The Anaheim Ducks and Vegas Golden Knights are facing off in Game 5. The two teams have alternated wins and losses in this series. It has been a pretty even series.
Ducks’ Playoff Journey
The Anaheim Ducks ended their year 43-33-6 and in third place in the Pacific Division. Last season, they were under .500, and they hadn’t even been to the postseason since 2017-18. They were swept out of the playoffs that year. In the first-round series, the Ducks battled Edmonton and won in six games. It was a bit of an unexpected win for the Ducks, considering the Oilers were one of the more talented teams in the league.
Tonight, the Ducks are expected to have Lukas Dostal in the net. He was 30-20-4 for the year with 3.10 goals allowed per game and a .888 save percentage. He hasn’t been perfect by any means, allowing 29 goals in 231 attempts. He was pulled in Game 3 as he allowed three goals in the first period.
Golden Knights’ Season and Goaltending
The Vegas Golden Knights led the Pacific Division this season with a 39-26-17 record. They first came into the league in 2017, and instantly made the playoffs before losing in the Stanley Cup Final. They have been in the postseason in all but one of the years they’ve been in existence. There is also a Stanley Cup in their trophy case in that span.
This year hasn’t been a smooth ride in the postseason. They faced the Utah Mammoth in the first round, beating them in six games. However, two of those four wins came in overtime. In their two wins in this series, they’ve covered the puckline. Tonight’s goalie is probably going to be Carter Hart, who has started all of the Knights’ postseason games. He has allowed 27 goals this postseason, but he has made 283 stops and saved about 91% of the shots.
Coaching Impact and Team Performance
Joel Quenneville has made a great impact on the Anaheim Ducks team, taking them from a league doormat to a winner in just about a year. That’s typically where experience matters, but obviously, there is a bit of luck there, too.
This has been a pretty even series.