Anaheim Ducks versus Vegas Golden Knights 2026 second round preview

After securing their first playoff series victory in nine years against the Edmonton Oilers and sending the Albertan franchise into a crisis of identity, the Ducks yet again face another daunting challenge in the form of the Golden Knights in round two of the 2026 playoffs. And much like the previous round, the Ducks are not the favorite to win the matchup. Before the puck drops on Monday night in Vegas, here is recap of how the teams fared against each other in the regular season, the matchups of each position group, possible x factors, how the Ducks could win or lose, and a series prediction.

Head-to-head

Despite winning the Pacific Division crown, the Golden Knights did not fare well against Anaheim during the regular season, losing all three matchups to the Ducks. The last matchup between the two clubs was way back on February 1st, right before the Winter Olympic break, with the Ducks winning 4-3 at home.

The Ducks averaged 4 goals per game against the Golden Knights, while only surrendering 3 goals per game. The Ducks powerplay converted at a 20 percent clip, while the penalty kill was average at 77.8 percent.

Forward matchup

In the regular season, the Ducks had a top three of Cutter Gauthier (69 points), Leo Carlsson (67 points), and Beckett Sennecke (60 points). The top three for Vegas, however, were much more potent offensively with Jack Eichel leading the way with 90 points, followed by Mitch Marner (80 points), and Mark Stone (73 points).

In the postseason for the Ducks though, both Troy Terry and Carlsson are tied with 8 points, while Gauthier is just a step behind with 7 points. Every Ducks forward had at least a point in the opening round, not counting Ian Moore, as he should be a defenseman. On the Vegas side of the equation, Eichel is still leading the postseason charge with 9 points, followed by Marner with 7 points, and Ivan Barbashev with 6 points. Much like Anaheim, Vegas only had one forward that did not register a point in their opening round, Keegan Kolesar.

Just based on pure offensive production, the forward group matchup is a wash, as both teams have a few players leading their respective groups, but there is plenty of depth contributing to each team's success.

Defense matchup

In the regular season, Jackson LaCombe was far and away the best defenseman for the Ducks and led all defenders with 58 points (10 goals and 48 assists). LaCombe's defense partner, Jacob Trouba was second with 35 points, and Pavel Mintyukov tied with the now regularly scratched Olen Zellweger for third place with 22 points. Much to the chagrin of Anaheim fans, Shea Theodore led the Golden Knights defenders with 39 points (10 goals and 29 assists), followed by Noah Hannifan with 28 points, and Rasmus Andersson with 17.

In the 2026 postseason though, LaCombe has really blossomed into a true number one defenseman, as he had a healthy dose of both Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl in the opening round, while simultaneously led the Ducks in scoring with 9 points (1 goal and 8 assists). On the Vegas side, Hannifan led the Knights defenders with 5 points, while Theodore was right behind with 4 points.

While there are bright spots in the Ducks defense corps, such as LaCombe and John Carlson, their depth has struggled, particularly the third pairing of Tyson Hinds and Drew Helleson. While Vegas does not have that true offensive talent from the back end, they were able to contain the high speed of the now eliminated Utah Mammoth. And with John Tortorella behind the Vegas bench, the Knights might have the edge in this group.

Goalie Matchup

Ducks netminder Lukas Dostal struggled throughout the regular season and while there were flashes of his previous Vezina-like qualities in the opening round, he still did not play up to his normal higher standard. Not only did Dostal get pulled in Game 5 of the opening round, but he also finished the series against the Oilers with a .874 save percentage and 3.87 goals against average.

Carter Hart was the only starter on the Vegas side and finished their opening round series with slightly better numbers than Dostal, a .898 save percentage and 2.72 goals against average.

While Hart is an still an unknown quantity, after his abcense from the league, he has the advantage of a more sound defensive environment. Dostal, on the other hand, may still be struggling, but he does have much more proven track record for putting up better numbers than he has shown so far. Even though the playoff numbers might say otherwise, Dostal is still the better of the two goalies.

X-factor

Beckett Sennecke

The top guns of Carlsson, Terry, and Gauthier are going to get their chances against the Golden Knights, but more offense from their young rookie would go a long way into helping secure another series victory. After breaking out during his first regular season and propelling himself into the Calder Trophy conversation, Sennecke struggled to find the back of the net in the opening round against the Oilers and just notched one goal. Not only was Sennecke slotted onto the Ducks second line, but he also saw ample time on the powerplay as well. Maybe the bounces did simply not go his way, as Sennecke had 17 shots, but just a 5.9 shooting percentage. If Sennecke is able to convert on his chances though, he becomes another scoring threat that the Golden Knights must account for, freeing up the other lines to get their looks at Hart.

The Ducks will win if...

They can primarily keep up their torrid scoring pace. The Ducks are first in the 2026 playoffs in goals per game with 4.33. Their powerplay has been just as lethal with a 50 percent conversion rate. While the defense can be leaky and often implodes at the wrong time, the Ducks were rarely out of a game against the Oilers with their potent offense and comeback potential. If Dostal can even steal one game, the Ducks stand a good chance of making it past the second round.

The Ducks will lose if...

The Golden Knights, coached by defensive mastermind Tortorella, are able to lock down the offense of the Ducks, especially off the rush. Outside of the powerplay, the Ducks are not good at cycling the puck in the offensive zone to generate scoring chances, as they primarily feast when attacking with speed the neutral zone. Vegas, on the other hand, just dispatched the Utah Mammoth who play with a similar speed and strategy as the Ducks. And if Dostal is unable to keep the score close, the Ducks will not have the ability to outscore their problems.

Series prediction

My head says the Golden Knights are the more proven playoff team and have already been to the top of the mountain with relatively the same core group. And after how Vegas dispatched Utah, the Ducks are facing a team that knows how to counter youth and speed.

My heart says the Ducks have come this far, even after being doubted as far back as puck drop on opening night, but aren't done yet. The Ducks have already beaten Vegas three times this season and can beat them again in a best of seven.

Ducks in six.

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