The Golden Knights did not get much time to enjoy Round 1. That is fine because this time of year is not built for long celebrations.
Vegas opens the second round Monday against the Anaheim Ducks at T-Mobile Arena, facing another fast, skilled team that can turn mistakes into pressure. The Knights just handled that kind of test against Utah, and general manager Kelly McCrimmon believes it should help.
“Speed and skill,” McCrimmon said Sunday when asked about the connection between Utah and Anaheim. “I do think there are some similarities.”
The Ducks are not just a young team happy to be here. They eliminated the Edmonton Oilers in six games, went 3-0 against Vegas in the regular season and enter the series with one of the hottest attacks left in the playoffs.
So, yes, the Knights are favored. However, this is not a soft landing.
Anaheim has arrived
Anaheim’s rebuild has turned into something real.
The Ducks are young, fast and dangerous. They averaged 4.33 goals per game in the first round, second among playoff teams entering the matchup. They also converted at 50% on the power play, which led the field.
That combination puts immediate pressure on Vegas. Anaheim can score at five-on-five, but its power play is dangerous enough to punish careless penalties.
McCrimmon gave the Ducks credit for how they got here.
“They’re a team on the rise,” McCrimmon said. “They’ve drafted very well over the past few years, and those players are now key contributors.”
That young core is already producing. Jackson LaCombe had nine points in the first round, while Leo Carlsson, Cutter Gauthier and others give Anaheim speed and finish throughout the lineup.
McCrimmon also pointed to the Ducks’ roster balance. Anaheim did not only lean on draft picks. It added veterans and built around its young talent.
“They’ve done a really good job of that,” McCrimmon said. “They’re a team on the rise.”
Vegas built its own answer
The Knights are not trying to match Anaheim’s rebuild. They are trying to beat it with the roster they built for this exact window.
McCrimmon pointed to seven players who were not on last year’s team but played key roles in Round 1: Mitch Marner, Reilly Smith, Colton Sissons, Nic Dowd, Jeremy Lauzon, Carter Hart and Rasmus Andersson.
“Really, really a big part of our first series win,” McCrimmon said.
That was not accidental. Vegas changed the makeup of its team, and those moves showed up against Utah.
“You try to build your team so it has a chance to win,” McCrimmon said. “It doesn’t mean that you’re going to win, but you know what you think a championship roster has to look like.”
That line matters going into Anaheim. Vegas does not need to become younger or faster overnight. Instead, it needs to use its depth, experience and structure to manage Anaheim’s pace.
The fourth line is not filler
One of Vegas’ biggest Round 1 advantages came from the bottom of the lineup.
Dowd, Sissons and Smith gave the Knights a clear identity line. They won draws, played heavy, got pucks deep and created offense without needing soft minutes.
McCrimmon said that was the plan all along.
“That’s exactly what we were looking for when we made the moves that we made,” he said.
Sissons and Smith both scored important goals in the Utah series. Dowd helped tilt faceoffs and defensive-zone shifts. Together, they made life harder on Utah’s speed game.
“They played to a very strong identity that you need at playoff time,” McCrimmon said.
That line will matter again against Anaheim. The Ducks want pace, space and transition. Vegas needs shifts that slow the game down and force Anaheim to defend below the goal line.
Marner, Eichel lead the push
Vegas also enters Round 2 with its top players producing.
Jack Eichel had nine points in the first round, tied for the team lead. Marner had seven and is coming off a three-point performance in the Game 6 clincher.
McCrimmon said Marner was strong throughout the series, even before the goals came.
“Mitch has been great all year, certainly tremendous in Game 6, but for me was really good the whole series,” McCrimmon said.
That is important because Anaheim can score. Vegas will need its stars to drive play, not just defend the rush.
Pavel Dorofeyev also scored four goals in Round 1, and Brett Howden matched him with four. Howden’s playoff impact stood out to McCrimmon.
“He can play anywhere,” McCrimmon said. “He can go on any line and make that line better.”
That versatility gives John Tortorella options. Against a high-event team, options matter.
Special teams may decide Game 1
The cleanest matchup on paper is Anaheim’s power play against Vegas’ penalty kill.
The Ducks went 50% on the power play in Round 1. The Knights killed 93.8% of opposing power plays. That is strength against strength.
Vegas’ penalty kill was a major part of the Utah series. It even outscored Utah’s power play over the matchup, and Tortorella credited the group after Game 6.
Now, discipline becomes just as important as execution. Anaheim has enough talent to change a game quickly if Vegas gives it repeated chances.
The Knights’ own power play also showed signs of life in the clincher. Marner scored on the man advantage in Game 6, and Vegas finished Round 1 at 20%.
That does not need to become the best unit in the playoffs. However, it needs to be good enough to keep Anaheim honest.
Hart gets the net again
Carter Hart’s Round 1 numbers were solid, not spotless. He went 4-2 with a 2.72 goals-against average and a .898 save percentage.
Still, he got better as the series went on. He stopped 22 of 23 shots in Game 6 and gave Vegas the calm it needed in a close game before the Knights pulled away.
Anaheim’s goaltending is a question too. Lukas Dostal went 4-2 in Round 1 with a .874 save percentage and 3.87 goals-against average. Ville Husso had limited work.
That points to a clear theme. The team that protects its goalie better may control the series.
Vegas allowed 3.00 goals per game in Round 1. Anaheim allowed 3.50. If the Knights keep the Ducks out of second-chance chaos, they can turn this into their kind of series.
Confidence without comfort
McCrimmon said the Knights are in a good place mentally.
“I think a lot of confidence for our team,” he said. “The guys are in a good frame of mind.”
That confidence has been earned. Vegas trailed Utah 2-1 in the series, won Game 4 in overtime, survived Game 5 in double overtime and then closed Game 6 with a third-period surge.
Still, Anaheim brings a different challenge. The Ducks beat Vegas three times in the regular season, including a 4-3 win in the last meeting.
That does not decide this series, but it should keep the Knights honest.
Vegas has more playoff experience, while Anaheim has speed, belief and no reason to be careful.
What Game 1 needs to look like
The first 10 minutes will matter.
Vegas cannot feed Anaheim’s transition game with soft plays through the neutral zone. It also cannot give the Ducks early power plays and let their skill settle in.
Instead, the Knights need to make Game 1 heavy. They need pucks behind Anaheim’s defense, traffic around the crease and long offensive-zone shifts that force the Ducks to defend.
That is how Vegas beat Utah. It is also how it can put Anaheim in uncomfortable spots.
McCrimmon said the things that mattered against Utah will matter again. He is right.
The opponent has changed, but the assignment has not. Vegas must manage speed, win the middle of the ice and turn its depth into pressure.
Round 2 starts with a familiar test, and now the Knights have to show they learned from the first one.
Up next
The Golden Knights host the Anaheim Ducks in Game 1 of the second round Monday at T-Mobile Arena. Puck drop is 6:30 p.m. Pacific Time.
Related stories
Golden Knights close out Utah in six as Marner, Hart power 5-1 clincher
Golden Knights Edge Mammoth in Double Overtime Thriller, Take 3-2 Series Lead
Welcome to Dice City Sports — where we provide premium, exclusive, up-to-date news and analysis surrounding the Las Vegas sports scene. Follow along on social media, and check back for new articles daily!
Dice City Sports editor Mark Hebert covers the Vegas Golden Knights, Las Vegas Raiders, Athletics, and UNLV baseball and softball. He has 24 years of journalism experience, is also a senior reporter at Exhibit City News, and previously covered the Dallas Stars and Texas Rangers. Follow him on X or connect on LinkedIn.
