Quenneville Seeks Better Start as Ducks – Golden Knights Tie Game 5
The Ducks – Golden Knights series is tied at two wins apiece heading into Game 5, and Joel Quenneville wants Anaheim ready from the opening puck drop. The Ducks answered in Game 4 with the first goal and never let go of the lead.
Quenneville Sets the Tone
"We want to make sure that we're ready from the start," Quenneville said before Game 5. He added that the Golden Knights are "a good starting team" and "good with the lead," which is why Anaheim is stressing the opening minutes again.
Chris Kreider pointed to the same shift after Game 4, when the Ducks scored first and stayed ahead the rest of the way. "Better start," he said. "I think we got through the neutral zone, got pucks behind them, and then turned."
Mason McTavish Returns
Mason McTavish is back in the Ducks lineup after sitting as a healthy scratch in Games 2 and 3, and his Game 4 return drew praise from teammates and his coach. Cutter Gauthier called him "awesome," while Kreider said he was "played great," adding that he was "tenacious, hard on pucks" and wanted to make an impact.
Quenneville said, "I thought he had a heck of a game," and added, "I really liked his attitude coming into the game. Not easy for him not to be in the lineup and then play the way he did, (it) shows character." McTavish did not score, but he helped set the tone for a Ducks attack that kept forcing play inside.
Gauthier and Moore Deliver
Cutter Gauthier finished Game 4 with three assists, and two of them came on the power play. Ian Moore scored Anaheim's fourth goal and it became the game-winner, with Olen Zellweger providing the primary assist.
That pair stays together for Game 5 as Anaheim again uses Zellweger and Moore as its third defensive pair. Zellweger said, "We read off each other well," and added that they were giving the team stability defensively while staying ready to jump into the play.
Stone Out Again
The Golden Knights will again be without Mark Stone, who left Game 3 early in the first period with a lower-body injury. Brandon Saad will play in his second consecutive game after entering the lineup for Stone in Game 4.
For Anaheim, Radko Gudas remains out, while Troy Terry will play despite missing the morning skate. With the series level and both teams adjusting to lineup changes, the pressure shifts to who gets the first clean start in Game 5.
