Ducks Defeat Golden Knights 3-1 to Level Series Heading Back to Anaheim

In a pivotal Game 2 matchup, the Anaheim Ducks showcased their resilience, defeating the Vegas Golden Knights 3-1 to even their playoff series at one game apiece. Beckett Sennecke, Leo Carlsson, and Jansen Harkins found the back of the net for the Ducks, while Lukas Dostal came tantalizingly close to his first career playoff shutout, only to see Mark Stone score a power-play goal with just 5.6 seconds remaining.

With the series now tied, the Ducks head back to Anaheim for Game 3 on Friday night, where they will look to seize control of this best-of-seven second-round series. The Golden Knights, however, will be eager to replicate their first-round success, having previously faced a 1-1 series tie before winning in six games.

Sennecke, a finalist for the Calder Memorial Trophy awarded to the league’s top rookie, made history by becoming the fourth Ducks player aged 20 or under to score multiple goals in a postseason. Dostal, who stopped 23 shots, was on the verge of securing his third career shutout, but the late power-play goal by Stone spoiled his bid.

On the other end, Golden Knights goaltender Carter Hart made 25 saves, but the night marked the end of Brett Howden’s four-game goal streak and Ivan Barbashev’s seven-game point streak. Despite their struggles, Vegas’ penalty kill proved formidable, successfully neutralizing all five of Anaheim’s power plays, including a challenging stretch of 6:19 in the first period during which the Golden Knights incurred four penalties, including a double minor for high sticking by Jack Eichel. Vegas has now killed off 19 consecutive penalties this postseason, showcasing their defensive tenacity.

In a bid to spark his team’s offense, Golden Knights coach John Tortorella shuffled his lines, moving Stone to the top line, William Karlsson to the second, and Pavel Dorofeyev down to the third. Meanwhile, Ducks coach Joel Quenneville struck gold by elevating Cutter Gauthier to the second line alongside Mikael Granlund and Alex Killorn. This line dominated the ice, generating 20 scoring chances to Vegas’ one in just 6:25 of action after two periods, ultimately finishing with a staggering 23-5 advantage in scoring opportunities.

The Ducks broke the deadlock in the second period after dominating possession for several minutes. Jeffrey Viel executed a clever pass from behind the goal line to Sennecke, who was stationed in front of the net, giving Anaheim a 1-0 lead with 8:37 left in the period. In the third, Troy Terry’s backhand pass found Carlsson, extending the Ducks’ lead to 2-0 at 6:36. Harkins sealed the game with an empty-net goal at 3:30 remaining, leaving the Ducks and their fans optimistic as they head back home.

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