How missed opportunities and a questionable non-call cost the Anaheim Ducks

The second round has commenced for the Anaheim Ducks, yet much like in the first round, they lost their first game of the series, falling to the Golden Knights by a final score of 3-1. The final score was not indictive of the Ducks play though, as they held their own against another series favorite and division leader. However, moral victories do not win playoff games, and the Ducks were dealt a harsh blow of reality with some missed opportunities and a questionable non-call that did not go in their favor.

Missed oppurtunities

Close, but not close enough

The Ducks carried the play for the first ten minutes of Game 1 against the Golden Knights, using their speed to counterattack against the heavier Vegas forecheck. Chris Kreider and Drew Helleson had a two on one breakaway, but Kreider over skated the pass from Helleson. Leo Carlsson had a backhand shot just barely clear the crossbar behind Vegas netminder, Carter Hart. Beckett Sennecke and Alex Killorn had another two on one breakaway that was snubbed out by a Rasmus Andersson block.

The Ducks missed an opportunity to capitalize with an early lead and the most egregious of these near misses, was Jackson LaCombe's mind boggling decision to not bury a goal from a beautiful solo effort from Carlsson.

Dostal was good?

Much has been made about Dostal's rough stretch of play, that extends all the way back to just after the Olympic break. While he did have a few moments of brilliance in the opening round against the Edmonton Oilers, the vintage Dostal had yet to make an appearance. While Game 1 against the Golden Knights was not a masterpiece, Dostal was at least solid enough to give the Ducks a chance to win.

The only goals Dostal allowed were from a back door tap in and a broken play in front of the net. Dostal finished Game 1 with a .905 save percentage, a small step above from the previous series.

Powerplay sputtered

Heading into the second round, the Ducks were leading the playoff field on the powerplay, cruising with a 50 percent conversion rate. While the Oilers may have helped inflate those numbers with shoddy defense and just as equally rough goaltending, powerplay goals are essential for postseason success.

Against the Golden Knights, however, the Ducks ace in the hole was nowhere to found, as the team was unable to convert on four of their powerplay opportunities. The best chance was off of a Cutter Gauthier one-timer, a play the Ducks leaned on in the opening round but were rather stagnant otherwise. If the Ducks had just converted once with the man advantage, the outcome might have been different.

The questionable call

Was it icing?

Late in the third period and with the game tied 1-1, the Golden Knights dumped the puck into offensive zone, with both LaCombe and Jack Eichel racing for the puck. The play appeared to be an icing against Vegas, but the linesman thought otherwise, causing some confusion as the Golden Knights capitalized with the go-ahead goal.

This alternative angle, does make it seem like the play should have been ruled dead for icing.

The Ducks have been on the receiving end of some good karma lately, but that one non-call changed the outcome of the game. The Ducks have a right to be furious, as do the fans. Judgement calls are tough, especially when the stakes are high. From my untrained eye, the play looked like icing to me.

The Ducks should not have been in that position to begin with though and only have themselves to blame. If they had just buried a goal on one of their numerous powerplays or just finished on one of their near misses, the non-call would not have mattered.

What's next?

The Ducks resume their series against the Golden Knights on Wednesday. Puck drop is scheduled for 6:30 pm Pacific, even though we all know it will be closer to 7 pm. The Ducks desperately need a split, before heading back to Honda Center, or the series might begin to slip away. And against a veteran team like Vegas, the Ducks cannot afford to be down 2-0.

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