The Anaheim Ducks travel to T-Mobile Arena to face the Vegas Golden Knights on Monday, May 4, 2026, marking the first time these Pacific Division rivals have met in the postseason. Anaheim enters the second-round matchup following a series victory over the defending Western Conference champion Edmonton Oilers.
Vegas hosts the series opener after defeating the Utah Mammoth in their first-round appearance. According to The Hockey News, the series marks a significant milestone as it is the first time since the Golden Knights’ inaugural season that both franchises have qualified for the playoffs simultaneously.
Ducks head coach Joel Quenneville addressed the challenges posed by the top-seeded Golden Knights during a press conference. He emphasized the necessity of a strong start and maintaining consistency throughout the upcoming games.
“They’re a good hockey team,” said Joel Quenneville, Ducks head coach. “They’ve got balance, they skate, they’re big, they go to the net, they defend pretty well, they play as a group of five in all zones, they seem to be connected. Not a lot of holes. I think that we’ve got to be at our best. We’re gonna have to make sure that we start the series (hard). Every game’s going to be important that we play consistently, we can’t give up leads. When I say leads, we can’t give up basically chasing a game—like we saw most of the year and in that last round as well—to have success. So, let’s make sure our starts are going to be better.”
Ducks forward Mason McTavish expressed readiness for the high-stakes matchup against a veteran Vegas roster. The Ducks are currently participating in their first playoff berth in eight years.
“Everybody’s really excited,” said Mason McTavish, Ducks Forward. “We’ve got a great Vegas team we’re gonna be playing, so I’m just excited for that challenge. They’ve got a lot of great players and so do we, so it should be a great series and we’re looking forward to it.”
Anaheim’s roster depth receives a boost as Troy Terry is confirmed for Game 1 despite missing recent morning skates. Defenseman Radko Gudas also participated in Monday’s session, potentially returning to the lineup for the first time since the opening game of the previous round.
The Golden Knights will see the return of former Duck William Karlsson, who has been sidelined since November with a lower-body injury. His return strengthens a Vegas center rotation that includes Jack Eichel, Mitch Marner, and Nic Dowd.