Ducks Set to Clash with Golden Knights in Second Round of Stanley Cup Playoffs

The Anaheim Ducks are gearing up for an exciting second round matchup against the Vegas Golden Knights in the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs. After overcoming the Edmonton Oilers in six games, the Ducks will head to Las Vegas, where the Golden Knights recently dispatched the Utah Mammoth in their own six-game series, sealing the deal with a 5-1 victory in Game 6.

This season, the Ducks have had the upper hand against the Golden Knights, winning all three regular-season encounters, two of which required overtime. Remarkably, each of those games ended with a score of 4-3, marking only the second time since Vegas joined the league in 2017 that Anaheim has claimed the season series.

The Golden Knights, much like the Ducks’ previous opponent, boast a roster rich in playoff experience. Many key players from their 2023 Cup-winning team remain, including forwards Jack Eichel and Mark Stone. Eichel shone in the first round, collecting eight points, which tied him for the third-most among all skaters.

On the defensive front, Jackson LaCombe will likely be tasked with matching up against Eichel and his line, which also features Ivan Barbashev and Pavel Dorofeyev. LaCombe, who handled the challenge of defending against Connor McDavid in the first round, recorded nine points himself, tying for second among all skaters in that series. Dorofeyev made headlines by scoring in the dying moments of Game 5, achieving a hat trick in the process.

As the series unfolds, goaltending will play a pivotal role. For Anaheim, Lukáš Dostál has had his struggles, posting an .874 save percentage and a 3.87 goals-against average. After being pulled in Game 5 following three goals on nine shots, he rebounded in Game 6 with a solid performance, making 25 saves on 27 shots. Reflecting on his recovery, Dostál said, “I feel like I kind of got that day and a half. And that I have the time to recover physically and mentally.”

The Golden Knights also cycled through three goaltenders during the regular season, with Carter Hart emerging as the primary option in the final stretch. Hart ended the regular season on a six-game winning streak, yet his first-round performance mirrored Dostál’s struggles, as he recorded an .876 save percentage over six games.

“We’re gonna have a couple of days now, so I think it’s gonna be important, physically and mentally,” Dostál noted. “We’re gonna make sure that we’re gonna be ready for the next one because it might be a completely different opponent than Edmonton is. That’s what’s so magical about the playoffs. When you keep advancing, you get to play different teams with different styles.”

Note: This recap is an independently written summary based on publicly available reporting.