Remember when the Vegas Golden Knights would walk (or in this case, waddle) all over the Anaheim Ducks? It didn't matter if it was a 3-1 victory or a 7-2 blowout. The Golden Knights would always beat up on the Ducks, mainly because they were mediocre.
Well, it appears that the winds are blowing, with feathers in tow. Ladies and gentlemen, the Anaheim Ducks entered Friday's slate of games with the Pacific Division lead.
Yes, you read that right. I'll let you digest that bit of information for a second. The Ducks are leading the Pacific Division. They have a record of 9-3-1 and 19 points entering Friday's slate of games, making them the West Coast top dogs.
That has come as a massive surprise for the Golden Knights, who expected to have the division lead at this point. However, a 7-3-3 record with 17 points isn't good enough to topple Mickey Mouse's favorite hockey team.
So, what's the secret behind Orange County's resident NHL team leading the division? Are the young ducklings finally maturing into NHL-viable players? Let's hop into a Disney movie (preferrably Monsters Inc. since I can't get Sulley off my mind) and see whether these quacksters are truly the "Mighty Ducks."
How are the Anaheim Ducks so good and are they a threat to the Vegas Golden Knights?
One thing you'll notice is that the Ducks have top scorers for once. That includes Chris Kreider (nine goals), Cutter Gauthier (11 goals and seven assists), and Leo Carlsson (six goals and 14 assists). The latter two have been the most eye-opening, considering the Ducks have invested heavily in developing younger talent.
The main objective is neutralizing the youngsters and make Anaheim work down the ice. Only three Ducks have more than 10 points entering Friday's slate of games, with Carlsson and Gauthier being two of these players. The goal should be outplaying the Ducks in all three zones, tiring them out as the game wears on.
After all, these three are responsible for the Ducks being the highest-scoring team in the NHL. Yes, you read that right, too. 4.15 goals per game is good enough for the league's top spot before Friday's slate, putting Anaheim comfortably in the lead (the second-best team in the league's the Toronto Maple Leafs with 3.71 goals per game). If you can keep the youngsters at bay and stop Kreider from doing any heavy damage, you're in good hands.
The Golden Knights must wake up the power play against the Ducks' penalty kill
Entering Friday, the Ducks were 22nd in the NHL in penalty kill percentage (75%). That should be a promising sign for a Golden Knights team that hasn't done much since October 18 (19.2%).
That means overcoming Mark Stone's absence and relying on the big guns. You must take care of the puck and avoid being too pass-happy. Fortunately, the Golden Knights are trending in the right direction with 16.54 giveaways per game this season.
On that note, watch for Tomas Hertl to have a big game here. The Prague native has 11 goals and 24 assists in his career, doing most of his damage with the San Jose Sharks. However, only three goals have come on the power play. Will that change on Saturday? Stay tuned.
Overall, the Golden Knights can't overlook this Ducks team. They've changed drastically from years prior, whether it's Joel Quenneville being behind the bench or adding big names like Jacob Trouba and Chris Kreider. Anaheim could even overwhelm them with a "Flying V" (which would be offside, by the way).