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Ducks return to basics, top Golden Knights in Game 2 to even series

May 7, 2026

LAS VEGAS — In the end, the Ducks didn’t need any fancy or flashy plays to defeat the Vegas Golden Knights, 3-1, and pull even in their second-round Stanley Cup playoff series Wednesday night at T-Mobile Arena. What they needed was a little more patience than in Game 1 and a return to basics.

The Ducks paid more attention to the front of the net, both of them, in fact, and they were rewarded. Beckett Sennecke, in the second period, and Leo Carlsson, in the third, skated to the front of Carter Hart’s net and slammed home goals off alert feeds from Jeffrey Viel and Troy Terry.

Goaltender Lukas Dostal made 24 saves, including three on a frenetic Vegas power play after Ryan Poehling was penalized for tripping Jack Eichel at 11:37 of the final period. The Ducks’ penalty killers aided him with several blocked shots during one especially tense sequence.

Jansen Harkins’ empty-net goal sealed the Game 2 victory.

Mark Stone’s power-play goal in the final six seconds ended Dostal’s shutout bid.

The best-of-seven series now shifts to Honda Center for Game 3 on Friday and Game 4 on Sunday.

Coach Joel Quenneville made several changes to the Ducks’ lineup for Game 2. Wingers Jansen Harkins and Ross Johnston were inserted into the lineup and wingers Mason McTavish and Ian Moore were scratched in an attempt to add a more physical presence on Wednesday.

The changes did nothing to alter the Ducks’ fortunes in the first period. Despite spending more than six minutes on the power play, including a total of 1:41 while skating 5 on 3, the Ducks failed to score. They outshot the Golden Knights by 13-4, but had nothing to show for it.

In fact, they failed to record a shot on goal while Vegas center Jack Eichel was seated in the penalty box after drawing a double-minor for high-sticking, drawing blood from the chin of the Ducks’ Mikael Granlund at 5:33 of the opening period. The Ducks had sustained pressure, but couldn’t score.

After spending so much of the first period with the man-advantage, the Ducks settled for some extended offensive zone time while skating at even strength in the second. They generated sustained pressure, but couldn’t crack Hart until a rare Golden Knights’ lapse.

Viel slipped a pass from below the goal line to the goalie’s right to an unmarked Sennecke, who chipped the puck over Hart’s left shoulder to give the Ducks a hard-earned 1-0 lead 11:23 into the second period. After all the near-misses, it took a simple play to beat Hart.

The Ducks spent a great deal of time playing with the puck on the perimeter and firing shots over the net and past it until Sennecke, a 20-year-old rookie, scored his second goal of the playoffs. The goal was a reminder that good things happen when players go to the opposing net and wreak havoc.

Getting in front of Hart wasn’t a simple task, though, and nowhere near as easy as during the Ducks’ opening-round victory over the Oilers. The Golden Knights’ play a far more physical game than the Oilers, making it especially difficult to post up in front of the net.

As usual during the Ducks’ first playoff appearance since 2018, their best defense was a strong offensive attack. The Ducks continued to play well with their sticks, swatting away pucks and slowing down Vegas as it attempted to enter the attacking zone.

Dostal was tested, but faced only token pressure for extended stretches through two periods. The sustained pressure Vegas coach John Tortorella hoped for after it was noticeably absent in the Golden Knights’ victory in Game 1 did not magically appear for Game 2.

More to come on this story.

Orange County Register

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Ducks return to basics, top Golden Knights in Game 2 to even series

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