’s when power plays really open up and you can score more.”
Vegas Power Play Edge
Vegas entered with a clean penalty-kill run, having killed 21 consecutive power plays in the postseason. That left Anaheim trying to create traffic and second chances instead of settling for perimeter looks.
Sunday also brought a change for Vegas. Mark Stone left Game 3 and was ruled out for Game 4, and Brandon Saad was set to replace him in the lineup. The Golden Knights still carried the series lead into a building where the Ducks were trying to turn Friday’s 6-2 defeat into a response.
After the loss, Alex Killorn said, “It wasn't a great start, They score in the first five minutes and then they get a PK goal and then that goal on the power play with five seconds left. It's tough to win a game when you put yourself in spots like that.” Joel Quenneville put the message even more plainly: “There's a lesson to take out of today's game, and it's only going to get harder every single game, Let's get ready to go to war.”
