Ducks Face Elimination in Game 6 Against Golden Knights

In a critical Game 6 of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs, the Anaheim Ducks find themselves on the brink of elimination as they host the Vegas Golden Knights. The stakes are high following a tense Game 5, where a pair of crucial shots from Pavel Dorofeyev sealed an overtime victory for the Golden Knights, leaving the Ducks with no margin for error.

The Ducks will have to adjust their lineup after forward Ryan Poehling left Game 5 with an upper-body injury due to a hit from Brayden McNabb, who has since received a one-game suspension from the NHL Player Safety department. Poehling’s absence is a significant blow, as he has been a key contributor throughout the playoffs. In his place, Jansen Harkins is expected to re-enter the lineup after being a healthy scratch in the previous two games.

Head coach Joel Quenneville expressed confidence in his team’s ability to adapt to the changes. “I think all year long, you share responsibility,” he stated. “A lot of times, the guy coming in there doesn’t have to be that guy, but I think everybody can absorb—whether it’s more quality ice time or more ice time or you don’t play as much, I think we adapted to the situations quite well.” With Mason McTavish likely centering the third line, supported by Jeff Viel and Cutter Gauthier, the Ducks will look to generate offensive pressure.

Tim Washe spoke about Poehling’s impact on the team, noting, “He’s just a tremendous part of this team. But we’ve got some guys stepping up here. Everyone’s got to be at their best and help the team out any way they can.” Leo Carlsson, who has struggled to find his scoring touch in the series, added, “It’s a hard role to fill. But we have a lot of guys who can do it, too, so I’m not too worried.”

Despite Carlsson’s impressive performance in the first round against the Edmonton Oilers, he has found the going tough against the Golden Knights, posting only two points and a minus-3 rating through five games. Quenneville emphasized the need for his top line, which includes Carlsson, Chris Kreider, and Troy Terry, to step up and create more offensive opportunities. “Vegas plays tight defensively,” he remarked. “They don’t give up much… We need them to be a factor.”

As the Ducks prepare for Game 6, they are hopeful that players like Troy Terry, Alex Killorn, Jackson LaCombe, and Mikael Granlund—who missed Thursday’s morning skate—will be ready to contribute. However, Radko Gudas remains a question mark due to a lower-body injury, as Quenneville suggested he is unlikely to play tonight.

On the other side, the Golden Knights will be without Mark Stone, who is still recovering from a lower-body injury sustained in Game 3. With McNabb suspended, Kaeden Korzcak is set to step into the lineup, adding to the depth of a team that has shown resilience throughout the playoffs.

Ducks Projected Lines

Chris Kreider – Leo Carlsson – Troy Terry
Alex Killorn – Mikael Granlund – Beckett Sennecke
Jeff Viel – Mason McTavish – Cutter Gauthier
Ross Johnston – Tim Washe – Jansen Harkins

Jackson LaCombe – Jacob Trouba
Pavel Mintyukov – John Carlson
Olen Zellweger – Ian Moore

Lukáš Dostál (confirmed)

Golden Knights Projected Lines

Ivan Barbashev – Jack Eichel – Pavel Dorofeyev
Brett Howden – William Karlsson – Mitch Marner
Brandon Saad – Tomáš Hertl – Colton Sissons
Cole Smith – Nic Dowd – Keegan Kolesar

Shea Theodore – Dylan Coghlan
Noah Hanifin – Rasmus Andersson
Ben Hutton – Kaeden Korzcak

Carter Hart (confirmed)

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