Game 6 at the Honda Center, Ducks down 3-2 in the series, win or go home. Vegas can punch its ticket to the Western Conference Final tonight. Anaheim has to win twice in a row against a team that just stole Game 5 in overtime on the road — not impossible, but not exactly the spot you'd draw up.
The Ducks did most of this damage to themselves in Game 5. Dorofeyev's OT winner came after Anaheim had chances to put the game away in regulation, and Tomas Hertl plus Jack Eichel were a problem all night. Going back further, Mitch Marner dropped a natural hat trick in the Game 3 blowout. When Vegas's top guys get going, this series tilts fast.
There is one break for Anaheim: Brayden McNabb is serving a 1-game suspension for the interference hit on Ryan Poehling that knocked Poehling out of the lineup. Losing a top-4 defender in an elimination spot is the kind of swing that could keep this series alive for a Game 7.
- Day-To-DayDrew Helleson D — day-to-day
- Day-To-DayRadko Gudas D — day-to-day
- Injured ReservePetr Mrazek G — Mrazek underwent season-ending hip surgery Tuesday.
- OutRyan Poehling C — out
Anaheim's blue line is the bigger worry beyond Poehling. Drew Helleson and Radko Gudas are both day-to-day, and with Petr Mrazek done for the year after hip surgery back in February, there's no veteran fallback in the crease. The Ducks are playing this one with a thin defense corps in front of a goalie who has to be perfect.
The market is calling this a coin flip — Vegas -109, Anaheim -103 on the moneyline, with the total parked at 6.5 and juice to the under. That's a respectful line for a home dog that's been outplayed for stretches of this series. Translation: the books think McNabb's absence and pure desperation level out the talent gap for one night. Anaheim probably has to win this one ugly, force a Game 7, and figure the rest out on the plane back to Vegas.