The Vegas Golden Knights struggle offensively against the Anaheim Ducks in their playoff series. As the series moves to Southern California, the Knights aim to improve their performance in Game Three.
Vegas Golden Knights center Jack Eichel (9) skates past Anaheim Ducks defenseman Jackson LaCombe (2) during game 2 of a NHL playoff game between the Vegas Golden Knights and the Anaheim Ducks, Wednesday May 6, 2026 in Las Vegas, Nev.
(DJ Cabanlong-The Sporting Tribune)
Two games in against the Anaheim Ducks, and the Vegas Golden Knights still have yet to find a consistent rhythm on the offensive side of things.
With the series now shifting to Southern California, the Golden Knights hope that going on the road finally gives them some answers when they face the Ducks on Friday in Game Three.
Venue: T-Mobile Arena, Paradise, NV
Date: Friday, May 8
Time: 6:30 pm PST
How To Watch: TNT, TruTV, HBO Max
Radio: 1340 AM, 94.7 FM
Game Two was essentially an inverse of Game One, where the Golden Knights just never found the plays that gave them a win in a game they were outplayed in. The Ducks got to their game first, and the Golden Knights never got to their game until the series was all but officially tied at a game apiece. While Vegas has fared well in this type of situation and are not in a position to feel immense pressure, the Ducks continuing to perform like they did at T-Mobile Arena could change their tune quickly.
The Golden Knights have yet to find a consistent rhythm on offense in the first two games of the series.
Game Three is scheduled for Friday as the series shifts to Southern California.
The series is currently tied after two games, with the Golden Knights looking to gain momentum in Game Three.
Key players include Jack Eichel from the Golden Knights and Jackson LaCombe from the Ducks.
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With the series still very much hanging in the balance, here is the rundown on what the Golden Knights are looking to in order to bounce back.
Cancel the parade
The parades at Disneyland are always fun. Not so much the case at Honda Center.
The Golden Knights found themselves on the back foot in Game Two with 10 penalty minutes, including a four-minute double minor for Jack Eichel and a five-on-three penalty kill. While Vegas held strong and continued the amazing effort of its penalty kill, it stands to reason that it knocked the offense out of sync and left star players feeling disconnected from the game. It is great that the Golden Knights have found a way to mitigate any damage from mistakes, but they would probably prefer making an impact at five-on-five to help themselves out.
Subject to change
John Tortorella was prompted to make some changes during Game Two, and it looks like the roster situation is still fluid.
Mark Stone remains on the top line with Eichel and Ivan Barbashev, while William Karlsson is getting a look on the second line with Mitch Marner and Brett Howden. The shuffling continued during morning skate on defense, with Dylan Coghlan subbing in for Kaedan Korczak for the first time this postseason. The Golden Knights still have some room for experimentation with the lineup, but they have a finite amount of time to get the right combination down.
Find a way
Tortorella said after Game One that the Golden Knights found a way to win despite it not being their best effort, and that has to be the focus once again.
Unlike Game Two, the Golden Knights were able to get sustained offensive pressure on the Ducks, resulting in them beating a game Lukas Dostal. Carter Hart has done well over the last few games, but the Golden Knights found out the hard way that he cannot do everything on his own on the ice. Expect the team to try and find ways to keep possession of the puck and put pressure on the Ducks however they can in order to give Hart the run support that he never got last time around.