The Vegas Golden Knights and Anaheim Ducks will kick off their best-of-seven, second-round series Monday night when the teams meet at T-Mobile Arena for Game 1.
Prior to 2025-26, the Ducks missed the playoffs in seven straight seasons. Their last postseason appearance came in Vegas’ inaugural campaign, where Anaheim was swept by the San Jose Sharks in the first round. Since then, Anaheim has gone through a complete overhaul, rebuilding through the draft and adding veteran pieces along the way.
The revamped Ducks hired Joel Quenneville in the offseason and have been competitive all year. A mix of superstar young talent and hard-nosed, experienced veteran players along with the successful bench boss has been an excellent recipe for a bounceback campaign, leading to a third-place finish in the Pacific Division with a 44-33-6 record for 92 points, three points back of the division-winning Golden Knights.
The Ducks dispatched Connor McDavid and the Edmonton Oilers in six games in the first round and will square off in a second-round matchup against the Golden Knights, whom they’ve never faced in the playoffs.
The Golden Knights are coming off a six-game series victory over the Utah Mammoth. Vegas won three straight meetings after falling behind 2-1 in the series.
The Ducks also won a stretch of three games in the middle of their series to take a commanding 3-1 lead before dropping Game 5. However, they defeated the Oilers 5-2 in Game 6 back on April 30 to advance. The Ducks won their series with a combination of speed and a high-yield offense, which scored a combined 26 goals in six games, leading all playoff teams with an average of 4.33 per game.
The Golden Knights struggled with Utah’s speed, which could be a factor once again in this matchup. Vegas was able to adapt, and the Golden Knights led all playoff teams with three third-period comebacks. That was nothing new for Vegas, which managed 21 come-from-behind wins in the regular season.
Anaheim, however, finished tied with Montreal for first in the league with 26 in the regular season and also managed three in the first round, though only one came in the third period. However, two of those 26 comeback wins in the regular season came against the Golden Knights, as Anaheim swept the season series 3-0-0.
The Mammoth had significantly less playoff experience than the Golden Knights, which won’t necessarily be the case this time around. Though Anaheim’s core is quite young, including Leo Carlsson (21), Cutter Gauthier (22), Beckett Sennecke (20) and Jackson LaCombe (25), the veterans have plenty of playoff experience.
Alex Killorn and Carlson lead the way with 146 and 143 career postseason games, respectively, along with three combined Stanley Cup rings, but Chris Kreider (129), Mikael Granlund (83) and Jacob Trouba (79) have also been around the block before and know how to play when the stakes are sky-high.
The big news for Vegas is the long-anticipated return of William Karlsson, who is expected to be in the lineup for Game 1. Karlsson has been out since Nov. 8 (ironically against Anaheim) but is a massive boost for the Golden Knights, even if it takes him several games to shake off the rust. Surprisingly, it looks as though Karlsson’s long-time running mate Reilly Smith will be the one coming out of the lineup, joining Brandon Saad and Akira Schmid as healthy scratches. Jeremy Lauzon is not expected to play, with Ben Hutton set to skate on the third pairing with Kaedan Korczak.
For Anaheim, captain Radko Gudas is a game-time decision, while Frank Vatrano, Olen Zellweger, Jansen Harkins and Ross Johnston are expected to serve as healthy scratches.
By the numbers
REGULAR SEASON
Record
Vegas: 39-26-17—95
Anaheim: 43-33-6—92
Leading scorers
Vegas: Eichel (27-63—90), Marner (24-56—80), Stone (28-45—73), Dorofeyev (37-27—64)
Anaheim: Gauthier (41-28—69), Carlsson (29-38—67), Sennecke (23-37—60), LaCombe (10-48—58)
Goals For (NHL rank)
Vegas: 3.22 (14th)
Anaheim: 3.23 (13th)
Goals Against (NHL rank)
Vegas: 2.95 (12th)
Anaheim: 3.51 (29th)
Shots For (NHL rank))
Vegas: 29.0 (8th)
Anaheim: 30.8 (3rd)
Shots Against (NHL rank)
Vegas: 24.4 (2nd)
Anaheim: 28.4 (20th)
Power play (NHL rank)
Vegas: 24.6 percent (6th)
Anaheim: 18.6 percent (23rd)
Penalty kill (NHL rank)
Vegas: 81.4 percent (7th)
Anaheim: 76.4 percent (27th)
FIRST ROUND
Leading scorers
Vegas: Eichel(1-8—9), Marner (2-5—7), Barbashev (2-4—6), Howden (4-1—5)
Anaheim: LaCombe (1-8—9), Terry (3-5—8), Carlsson (3-5—8), Gauthier (4-3—7)
Goals For (NHL rank)
Vegas: 3.83 (3rd)
Anaheim: 4.33 (1st)
Goals Against (NHL rank)
Vegas: 3.0 (10th)
Anaheim: 3.50 (13th)
Shots For (NHL rank))
Vegas: 30.7 (6th)
Anaheim: 32.3 (2nd)
Shots Against (NHL rank)
Vegas: 27.7 (7th)
Anaheim: 28.3 (9th)
Power play (NHL rank)
Vegas: 20 percent (5th)
Anaheim: 50 percent (1st)
Penalty kill (NHL rank)
Vegas: 93.8 percent (3rd)
Anaheim: 71.4 percent (14th)
Season series
The Golden Knights were winless (0-1-2) in three games against the Ducks during the regular season, losing 4-3 in all three contests, two of which were decided in overtime.
Interestingly, all three games coincided with Vegas losing streaks. The two losses in November were the first and second games during separate four-game losing streaks, while the Feb. 1 loss was Vegas’ fifth consecutive loss and seventh in its last eight games at the time.
That doesn’t change the fact that the Golden Knights fell short against the Ducks in every game during the season series for the first time in franchise history, but it is indicative of Vegas’ inconsistent play throughout the campaign. That being said, it’s also a result of the fact that the Ducks are deeper, more talented and more competitive this year than in years past.
Nov. 8 — Golden Knights vs. Ducks : 4-3 (OT) L
The Golden Knights opened the scoring in the first period but proceeded to surrender three unanswered goals through 40 minutes, two of which came off the stick of Carlsson.
However, Vegas rallied with a stellar third period, scoring on the power play at 3:56 and tying the game at 3-3 at 14:53. But Vegas couldn’t complete the comeback, as Trouba skated around the defense and beat Schmid with 32 seconds left in extra time.
Scoring summary
Vegas: Howden (3), PPG: Dorofeyev (10), Korczak (2)
Anaheim: Vatrano (2), Carlsson (7), Carlsson (8), Trouba (4)
Nov. 22 — Golden Knights at Ducks : 4-3 (OT) L
The two clubs combined for five goals in a wild opening 20 minutes, with Vegas scoring the first two, Anaheim responding with two goals in the span of just 34 seconds, and Vegas adding one more before intermission.
The Ducks evened the score in the second period, and overtime was required after a scoreless third. Vegas committed a costly turnover behind the net, which led to Gauthier’s game-winner at 3:57 of overtime.
Scoring summary
Vegas — Theodore (3), Braeden Bowman (4), PPG: Tomas Hertl (9)
Anaheim — LaCombe (2), Zellweger (3), Troy Terry (7), Gauthier (13)
Feb. 1 — Golden Knights at Ducks : 4-3 L
The Golden Knights fell into a three-goal hole 4:32 into the second period. Vegas managed to make it a two-goal deficit going into the third and then scored midway through the final frame to make it a 3-2 contest. However, the Ducks scored an empty-net goal to restore the two-goal lead with 1:07 remaining in regulation. Vegas scored with seconds left but was unable to recover from the early deficit.
Scoring summary
Anaheim — Kreider (18), Kreider (19), PPG: Gauthier (24), EN: Ryan Poehling (5)
Vegas — Mitch Marner (15), Ivan Barbashev (15), Hertl (22)
Goalie matchup
Carter Hart finished the first round with a 4-2 record along with a 2.72 goals-against average and .898 save percentage.
Lukas Dostal went 4-2 but recorded a 3.87 goals-against average and managed an .874 save percentage.
The two ranked fifth (Hart) and sixth (Dostal) in save percentage. Both have negative values for goals saved above expected, with Hart ranking 15th (-1.6) and Dostal in dead last (21st) with -4.1, per Money Puck.
Neither goaltender has been particularly sharp, but both are capable of making big-time saves. The Golden Knights will need Hart to be better, but he was more solid in the elimination game, finishing the contest with 22 saves on 23 shots for a .957 save percentage. He finished three out of six games with a save percentage above .900, with Game 3’s .667 serving as a major outlier. Though he did surrender four goals in three straight games, the Golden Knights managed to win two of those.
Dostal had a similar outing in which he gave up three goals on nine shots (.667 save percentage), though he was pulled after playing 10:13. He only finished one game with a save percentage over .900, stopping 25 of 27 in Game 6 for a .926 save percentage.
Hart has an all-time record of 2-1-0 with a 2.03 goals-against average and .941 save percentage against the Ducks, though he has yet to face them as a member of the Golden Knights.
In his career, Dostal is 3-2-0 with a 2.75 goals-against average and .917 save percentage against Vegas.
Special teams breakdown
The Ducks had the best power play in the playoffs in the first round, producing eight goals on 16 attempts for a conversion rate of 50 percent.
Vegas went 4-for-16 for a 20 percent efficacy rate, which ranked fifth.
On the flip side, the Golden Knights had the third-ranked penalty kill after killing off 15 of 16 of Utah’s opportunities, while the Ducks ranked 14th out of 16 teams with a 71.4 percent success rate after yielding four goals on 14 chances against Edmonton.
The penalty kill was arguably Vegas’ best asset in the first round, as it outscored the Mammoth’s power play 2-1 with two shorthanded tallies. The Golden Knights will need more of the same in the second round against the top power play in the postseason, and Hart will need to be the team’s best penalty killer.
The Golden Knights had the better power play during the regular season (24.6 percent compared to 18.6 percent), though its success has largely evaporated in recent games. The Vegas power play came through with a key conversion late in Game 6, but it has otherwise bled momentum with an inability to generate chances. John Tortorella made some changes during the series, but it wasn’t enough to dramatically alter the results. That will need to change in this matchup, particularly if the penalty kill isn’t able to slow Anaheim down.
Keys to the series
Special teams could be a major deciding factor in the series. Neither team takes a ton of penalties, but this could be a much more physical matchup given the personnel. As such, the Golden Knights’ penalty kill will need to continue to come through, particularly considering the Ducks were so lethal on the man-advantage.
Speaking of man-avantage, the Golden Knights need their power play to wake up. It doesn’t have to be perfect, and it doesn’t have to convert every time, but it would go a long way if it could at least prevent Vegas from losing momentum. Being methodical and direct when moving the puck, getting pucks to the net, taking away Dostal’s eyes, generating chances and keeping the puck in Anaheim’s end are all important aspects even when a power play doesn’t score.
Much like Utah did, the Ducks will rely on their youth and speed to take advantage of the Golden Knights. Vegas ultimately made adjustments, but the Golden Knights will have to be mindful of this throughout the matchup. Puck management, limiting unforced errors and maintaining sound defensive structure can help prevent odd-man rushes, and the Golden Knights will need to help Hart defend the net-front. Getting bodies to clear out the crease to prevent Anaheim’s young, fast and skilled players from getting to rebounds and wreaking havoc will be critical.
Depth scoring will also be a key ingredient of both teams’ strategies, and whatever team gets more consistent contributions from throughout the lineup will be well on its way. Both teams relied on it in the first round, with Poehling sitting tied with Carlsson on the Ducks with four goals.
For Vegas, Brett Howden emerged as a big-game game-breaker for the Golden Knights, but the Eichel’s, Mark Stone’s and Marner’s will have to continue to contribute. It took Pavel Dorofeyev several games, though he seems to have found a place for himself on the top line and is scoring at a pace more in line with his “scorofeyev” identity.
Marner also stepped up in Game 6 after being scoreless through the first five games. If he can continue to produce in big moments, that will take a lot of the burden off Vegas’ other top stars. As for Hertl, perhaps the return of Karlsson will help him rediscover his scoring touch. When Dorofeyev and Hertl are competing for the team lead in scoring, the Golden Knights are a very difficult team to stop.
Last but not least, the role the fourth lines played in the first round must be mentioned. Kelly McCrimmon crafted a brand-new fourth line at the trade deadline, bringing in one of the best fourth-line centers in the game in Nic Dowd and adding Cole Smith to the mix.
The fourth line was tremendous for Vegas in the first round, and it’s the first time since the 2023 run that Vegas has had a fourth line with an identity that can impact the game in all three zones. Vegas will need that to continue, particularly against a formidable Ducks fourth line that played a key role in helping the Ducks advance to round two.
Projected lineups
Golden Knights
Ivan Barbashev — Jack Eichel — Pavel Dorofeyev
Brett Howden — Mitch Marner — Mark Stone
Tomas Hertl — William Karlsson — Keegan Kolesar
Cole Smith — Nic Dowd — Colton Sissons
Brayden McNabb — Shea Theodore
Noah Hanifin — Rasmus Andersson
Ben Hutton — Kaedan Korczak
Carter Hart
Adin Hill
Ducks
Chris Kreider — Leo Carlsson — Troy Terry
Alex Killorn — Mikael Granlund — Beckett Sennecke
Mason McTavish — Ryan Poehling — Cutter Gauthier
Jeffrey Viel — Tim Washe — Ian Moore
Jackson Lacombe — Jacob Trouba
Pavel Mintyukov — John Carlson
Tyson Hinds — Drew Helleson
Lukas Dostal
Ville Husson
How to watch
Game 1: Monday, May 4 at 6:30 p.m. PT at T-Mobile Arena (Las Vegas, NV) — ESPN
Game 2: Wednesday, May 6 at 6:30 p.m. PT at T-Mobile Arena (Las Vegas, NV) — TNT, truTV, HBO Max
Game 3: Friday, May 8 at 6:30 p.m. PT. at Honda Center (Anaheim, CA) — TNT, truTV, HBO Max
Game 4: Sunday, May 10 at 6:30 p.m. PT. at Honda Center (Anaheim, CA) — ESPN
Game 5*: Tuesday, May 12 – TBD at T-Mobile Arena (Las Vegas, NV) — ESPN
Game 6*: Thursday, May 14 – TBD at Honda Center (Anaheim, CA) — TNT, truTV, HBO Max
Game 7*: Saturday, May 16 – TBD at T-Mobile Arena (Las Vegas, NV) — ABC, ESPN
*If necessary
Photo courtesy of the Golden Knights