The Anaheim Ducks rookies took on the rookies from the Colorado Avalanche organization in their first game of the three-game “Rookie Faceoff” at Toyota Sports Performance Center, the Los Angeles Kings practice facility in El Segundo, CA.
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The Ducks emerged victorious by a score of 4-3 as both teams peppered the opposing goaltenders.
Ducks netminder Calle Clang stopped 39 of 42 shots while his counterpart Vinny Duplessis stopped 43 of 47.
Defenseman Tristan Luneau captained the Anaheim rookie team while Cutter Gauthier and Tyson Hinds each wore an “A.”
This game marked the first time the Ducks’ new jerseys and uniforms were worn on the ice in a game environment.
“Fun group to watch,” Ducks Rookie Faceoff head coach Matt McIlvane stated after the game. “We wanted to see some competitiveness, we wanted to see some work ethic, some big pressure.”
Here are my notes on this game:
Calle Clang: Clang made the saves he was supposed to and didn’t stand much chance to stop any of the three he allowed. For the most part, the defense in front of him limited chances to the perimeter and he swallowed any dangerous rebound opportunities.
“For me, Calle was the star of the game. I thought he was excellent,” Said McIlvane.
Defensive Zone: As a whole, the Ducks clogged the middle of the ice at 5v5. Defensemen won battles in the corners and moved pucks to outlets as poised and quick as can be expected.
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“I think we did a pretty decent job of killing pucks in the corner,” said McIlvane. “Moving it quick, that’s what the best players in the best league do. I think that would be a nice theme to move forward with with our defensemen.”
Tristan Luneau: This was Luneau’s first full 5v5 game action since Dec. 12, 2023. He was confident with and without the puck and dictated play as he transported it up ice leading rushes. He won nearly every puck battle below the defensive face-off dots, imposing his will, and at times, was the best player on the ice.
Line construction: The Ducks rookie roster features several supremely skilled players. Two in particular are Sasha Pastujov and Yegor Sidorov. With the way the lines were built in this game, their linemates gave them ample space on the ice to operate.
Sam Colangelo and Cutter Gauthier played alongside Sidorov, where Gauthier and Colangelo routinely won battles and drew defenders toward them, finding Sidorov in dangerous ice.
Pastujov lined up with Carey Terrance and Maxim Masse, who are north-south puck hounds that pressure opposing defenseman at will, allowing Pastujov to emerge with possession and time to diagnose the defensive structure.
The Ducks will return to the Rookie Faceoff on Sunday to take on Macklin Celebrini and the rookies from the San Jose Sharks at 4:30 pm PST.