Takeaways from the Ducks 3-2 OT Win over the Panthers

Name: Takeaways from the Ducks 3-2 OT Win over the Panthers
Uploaded: 2026-10-05T04:14:18.742Z
Channel: paz blu
Description: Lukas Dostal’s steady goaltending and a lethal power play propelled Anaheim to a historic home-opening victory, overcoming Florida’s physical presence and dominant puck possession in a gritty overtime battle.

To open their 2026-27 home schedule, the Anaheim Ducks [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/anaheim-ducks] hosted the Florida Panthers [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/florida-panthers] on Sunday evening at Honda Center, with their sights set on an NHL-record 11th straight home-opening win. The Ducks began their campaign with a 4-3 victory over the defending Western Conference Champion Vegas Golden Knights [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/vegas-golden-knights]. That game saw five Ducks debuts (Jeff Malott, AJ Greer, Judd Caulfield, Travis Mitchell, and Noah Warren), including two NHL debuts (Caulfield and Warren. Game #2: Ducks vs. Panthers Gameday Preview (10/04/26) [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/anaheim-ducks/game-day/game-2-ducks-vs-panthers-gameday-preview-10-04-26] Takeaways from the Ducks 4-3 Win over the Golden Knights [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/anaheim-ducks/game-day/takeaways-from-the-ducks-4-3-win-over-the-golden-knights-1] For Florida, this was the second leg of a three-game California road trip after opening their season against the Carolina Hurricanes. The Panthers entered this game 1-0-1, and both games were decided in overtime: a 1-0 win in Carolina and a 4-3 loss against the San Jose Sharks. Florida lost captain Aleksander Barkov during their game against the Sharks on Thursday, and he was placed on IR. In this game, they were without defenseman Aaron Ekblad (personal) but saw the returns of defenseman Gustav Forsling (upper body) and forward Brad Marchand (lower body), both making their season debuts in this game. The only change Ducks head coach Joel Quenneville made to his lineup from the one that opened the season was to insert Sam Colangelo in place of Frank Vatrano on the third line. Here’s how the Ducks lined up in this game: Greer-Carlsson-Gauthier Killorn-Granlund-Sennecke Nesternko-Poehling-Colangelo Malott-Washe-Caulfield LaCombe-Luneau Mintyukov-Mitchell Hinds-Warren Lukas Dostal got the start for the Ducks in this game and saved 29 of the 31 shots he faced. He was opposed by Jacob Markstrom, who stopped 18 of 21. “We played a man’s team tonight, and a man’s game,” Ducks head coach Joel Quenneville said after the game. “I thought we did against Vegas the other night, and that’s what happens when you got experienced teams, and they know how to win. “They know it doesn’t stop, and it’s 60 minutes of pushing and shoving. You don’t have to be fancy sometimes. Just a little protecting of the puck and they’re getting it out of the zone or in deep or blocking a shot. All the little things add up, and they know how to win, and that was why it was such a big win.” GAME NOTES This game was not as pretty as Friday’s from an underlying perspective. Florida controlled 5v5 possession with 56.2% of the shots on goal, 61% of the shot attempts, and 62.5% of the expected goals. For the Ducks, this game was won on special teams, where they scored all three of their goals, going 3-for-4, and killing all four penalties they took as a team. They were just sound enough in their end for Dostal to see as many shots as possible, and though he didn’t wow with any of his 29 saves, he made several difficult ones and gave his team a chance to come away with another two points. Power Play: This season, Anaheim moved away from attempting to ice two equal power play units and elected to deploy one unit of all their top offensive players. So far, so good. Not only is the personnel consistent, but the five players (Mikael Granlund, Beckett Sennecke, Leo Carlsson, Cutter Gauthier, Jackson LaCombe) have developed chemistry, rapport, and intuition, feeding and reading off one another. They’re showing levels of deception along with equal parts urgency and poise as they move pucks up ice and throughout the zone. They are executing give-and-gos off the wall and to the bottom of the circle as well as displaying a willingness to interchange positions with added fluidity in their structure. Penalty Kill/D-Zone Coverage: Though much of this game was spent in the Ducks’ defensive end, they, for the most part, did well to limit how dangerous Florida was with that extended time. As they were in Vegas, the defensemen and low forwards were difficult to gain ice against in front of Dostal, allowing him to see distance shots and doing well to box out rebound attempts. The most significant aspect of what made them successful was how they addressed open lanes. Either active sticks or quick retreats and recoveries to dangerous ice prevented crucial, high-danger situations. Leo Carlsson: When he was drafted, Carlsson was compared to some of the best 200-foot, Selke-winning players of their generations: Patrice Bergeron, Anze Kopitar, and Aleksander Barkov. Those reports were miscast, as he entered the NHL with a more offensive inclination, attacking downhill, and struggling to grasp defensive concepts. As the franchise center and highest-paid player in the NHL, Carlsson has no choice but to quickly and completely round out his game and live up to the pressures that are attached to his new status. In this game, he was that high IQ, 200-foot, two-way battle-winner down the middle. He was backtracking in proper lanes, sealing attackers, and breaking up countless opportunities. This was one of the more complete games of Carlsson’s blossoming career. The Ducks will face their third-straight Stanley Cup-contending opponent on Wednesday, when they’ll host the Edmonton Oilers [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/edmonton-oilers] at Honda Center at 7 pm PST. Who is Tristan Luneau, and Why did the Anaheim Ducks Sign Him to a Huge Extension? [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/anaheim-ducks/latest-news/who-is-tristan-luneau-and-why-did-the-anaheim-ducks-sign-him-to-a-huge-extension] Ducks Sign Tristan Luneau to Six-Year Contract Extension [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/anaheim-ducks/latest-news/ducks-sign-tristan-luneau-to-six-year-contract-extension] Anaheim Ducks Submit 2026-27 Season-Opening Roster [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/anaheim-ducks/latest-news/anaheim-ducks-submit-2026-27-season-opening-roster] Ducks Alumni Partner with Warrior of Life Fund for Face Off for Heroes [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/anaheim-ducks/latest-news/ducks-alumni-partner-with-warrior-of-life-fund-for-face-off-for-heroes]