With an odd set of circumstances: a forward playing defense, three top players (all game time scratches) out on one side, a top defenseman out on the other side, and one team on their second game of a back-to-back, the Ducks showcased one of their best 60-minute efforts of the season with “simplify” active as their operative word. They played contained in their end, reserved in the neutral zone, and won a high number of pucks back in the offensive zone, manufacturing several extended cycle sequences.
