Ducks pull even with Golden Knights with unexpected defensive gem - ESPN

Anaheim Ducks center Leo Carlsson watched from the bench as his team's penalty kill sprawled around the crease, preventing several Vegas Golden Knights scoring chances in the late stages of Game 2 in their Western Conference semifinals playoff series.

«It felt like [the puck] kind of had to go in at some point,» Carlsson said.

«Thanks,» his goalie, Lukas Dostal, said with a sarcastic laugh.

The puck didn't go in until there were only six seconds left, as the Ducks skated away with a 3-1 win and a 1-1 series tie Wednesday night. It was a rare game in which Anaheim flexed its defensive prowess, having been one of the weakest goal-prevention teams in the regular season. But in Game 2 in Las Vegas, the Ducks excelled at 5-on-5 and on the penalty kill.

«It's not our tradition of playing that type of game — a low-scoring affair when we score first and we're leading throughout the whole game,» coach Joel Quenneville said. «This is the only way you're going to be successful in playoffs. You've got to win games like tonight.»

It has been a struggle all season for Quenneville and his staff to get the Ducks to play that kind of defense. Anaheim was 29th in goals-against average and 28th in expected goals against per 60 minutes at 5-on-5 in the regular season.

«We certainly were beating that drum that we got to find a way to keep the puck out of our net. When we do, we're a good team,» Quenneville said. «If you want to win in the playoffs, you better keep the puck out of your net.»

The Ducks played two of their best defensive games of the playoffs in Vegas after using their offense against the Edmonton Oilers in their first-round series victory. Quenneville credited their offensive puck possession with helping to bolster their