After defeating the Colorado Avalanche prospects on Thursday in El Segundo, CA in their first game of the seven-team “Rookie Faceoff”, the Ducks rookies took on a team sporting one of the very best prospect pools in the NHL, if not the best; the San Jose Sharks.
Takeaways from the Ducks 4-3 Victory over the Colorado Avalanche in Rookie Faceoff
After a first period where each team scored a goal a piece, the Sharks pulled ahead in the second and third, scoring five straight goals and would go on to win by a final of 7-2.
“Push back,” Ducks Rookie Faceoff head coach Matt McIlvane said when asked what the message is when the game starts getting away from the team. “Keep fighting and stay disciplined. Disciplined to the game plan. When you get down, sometimes guys forget what their job is, how to play. You really need a collective effort to be able to push back and get back into those games. Today that was a big lesson for us.”
Musty on his hat trick: “It’s pretty easy when you’re playing with these guys. Couple nice passes, another one from Smitty at the end, they make it pretty easy on me.” #SJSharks
— Max Miller (@Real_Max_Miller) September 16, 2024
The Sharks gave 2024 first-overall draft pick Macklin Celebrini the night off but were able to fill up the scoresheet handily without him. Quentin Musty led the way with a hat-trick and an assist while Luca Cagnoni filled up the assist column with three.
Cutter Gauthier and Yegor Sidorov were the Ducks players able to find the back of the net in this one.
The Ducks allowed three goals on three Sharks power plays.
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Here are my notes on this game:
Failure to simplify: From the blueline, several defensemen (Tristan Luneau and Konnor Smith, specifically) were unable to find outlets cleanly on multiple occasions. Smith let the puck jump off his stick at times, while Luneau seemed overly ambitious in trying to create opportunities.
In Luneau’s case, this was his second five-on-five game since Dec. and is still trying to get his decision-making up to speed.
Vyacheslav Buteyets: This was Buteyets’ first game he’d ever played on North American ice. He was strong on his angles and displayed a good amount of athleticism, but struggled to control rebounds on occasion. He made the saves he had to, but the team lost several net-front battles, leading to multiple goals.
“We left him out to dry a lot,” McIlvane said. “There was too much around the net, penalty kill included. I thought he presented himself as large. I thought he made a lot of great saves, but he didn’t get enough help in front of him.”
Ducks’ Dionicio is ready for next step in path to the NHL
Rodwin Dionicio: In the 14-plus months since he was drafted, Dionicio’s skating has come a long way. He’s poised under pressure, always looking to make the most effective and dangerous outlet pass. At the offensive blueline, he’s added layers of shiftiness, creating new lanes for him to exploit.
Though his pivots need some polish, his feet are now able to keep up with his brain more conductively, amplifying his offensive impact.
Carey Terrance: Terrance had an assist on Gauthier’s power play goal in the first period, making a play to win the puck off the wall before feeding into Gauthier’s wheelhouse.
He was a menace on the forecheck and low in the offensive zone, creating ample time and space for his ultra-talented linemates, Sasha Pastujov and Yegor Sidorov, to create chances.
The Ducks will wrap up rookie camp and the Rookie Faceoff Monday afternoon when they will take on the Los Angeles Kings’ prospects at 3:30 pm PST.
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