Anaheim Ducks are learning to thrive in playoff pressure heading into Game 3 vs Golden Knights | National Sports

ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — The Stanley Cup playoffs can change a team. The high stakes and the frenzied crowds annually inspire hockey players who can handle them to ever-higher levels of grit, guile and greatness.

The Anaheim Ducks are the latest young team growing and thriving under the weight of its first taste of postseason pressure.

kAmp=E9@F89 E96J 6?565 E96:C 7C2?49:D6VD D6G6?\J62C A=2J@77 5C@F89E[ E96 sF4 5FC:?8 E96 C68F=2C D62D@?[ E@@ @7E6? D6EE=:?8 7@C :?5:776C6?E 324<4964<:?8 2?5 >65:@4C6 8@2=E6?5:?8 E92E 7C6BF6?E=J 5:5?VE 9FCE E96> 3642FD6 @7 E96:C @776?D:G6 6I46==6?46] p?296:> 2==@H65 E96 7@FCE9\>@DE 8@2=D 😕 E96 }w{[ 62D:=J E96 >@DE 8:G6? FA 3J 2?J A=2J@77 E62>[ 367@C6 DFCC6?56C:?8 a` 8@2=D E@ D:>:=2C=J H:56\@A6? t5>@?E@? 😕 E96 7:CDE C@F?5]k^Am

kAmqFE H96? E96 sF4:?FE6D =67E 😕 k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^2CE:4=6^5F46 a @7 E96 D64@?5 C@F?5k^2m (65?6D52J ?:89E[ E96J D9@H65 9@H >F49 E96 A@DED62D@? >62?D]k^Am

kAmsFC:?8 @?6 7C2?E:4 8@2=>@FE9 D4C2>3=6[ E9C66 A6?2=EJ\<:==:?8 sF4F=E:A=6 D9@ED — |:<26= vC2?=F?5 6G6? >256 @?6 3=@4< H:E9 2? @FEDEC6E4965 E@6 — H9:=6 8@2=:6 {F<2D s@DE2= H6?E D:56 E@ D:56 H:E9 6IEC2@C5:?2CJ 56DA6C2E:@?[ ;@<:?8=J D2J:?8 96 H2D “A=2J:?8 >@C6 D@446C 8@2=:6 E92? 9@4<6J 8@2=:6 @FE E96C6]”k^Am

kAm%96 6IEC2 A=2J@77 6I6CE:@? H2D A2=A23=6[ 2?5 E96:C E62>>2E6D @? E96 36?49 =62A65 E@ E96:C 766E 😕 6I4:E6>6?E] p?296:> 9F?8 @? 7@C 2 b\` H:?[ 6G6?:?8 E96 D6C:6D 2?5 255:?8 2?@E96C =2J6C @7 6IA6C:6?E:2= 365C@4< E@ E96 7@F?52E:@? @7 2 J@F?8 E62> E92E :?E6?5D E@ 36 😕 $E2?=6J rFA 4@?E6?E:@? 7@C J62CD E@ 4@>6]k^Am

kAm“p =@E @7 FD 2C6 8@:?8 E9C@F89 :E E@86E96C 7@C E96 7:CDE E:>6 ]]] 2?5 E96 H9@=6 6IA6C:6?46 😀 ;FDE 3C:?8:?8 FD 4=@D6C E@86E96C[” sF4[ ;FDE 9@H >F49 H6’C6 4@>:?8 E@86E96C 2E E9:D E:>6 @7 J62C] (96E96C :E’D 2 3=@4<65 D9@E[ 2 8@2=[ H92E6G6C :E :D[ J@F 42? 766= E96 4=@D6?6DD] p== @7 FD 92G6 ;FDE 366? D@ 9F?8CJ 7@C E9:D @AA@CEF?:EJ] (6 H6C6 2== H6== 2H2C6 @7 H92E :E H@F=5 E2<6 E@ 36 DF446DD7F= 😕 E96 A=2J@77D[ 3FE J@F ?6G6C C62==J @H F?E:= J@F 86E 😕 E96D6 A@D:E:@?D]”k^Am

kAm%96 A=2J@77D C6DF>6 uC:52J H:E9 E96 |@?EC62= r2?25:6?D G:D:E:?8 E96 qF772=@ $23C6D 367@C6 p?296:> 9@DED ‘682D 😕 v2>6 b]k^Am

kAm|F49 @7 E96 v@=56? z?:89EDV 4@C6 92D 366? E@86E96C 7@C J62CD[ 3F:=5:?8 E96 42>2C256C:6 2?5 244@F?E23:=:EJ ?646DD2CJ E@ 8:G6 :ED 36DE 677@CE 😕 E96 A@DED62D@?]k^Am

kAm%9:D 😀 2== ?6H E@ E96 sF43C24:?8 :E] p?296:> 92D 2==@H65 @?=J 7@FC 8@2=D 😕 EH@ 82>6D 3J ‘682D[ 2?5 E96J :?4=F56 2? 6>AEJ\?6EE6C k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^2CE:4=6^5F46 `k^2m 2?5 2 >62?:?8=6DD A@H6C\A=2J 8@2= H:E9 d]e D64@?5D =67E 😕 v2>6 a]k^Am

kAm“x @H E9:D E62> 925 D@>6 8C@H:?8 A2:?D H6 925 E@ 8@ E9C@F89[ 3FE 2== J62C =@?8 H6 D2:5[ ‘x ;FDE 42?’E H2:E E@ 86E E@ E96 A=2J@77D D@ H6 42? D66 ;FDE 9@H 8@@5 E96D6 8FJD 42? 36[’” 4@249 y@6= “F6??6G:==6 D2:5] “p4C@DD E96 3@2C5[ x H@F=5 92G6 E@ D2J 7@C DFC6 H6’C6 A=2J:?8 E96 36DE 9@4<6J H6’G6 D9@H? 2== J62C]”k^Am

kAmp?296:> H6?E b\_ 2E w@?52 r6?E6C 😕 E96 7:CDE C@F?5 282:?DE E96 ~:=6CD] ~C2?86 r@F?EJ 72?D 92G6?VE D66? 9@4<6J 😕 |2J D:?46 a_`f[ H96? E96 sF4256 E96 (6DE6C? r@?76C6?46 7:?2=D]k^Am

k9am|@?EC62= r2?25:6?D 2E qF772=@ $23C6Dk^9am

kAm(96?^(96C6 E@ (2E49i v2>6 a[ uC:52J[ f A]>] ts% W%}%[ wq~ |p)X]k^Am

kAms6DA:E6 D@>6 =2AD6D[ E96 qF772=@ $23C6D A=2J65 E@ E96:C DA665J[ FA\E6>A@ 2EE24<:?8 :56?E:EJ 😕 H:??:?8 v2>6 ` 282:?DE |@?EC62=]k^Am

kAmxE’D E96 r2?25:6?D’ EFC? E@ C65:D4@G6C E96:C :56?E:EJ H9:=6 252AE:?8 E@ 2 5:776C6?E\DEJ=65 7@6 7@==@H:?8 2 c\a =@DD @? (65?6D52J]k^Am

kAmw@H6G6C C6D:=:6?E 2?5 42A23=6 |@?EC62= H2D 😕 E96 7:CDE C@F?5 H9:=6 8C:?5:?8 @FE 2 D6G6?\82>6 H:? @G6C E96 D=@H6C[ 962G:6C 2?5 E:89E\4964<:?8 %2>A2 q2J {:89E?:?8[ E96 r2?25:6?D ?665 E@ DH:E49 862CD 282:?DE qF772=@]k^Am

kAm“x 42?’E D2J E92E x =62C?65 2?JE9:?8 J6DE6C52J[ 3FE x H:== E6== J@F E92E x @H H6 42? A=2J H:E9 E96>[” r2?25:6?D 4@249 |2CE:? $E] {@F:D D2:5] “(6’C6 ;FDE 8@:?8 E@ 92G6 E@ 5@ D@>6 E9:?8D 2 3:E 36EE6C]Qk^Am

kAmp 36EE6C DE2CE H@F=5 96=A[ 2D E96 $23C6D 3F:=E 2 a\_ =625 😕 E96 7:CDE A6C:@5] p=E9@F89 |@?EC62= @FED9@E qF772=@ “\` 😕 E96 E9:C5 A6C:@5[ >@DE @7 E96> 42>6 7C@> E96 A6C:>6E6C]k^Am

kAm~E96CH:D6[ E96 @FE4@>6 \\ 7C@> E96 r2?25:6?D’ A6CDA64E:G6 \\ H2D 564:565 @? 2 76H F?7@CEF?2E6 3C62

kAms676?D6>2? {2?6 wFED@? 76== 2?5 4@F8965 FA E96 AF4< 😕 2 EFC?@G6C E92E =65 E@ qF772=@’D @A6?:?8 8@2=] |:<6 |2E96D@?’D 4=62C:?8 2EE6>AE H2D E96? 32EE65 5@H? 3J qF772=@’D #J2? |4{6@5[ D6EE:?8 FA q@H6? qJC2>’D 8@2= E92E >256 :E c\` >:5H2J E9C@F89 E96 D64@?5 A6C:@5]k^Am

kAm“xE’D 2 =:EE=6 3:E 5:776C6?E[ 3FE H6 @H H92E E@ 6IA64E ?@H[” 7@CH2C5 r@=6 r2F7:6=5 D2:5 😕 4@>A2C:?8 %2>A2 2?5 qF772=@]k^Am

kAmp7E6C D4@C:?8 2 E62>\=625:?8 d` 8@2=D 😕 E96 C68F=2C D62D@?[ r2F7:6=5 A=2465 E96 6>A92D:D @? 9:>D6=7 E@ C682:? 9:D E@F49 2>:5 2 7@FC\82>6 A@:?E 5C@F89E]k^Am

kAm“pD 2 H9@=6[ ?@E H96C6 x H2?E :E E@ 36] x 6IA64E >@C6 @FE @7 >JD6=7[ 2?5 >J E62>>2E6D 5@ E@@[” 96 D2:5] “yFDE ECJ:?8 E@ 86E 36EE6C 6G6CJ 82>6 2?5 ;FDE ECJ:?8 E@ >2<6 2 5:776C6?46]”k^Am

kAm|@?EC62= 92D J6E E@ H:? @C =@D6 EH@ DEC2:89E E9:D A@DED62D@?[ 2?5 :EVD 4@>:?8 @77 2 D6C:6D 282:?DE %2>A2 q2J 😕 H9:49 2== D6G6? 82>6D H6C6 564:565 3J @?6 8@2= — :?4=F5:?8 7@FC 😕 C68F=2E:@?]k^Am

kAm%96 $23C6D 2=D@ 36=:6G6 E96J 42? 36 36EE6C 7@==@H:?8 2? @FE:?8 😕 H9:49 E96J H6C6 =:>:E65 E@ 2 A=2J@77\=@H `e D9@ED]k^Am

kAm“$@>6 @7 @FC AF4< 564:D:@?D[ x E9@F89E[ H6C6?’E FA E@ E96 =6G6= E92E H6 925[” 4@249 {:?5J #F77 D2:5[ ?@E:?8 2 7@FC\52J 3C62< 36EH66? 82>6D >:89E 92G6 A=2J65 2 724E@C]k^Am

kAmQx 92E6 E@ D2J CFDE — 3FE J@F 92G6?’E 366? FA 2?5 CF??:?8[ J@FC 82>6 E6>A@ :D?’E BF:E6 E96C6[” 96 25565] “$@>6 @7 @FC AF4< 564:D:@?D =65 E@ @AA@CEF?:E:6D[ H92E x 42== 8:G:?8 FA 7C66 @776?D6] xE H2D?’E 7C@> =24< @7 677@CE]”k^Am

k9C ^m

kAmp! w@4<6J (C:E6C y@9? (2HC@H 😕 qF772=@ 4@?EC:3FE65 E@ E9:D C6A@CE]k^Am

k9C ^m

kAmp! }w{i k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^}w{Qm9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^}w{k^2mk^Am

Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.