Let's be 100% honest here. Orange County has been in a dry spell sports-wise. The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim (of Orange County of California) haven't been relevant in the past decade, aside from Shohei Ohtani taking a gamble with the franchise.
As for the Anaheim Ducks? Well, they haven't been to the Stanley Cup playoffs since 2018. It's been a long, contentious rebuild for the California franchise as they've tried to make the pieces fit for years, only to finish in the Pacific Division cellar. It's a tough life if you live near Disneyland.
But is there hope on the horizon? Believe it or not, the team has made some modifications this offseason. That included bringing in Chris Kreider and Joel Quenneville. Those are big names with a penchant for winning and putting up numbers. Imagine the vibe when they came in and saw what was happening with the Ducks.
So, let's look at the Orange County hockey team and see whether they should be taken seriously or not. Do the Golden Knights have some competition not named the Edmonton Oilers in the Pacific Division? Is this more of the "same ol' Ducks" mantra that'll fester over to the franchise in 2025-26? Or is this the year they finally break through and become a playoff team?
What makes the Anaheim Ducks noteworthy to Vegas Golden Knights fans?
Lukas Dostal is immediately the first thing that stands out to Golden Knights fans. Despite a GAA of 3.10 and a save percentage of .903 last season, the Ducks are placing a lot of stock into the Czech goaltender. That's why they moved John Gibson to the Detroit Red Wings this summer, after all.
So, what does the 25-year-old bring to the table? Well, he's not the biggest netminder around, standing at 6'2". However, Dostal is quick in the net. He also has a swift blocker and glove to boot, making him a tough matchup for any opponent. If he can learn to utilize his glove and blocker while filling out his frame, he can become one of the 10 best goaltenders in the NHL.
However, the burden of winning usually falls on Dostal's (or the goaltender's) hands because of a lack of scoring. Last season, Mason McTavish was the team's leading goal scorer with... 22. Sure, they had four other players with 20 or more goals. However, a lack of production was why they were 30th in goals scored per game last season (2.65 goals per game).
Enter Kreider. He's a proven goal scorer who scored 52 goals in 2021-22 with the New York Rangers. Half of those goals came on the power play, which should help a league-worst power play from last season (11.8%) develop. Expect the Ducks to have a team leader in power play goals who scores more than six (again, Mason McTavish led this category).
How can the Golden Knights combat the Ducks this season?
First, put the burners on Dostal as much as possible. Go on the rush and keep Anaheim on its toes as much as you can. That way, you can pressure the Czech netminder into giving up a bad goal or two. He has a bad habit of giving up too much space, giving the Golden Knights plenty of opportunities to cash in.
Also, make the young guys test you. Taking away Kreider will put the onus on the younger group to make plays. Using their inexperience against them will help the Golden Knights get the upper hand, whether it's jumping on a turnover or catching them on an odd-man rush.
That also translates to the penalty kill, which was tied for 28th in the NHL last season (74.2%). Jumping on that inexperience will let players like Tomas Hertl and Pavel Dorofeyev cook on the power play. In turn, you get the momentum.
The Golden Knights shouldn't take the Ducks lightly this season. They've made serious renovations to their roster and want to break their playoff curse. Considering how abysmal the Pacific Division has been in recent years, that could become a reality this season.
Who knows? They could bring the "Flying V" around for one joyride.