Stephen Brashear-USA TODAY Sports
Let's roll out the highlight reel!
game memo
- A bold opening period was what Seattle needed after a dismal loss to Montreal in its first 20 games, and it delivered, at least offensively. Eeli Tolvanen took advantage of Anaheim's slow defense to slip in front of the net and slip the puck past John Gibson's high blocker for the first goal. Jordan Eberle doubled the lead late on the power play on a fortuitous bounce off William Lagesson.
- Early on, Seattle's defensive structure showed a tendency to collapse on itself, opening up attractive net-front areas in the process, but Anaheim did little to exploit its weaknesses. The collectivity necessary to do so may not have been possible for them anyway.
- It's worth noting that the Ducks are not a high-quality defensive opponent. They rank 29th in GAA in all situations (3.56) and 28th in shots allowed per game (32.8), but it's hard to compete and capitalize on the offensive opportunities Seattle gets. . Usually it wasn't, but it's going to be big in the future. The skaters consistently attacked Anaheim's high-risk areas with speed and authority, executing offensive strategies at a level not seen in the last month. Perhaps this courage was motivated by the ease and luck with which Seattle had a seat on the board.
- Matty Benias' second period goal was the best example of this high level of skill. Beniere pounced on an Anaheim turnover in the defensive zone and rushed to the other side of the rink with his linemates Oliver Bjorkstrand and Tolvanen in tow. A quick back-and-forth ensued, with Benier scoring on a shot from the low faceoff circle.
- “We’re not going to win, but it’s like we’re building,” Beniers said. “[With] Every time we lose, we lose a little bit of confidence both individually and as a team. So I think just getting one win in a period of time like that, just being able to get that confidence back and end the winning streak and move forward, I think that's huge. ”
- Tuesday was perhaps Beniere's best performance all season, as he scored three points in over 15 minutes, 37 seconds of ice time. The young centerman felt like a change-maker, knowing well how to adapt to attacking situations to get the best possible results. His passes connected more and he seemed to have better spatial awareness overall.
- Joey Daccord deserves credit for his third shutout of the season, but so did Anaheim, and it was partially a self-inflicted wound. Seattle took just 12 shots in 60 minutes, and the third period lacked any kind of rebound from the visiting team, recording only three shots and lacking consistent pressure.
Let's reach out…
- logan morrisonfor making his NHL debut as an undrafted forward.
- Matty Beniersas he returned to offensive form and resembled the high IQ centerman he was touted.
- first lineas well as leaving its fingerprints on the majority of goals scored, proved that lineup blenders can sometimes get results.
3 stars for the game
⭐️Matty Beniers (1G, 2A)
⭐️⭐️Eeli Tolvanen (1G, 2A)
⭐️⭐️⭐️Joey Daccord (12/12, 1.00%)
Here is tonight's heat map courtesy of NaturalStatTrick. Check out how close those goals are to the net!
