It’s ‘Legacy Night’ at Honda Center tonight when the Anaheim Ducks will welcome the visiting Detroit Red Wings for their second and final meeting of the 2023-24 season. Off the ice, there will be celebrations, stories shared, and history recalled of the Ducks’ triumphs throughout the early- to mid-2000s, which included several huge victories over these Red Wings.
On the ice, the Ducks face a modern yet still formidable version of their former playoff adversary that includes a variety of threats throughout the lineup. Pleasing the Ducks legends and fans in attendance will require the best these young Ducks have to offer. Let’s preview the matchup by looking at personnel, storylines, and tactics.
Ducks Need to Make This Red Wings Defense Work
Like the Toronto Maple Leafs, the Red Wings are vulnerable on defense and in goal. They have given up 134 goals. That’s a lot and among the league’s worst. They have some plus players on defense, but their offensive stars are minus players. To produce that much offense and not be positive in plus/minus means they are score-or-be-scored-on types of players. The Ducks can use that.
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Outside of Moritz Seider, it’s a veteran-laden defensive group. Shayne Gostisbehere, Jeff Petry, Ben Chiarot, and Olli Maatta have been around for a while. The Ducks have the speed and quickness advantage on all of those players and need to make them skate, work hard to break pucks out, and carry the puck 200 feet up the ice. Granted, these are all veterans of the game. They know how to play defense, and are decent two-way players, so it won’t be easy, but there’s a formula to taking advantage of a defensive unit like this. And it’s exactly what head coach Greg Cronin has preached all season: heavy pressure, strong forecheck, and making the opposition work hard to retrieve and keep the puck.
Ducks Need a Conversion or Two on the Power Play
Troy Terry and Leo Carlsson remain out for the Ducks which has limited the effectiveness of their power play. They still have weapons – Jamie Drysdale and Trevor Zegras are constantly looking to shoot, Mason McTavish is set up on his off-wing for a one-timer, and Adam Henrique and Alex Killorn are savvy veterans with years of experience on the power play. Cam Fowler has been the man on the top unit for years and knows how to keep the puck moving and distribute.
Against the Jets on Friday (Jan. 4), the Ducks…
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