Thus far in the playoffs, the Ducks have demonstrated the one dynamic that virtually every Stanley Cup champ has had in common: They’re gaining steam as their run progresses.
Their past three outings, eliminating the Edmonton Oilers in Game 6 of Round 1 and the first couplet of their current best-of-seven showdown with the Vegas Golden Knights, have shown new facets of their game. They’ve also integrated nearly all 21 players who saw the ice seamlessly into displays that have been at once more competitive and more unified.
They led wire-to-wire, a relative rarity all season and certainly in their first five games of the playoffs, in both the clincher against Edmonton and the equalizing tilt with Vegas, whom they will host in Friday night’s Game 3. They also had no passengers, even with a couple of lineup changes in Game 2, coinciding with much more effective play along the walls, in the corners and near the net.
“We’re gradually setting a standard where we’re getting better. In this series, in order for us to be successful, we’re going to have to get better … our playoff hockey has been some of our best hockey all year,” Ducks coach Joel Quenneville said.
He added: “This team had some growing pains that we had to go through, but all year long we always said, ‘I just can’t wait to get to the playoffs, because I want to see how good these guys can be.’”
Troy Terry, who has been with the franchise longer than any other Duck, said that while the group had always been tight-knit, it has grown even closer in a short time.
“You make bonds with people when you go to battle, playing in these (big) games. That intensity and that bond, when a lot of us are going through it together for the first time, and to be able to win against Edmonton in that round and this whole experience, is bringing us all together,” Terry said. “What you’re seeing, you can feel in our room, how much we’re coming together on this run at this time of year.”
Terry, who has been playing hurt and not practicing between games, is one of several skaters who has stepped outside of his comfort zone. During the season, he didn’t record a single hit until he had two in the home finale, but despite being less than 100% even he has been more willing to put his body on the line. That is amplified for players like Jeffrey Viel, whose physical nature has been magnified further in the postseason.
“All of us have been so hungry for this opportunity. We were all well aware of what it would take to be successful in the playoffs,” Terry said. “I could go down the list of guys and things that maybe aren’t their strong suits, and guys are just doing whatever is necessary right now.”
While the Ducks are hoping to replicate the vibes of the first round, when they also lost Game 1 before taking three consecutive contests and ultimately prevailing in six, Vegas is also seeking to rekindle the magic they worked to dispatch the Utah Mammoth with three straight victories after falling down 2-1 in their previous series.
Vegas coach John Tortorella told reporters after Game 2 that his club had still not found its groove in the offensive zone. As usual, he would not commit to lines or lineup decisions for Game 3.
One prominent tweak for the Ducks in Game 2 was the insertion of now-healthy grinders Ross Johnston and Jansen Harkins, who had patiently awaited their opportunity through seven playoff matches. Out came hybrid defenseman/forward Ian Moore and big-ticket attacker Mason McTavish, who was in a three-way tie for the team’s highest-paid forward this season.
Johnston and Harkins fit brilliantly with the newfound physicality, forechecking, maturity and determination of the Ducks as a whole. They ebbed and flowed for 72 games before they won just two of their final 10 decisions, enduring more than a few blasé moments in that stretch.
“Maybe it was just waiting for the next step, waiting for the next obstacle, which is the playoffs, to finally arrive. We just kind of limped in there and were waiting for a new challenge,” Johnston said. “When it came time for Edmonton, everyone was excited for the playoffs and everyone was excited to do whatever it takes to win.”
NHL WESTERN CONFERENCE SEMIFINALS
Who: Golden Knights at Ducks (tied 1-1)
When: Friday, 6:30 p.m.
Where: Honda Center
TV: TNT, truTV, HBO Max