It's safe to say that John Tortorella isn't happy with the Golden Knights right now. At least, in the offensive terms. The power play has stalled and the overall offensive apparatus has gotten completely stale. Therefore, it makes sense that he'd want a little more change.
So, what's the game plan, you ask? Well, it's one sentence and seven words that Tortorella is describing here.
"We need to have the puck more."John Tortorella on Game 3
That's it. Just have the puck more and magical things will happen. The Ducks have outshot the Golden Knights in the series, 62-44. That's an astonishing disparity that isn't winning you a Stanley Cup any time soon.
Of course, this should give the Ducks plenty of credit on the offensive front. They've been relentless in their offensive attack, seeing players like Leo Carlsson and Beckett Sennecke rack up points. However, that one sentence remains true for the Golden Knights.
How, you ask? Well, Vegas better start making the Ducks commit some fatal errors. We're talking about jumping into transition and capitalizing on some high-danger chances. That way, Lukas Dostal feels much more uncomfortable.
How the Vegas Golden Knights can defeat the Anaheim Ducks in Game 3 and take back home-ice advantage
Game 2 was a sloppy mess for the Golden Knights. They had 19 giveaways and didn't get a power play goal until six seconds left... in the game. That won't get the job done in the series and will lead to scheduled tee times in Mid-May.
In fact, it was a similar story in the Game 1 win. The Golden Knights had more giveaways in that game than Anaheim, outpacing them by a total of 23-17. However, Vegas also had eight takeaways that game, compared to Anaheim having just two.
Therefore, the premise is simple. Puck possession matters more than anything. The obvious take is that the Golden Knights must generate more takeaways, which they didn't in Game 2 (they only had two). But it goes beyond that.
The Golden Knights can't continue to play a reckless style as they have during the regular season. They must be more careful with how they pass and distribute the puck, namely against a fast Ducks team. Players like Carlsson and Cutter Gauthier are always ready to make teams like Vegas pay, especially if it's in said team's defensive zone.
Let's be honest for a second. This series feels vastly different from the Utah Mammoth iteration. The Ducks are playing much more physical than Utah and are blitzing the Golden Knights on the rush. That's why puck possession is a must for Vegas if they want to turn the series on its head.
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