Ducks and schmucks from Anaheim's game 1 win

After finishing last season as a Calder Trophy finalist, Sennecke has started this season right where he left off.

Schmuck

Failed challenge

Shea Theodore finally got the Golden Knights on the scoreboard in the third period, with a shot from the right faceoff circle that beat Lukas Dostal upstairs. However, the Anaheim bench challenged that the play was offside. The on-ice officials disagreed , resulting in a powerplay for the Golden Knights. And of course, Tomas Hertl converted with the man advantage.

The failed challenge was a pivotal moment, as the Golden Knights had not only pulled within striking distance of tying the game, but they had also gained all the momentum and pushed the Ducks until the very end.

Duck

Lukas Dostal

After coming off of one of his statistically worst seasons in 2025-26, Dostal needed to have a bounce back performance this season. And for the first 57 minutes of the first game of the new season, Dostal looked his old self, routinely shutting down high-danger scoring chances and allowing the Ducks to seemingly runaway with a win. The only real blemish from Dostal's game one performance was a failed attempt at grabbing a loose puck and Braeden Bowman capitalized on the blunder, which allowed the Golden Knights to pull within a goal late in the third period. However, Dostal stood tall in the end and finished the game with a .900 save percentage.

Schmuck

Anaheim's special teams

In their second-round loss last season, Anaheim's special teams were completely abysmal, and Vegas took advantage. Even though it was just their first game back, the Ducks did little to quell the concerns about how their special teams units would perform this season. The penalty kill was 1 for 3 on the night. The powerplay went 0 for 2, which is still concerning, as a top unit that features Carlsson, Sennecke, Gauthier, Granlund, and LaCombe should be able to find the back of the net with some regularity.

What's next?

The Ducks will host the Florida Panthers on Sunday night for the home opener at Honda Center. Until then, rest easy Ducks fans and catch your breath from a wild game one win; just 83 more games to go. Welcome back.