On Wednesday, the Anaheim Ducks hosted the Utah Hockey Club for the first time in NHL history for the Ducks' home opener of the 2024-25 season at Honda Center.

Game #3: Ducks vs. Utah game day preview

“The fans were great,” Ducks head coach Greg Cronin said after the game. “The balcony is steep (at the Honda Center) so the crowd really makes a lot of noise as they descend toward the ice. You can feel it on the bench, and I think (the fans) were a big catalyst for our comeback.”

Jackson LaCombe was not in the squad for the third consecutive season and began the season due to illness. Olen Zellweger, a fellow sophomore defender, got the start on the blueline in his place.

Zellweger saw the most action of the first season, playing a total of 19:25, including 4:55 on the power play.

After a 2-0 win against the San Jose Sharks on Saturday, Lukas Dostal was given the nod for the Ducks for his second start of the season. Dostal stopped 26 of 30 shots in this game and allowed 1.8 more goals than expected, although he had little chance of stopping any of the four shots allowed.

Dostal's opponent for Utah was Connor Ingram, who entered this game with a career .948 SV% against the Ducks in three games but gave up five goals on 34 shots.

Cutter Gauthier played 12:49 in this game, but only made two substitutions in the final half of the game.

“He struggled a little bit,” Cronin said after the game. “He’s a 20-year-old kid and it’s his (fourth) game in the league. As a coach you try to change the chemistry a little bit.”

Here are my notes for this game:

Pavel Mintyukov: Mintyukov and Dumoulin have emerged as the Ducks' number one defensive pairing early in the season. Mintyukov led Anaheim, playing 21:55 in the game.

His defensive acumen might be overshadowed by his offensive contributions, but it should definitely be put in the spotlight. Offensively, he determines when to activate most effectively and instinctively knows how long he can stay in the cycle before retreating to the blue line.

Penalty kick: The diamond formation the Ducks are using this season is designed to keep passes and shots on the sidelines. The key is how quickly the high defenseman can recover to help at the net front when the puck goes from top to bottom.

Puck management: Utah thrives on forcing its opponents to make poor decisions and turnovers. With a strong forecheck, a mandate to protect the inside slot, and active sticks high up in the defensive zone, they disrupt plays and quickly make ice on counterattacks. Against teams like Utah, puck management in every zone of the ice will be paramount.

Defense zone coverage: The optimizations made by the coaching staff and further understanding of the players have resulted in limited and off-cycle opportunities. Zellweger in particular made significant progress in this department by staying true to his mission and maintaining his position.

Zegras and McTavish still need to iron out some aspects of being the bottom forward in the zone. The effort remains, but they can sometimes stray too far from their chess, leaving just enough room for moves to develop.

The Ducks travel to Colorado to take on the Avalanche on Friday at 6:00 p.m. PST.

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