In a back-and-forth affair that began with an electric pregame ceremony and later included multiple lead changes, nine goals scored, and one minute of bonus hockey, the Anaheim Ducks secured their eighth-consecutive home opener victory in their 5-4 triumph over the Utah Hockey Club on Wednesday (Oct. 16). It wasn’t pretty, but the first week of the regular season rarely is, and the Ducks will take the two points, the 2-1-0 record, and move on to the next.
Well, the next one is tonight (Oct. 18) and it’s against Nathan MacKinnon, Mikko Rantanen, Cale Makar, and the Colorado Avalanche, who have shockingly begun the season winless through four games. They are probably thinking tonight is their night to break through, but if the Ducks play the right way, the Avs won’t capture win number one. Let’s look at the latest themes and storylines surrounding the Ducks as we preview tonight’s tilt in Colorado.
Big Nights for Carlsson, Mintyukov, and Terry as Ducks Deliver in Home Opener
The Ducks’ home-opening win was a feel-good story and an exciting way to open the home slate. Courtesy of some ill-timed penalties and costly mistakes, they fell behind twice — including in the third period — but got the equalizer to force overtime, where Leo Carlsson dominated his shift with his speed, puck handling, and craftiness before ultimately converting on a breakaway chance to beat Connor Ingram. It was the second of two points on the night for Carlsson, who assisted on Pavel Mintyukov’s game-tying marker late in the final frame.
Mintyukov used his offensive instincts to make a major impact in the win over Utah. What do I mean by offensive instincts? Well, as a defenseman, Mintyukov’s responsibility is to realize when he can and cannot jump into plays, where to position himself to make the most impact, and also maintain his spatial awareness to ensure he is not so far out of position he cannot recover. He executed that to perfection against Utah. Both of his goals resulted directly from him jumping into the play and getting himself into a dangerous scoring position. Both goals were scored from places forwards typically score from. It was a huge start to the season for a 20-year-old expected to play a major role on the Ducks’ blue line this season.
Troy Terry scored in his second-straight game to give him his second of the young season. Him starting out…
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