Golden Knights desperately need more from Tomáš Hertl, other stars to beat Anaheim

AtlanticBruinsCanadiensLightningMaple LeafsPanthersRed WingsSabresSenatorsMetropolitanBlue JacketsCapitalsDevilsFlyersHurricanesIslandersPenguinsRangersCentralAvalancheBlackhawksBluesJetsMammothPredatorsStarsWildPacificCanucksDucksFlamesGolden KnightsKingsKrakenOilersSharksScores & ScheduleStandingsPodcastsFantasyNHL OddsNHL PicksPlayoff bracketNHL Draft rankingRed Light NewsletterStanley Cup Tomáš Hertl has been a thorn in the side of the Ducks in his career, but his current goal drought stretches back to March 4. Zak Krill / Getty Images Share articleANAHEIM, Calif. — For most of his NHL career, Vegas Golden Knights forward Tomáš Hertl has been a thorn in the side of the Anaheim Ducks. The 32-year-old power forward, who played his first 11 seasons with the San Jose Sharks, is among the league leaders in points against the Ducks since he entered the NHL. Hertl has 37 points (13 goals and 24 assists) in 49 regular-season games against Anaheim, his second-highest total against any opponent. In his lone playoff series against the Ducks in 2018, he was a force. He bullied Anaheim’s defenders in front of the net, recorded a point in every game and scored in three straight games to eliminate the Ducks. Now, eight years later, the Golden Knights sure could use some of Hertl’s magic. The veteran is currently mired in the longest goal drought of his 873-game career. Hertl’s last goal was on March 4, an overtime winner in Detroit. He ended the regular season on a 20-game drought and has yet to score in Vegas’ eight playoff games. Anaheim stole home-ice advantage with a dominant performance in Game 2 on Wednesday night in Las Vegas. The Golden Knights felt fortunate to steal Game 1, but they desperately need to find their game before Games 3 and 4 in Anaheim. It will likely need to start with their underperforming stars, including Hertl. It’s hard to find a more optimistic, upbeat hockey player than Hertl. The guy’s personal catchphrase is “fun must be always,” but his struggles on the ice have made it tougher than ever to live up to it. Hertl still believes the goals will come if he keeps creating chances, which he’s done plenty of in the postseason. “You have to keep going, and stay with my game,” Hertl said. “I would be worried more if I had no chances or weren’t getting looks. The chances are right there, around the net.” Hertl leads all Golden Knights in scoring chances (25) and high-danger chances (15) in the playoffs. He’s second behind only captain Mark Stone in expected goals created, but he’s yet to bury one. “I think I have to just keep doing it, and being a little stronger around the net,” Hertl said. Despite his best efforts, Hertl’s frustration is visible in his game. He hasn’t looked as confident with the puck in this second-round series, and coach John Tortorella has limited his ice time as a result. Hertl averaged more than 17 minutes of ice time in the regular season, and has dipped to only 13 minutes in the playoffs. Over the last three games, he has barely cracked 10 minutes. Game 1 against Anaheim was the second-fewest minutes Hertl has played in a playoff game in his career. Game 2 was his sixth-fewest. He has also seen his role on the power play reduced at times, which has consistently been his biggest strength since joining the Golden Knights. What makes this slump even more devastating for Vegas is that this is exactly the time Hertl was brought in to shine. With his size and strength, combined with soft hands around the net, Hertl is built for playoff hockey. Unlike most players, his scoring numbers don’t decrease in the playoffs over the course of his career, but he hasn’t looked himself, and the Golden Knights desperately need him to find his game. Hertl is far from alone, though. The difference through the first two games of the series has been Anaheim’s stars making more plays than Vegas’ stars. The Golden Knights’ depth has come up big thus far in the playoffs. The fourth line, led by Nic Dowd, has been tremendous. Brett Howden has scored a team-high five goals, and Ivan Barbashev has elevated his game significantly. Mitch Marner has played well, but Vegas needs more from Stone, Jack Eichel, Pavel Dorofeyev and its trio of talented blue liners (Shea Theodore, Noah Hanifin and Rasmus Andersson) if it’s going to take control of this series. “We had some almost plays,” Tortorella said after the Game 2 loss. “We’re just not getting the big play at the key time.” The team took an off day to travel on Thursday, and a frustrated Tortorella said, “We’re not down in the series right now, but we have to find our game. We have not done that yet. That’s incumbent upon us as a coaching staff to try to give them the right information, and then, as a group, try to find it. The series is only 1-1, but the momentum is in Anaheim’s favor after two fantastic performances by the Ducks in Las Vegas. “I have a number of things in my head that needs to be brought to attention here really quickly, before we do put ourselves in a really bad spot,” Tortorella said. “I also respect the group. How I coach this group is totally different to how I coach a younger team, that’s just starting to go through it. “So I need to show them that respect, but points will be made.” The Golden Knights’ biggest emphasis moving forward will be spending more time in the offensive zone. “It comes down to battles,” Tortorella said. “We don’t have the puck enough.” Hertl and Eichel finding their stride would go a long way toward accomplishing that. At their best, they are two of the strongest puck-possession forwards in hockey. They use their length and balance to shield defenders from the puck, buying their linemates precious extra seconds to find space, but that hasn’t happened nearly often enough lately. It could also come down to the defensemen pinching more aggressively at the points. That carries plenty of risk, especially against a speedy transition team like the Ducks, but it could be necessary for Vegas to generate the zone time it’s looking for. The team could also use a few more of the neutral zone takeaways that Stone has provided throughout his career. With how aggressively the Ducks skate up the ice, those plays could fuel immediate counter-chances the other way for Vegas, but the crafty winger hasn’t been able to catch Anaheim’s speedsters often enough to strip them of the puck to this point. Stone’s struggles aren’t comparable to Hertl’s. He scored the team’s lone goal on Wednesday night, but it came in the closing seconds of a 3-0 game and was his first tally since Game 2 against Utah. As Stone goes, the Golden Knights typically go. Vegas will need Stone’s best Friday night at the Honda Center, along with strong performances from Eichel, Hertl and Dorofeyev to break through what has looked like an improved Anaheim defense. Spot the pattern. Connect the terms Find the hidden link between sports terms