Ducks Olympics evening news: a prospect shines, a captain falters, and one player that should scare Team Canada

Even though the NHL season is on pause, the men's hockey tournament for this year's Winter Olympics finally started and the Anaheim Ducks had representation in the first two games. Mikael Granlund and Team Finland suffered a first game upset and Ducks prospect; Damian Clara of Team Italy shined against Team Sweden. When the rest of the tournament continues tomorrow, Lukas Dostal can possibly steal a game against the powerhouse of Team Canada.

A prospect shines

Huge stick taps for Anaheim Ducks prospect, Damian Clara. The almost forgotten about goalie, stopped 46 of the 49 shots he faced, with a .938 save percentage, in a gutsy effort for Team Italy in their 5-2 loss to Team Sweden. Clara was the only skater for Team Italy with any NHL cache, as he was a 2023 second round draft pick of the Anaheim Ducks and appeared in two games for the San Diego Gulls last season. In 30 games for Swedish Hockey League this season, Clara has posted a 2.49 goals against average with a .888 save percentage.

However, in the third period and down a goal, Clara had to leave the game after stretching his right leg out to stop a shot from Elias Petterson. Team Italy was expected to the underdog in the tournament and without the wizardry of Clara, a loss was all but assured.

One game is an extremely small sample size, but the Ducks organization should be proud of Clara's first outing in the Olympics. With every eye of the hockey world focused on the tournament, GM Pat Verbeek should be expecting calls from other NHL GMs inquiring about Clara. But without a suitable backup at the pro level, the Ducks would be privy to let Clara continue his development and bring him up through the organization to fill that void.

A captain falters

Team Finland suffered a first game upset against Team Slovakia, losing by a final score of 4-1. Mikael Granlund, the captain of Team Finland, skated on a line with Roope Hintz as the center and Mikko Rantanen as the opposite winger. Even though the trio combined for 8 of Team Finland's 40 shots, they registered no points on the scoresheet and were all -2. Granlund had 27 points (12 goals, 15 assists) for the Ducks and was recently bumped up to center their first line. Do not expect him and his Olympic linemates to be held of the scoreboard for long, but their upcoming matchup against Team Sweden should be one of the most competitive games in the preliminary round.

One player that should scare Team Canada

Don't let Lukas Dostal's 2.92 goals against and .897 save percentage fool you, he has rounded back into form the past couple weeks. In his last 10 starts, Dostal has elevated his play back up towards Vezina caliber with 2.17 goals against average and a .924 save percentage. Dostal also has saved 8 goals expected in his last 10 games, which coincided with the Ducks surge back up the standings, prior to the Olympic break.

If there is one player who could steal a game from Team Canada, it's Dostal. Not only has he been named by pundits as the reason for Team Czechia to be a dark horse contender, but Dostal nearly blanked the Colorado Avalanche in their last meeting against the Ducks, whose roster features many skaters participating in these Olympics. Team Canda may boast the best collection of forward talent, but Dostal is the great equalizer.