The Anaheim Ducks' future has arrived — igniting a patient fanbase

AtlanticBruinsCanadiensLightningMaple LeafsPanthersRed WingsSabresSenatorsMetropolitanBlue JacketsCapitalsDevilsFlyersHurricanesIslandersPenguinsRangersCentralAvalancheBlackhawksBluesJetsMammothPredatorsStarsWildPacificCanucksDucksFlamesGolden KnightsKingsKrakenOilersSharksScores & ScheduleStandingsPodcastsFantasyNHL OddsNHL PicksNHL playoff predictionsBracketStanley Cup tiersNHL Draft rankingRed Light NewsletterNHL Playoffs Beckett Sennecke sparked a third-period rally for the Ducks who now hold a 2-1 series edge over the Oilers. Sean M. Haffey / Getty Images Share articleANAHEIM, Calif. — Eight years without postseason hockey can leave a fanbase with some pent-up emotions. An overflowing, towel-waving crowd filled the Honda Center before the anthems and let the Anaheim Ducks know Game 3 was something long craved. It started from the moment fans began lining up more than three hours before game time. From the drop of the puck through 60 exhilarating minutes to the final buzzer in a 7-4 win, the arena rocked. “Honestly, it sounded like an army out there almost,” Ducks rookie Beckett Sennecke said. “Especially when we got out there. I mean, they’d been waiting eight years for this, nine years for a win, so it was pretty special.” The go-for-broke Ducks charged out of the tunnel and skated circles around the Edmonton Oilers in the first period. Of course, it wouldn’t have been a Ducks home game without a series of errors that allowed the Oilers to take a second-period lead and inject a bit of concern into the festive, chanting audience. But Anaheim didn’t break. The Ducks came into this best-of-seven series as an underdog against a back-to-back Stanley Cup finalist. They haven’t played like one. Tied heading into the third period, the Ducks again showcased a fearless style. First, Sennecke ripped a wrist shot off the rush past Oilers goalie Connor Ingram. Less than a minute later, Leo Carlsson took off with Troy Terry on an odd-man rush, with Carlsson taking Terry’s pass and neatly slipping a backhand by a sprawling Ingram. The goals by a 20-year-old rookie right winger and a 21-year-old No. 1 center just 42 seconds apart started an emphatic four-goal closing statement — a sign of what might be possible for a supposed team of the future that’s intent on making noise in the present. “It was a good feeling,” Sennecke said. “We felt the ice was kind of tilting there, and we capitalized on the momentum we had.” Oilers star Connor McDavid got his first points in the series and pulled his team within a goal at 8:36 of the third as his shot that skipped off the stick of Ducks defenseman Pavel Mintyukov got past goalie Lukáš Dostál. But this was a game Anaheim dominated. The Ducks had a 40-24 edge in shots and 76-49 advantage in attempts. They throttled the Oilers in five-on-five play while also adding their fourth power-play goal of the series. McDavid had a goal and an assist. Leon Draisaitl and Evan Bouchard each had two assists. But the three Edmonton stars were a combined minus-8 in even-strength play. The one-sided showing was evident in the first period, when the Ducks put a 20-shot blitz on Ingram. The 29-year-old became Edmonton’s go-to netminder with a confident end to the season while Tristan Jarry faltered. But the Ducks have put 15 pucks by Ingram in the three games. The Ducks fed off a boisterous crowed that’s itched for playoff hockey after patiently putting up with a lengthy rebuild. The roster has been completely turned over since their last playoff appearance in 2018, but the players knew the history. Jeffrey Viel, an agitating winger the Ducks acquired from the Boston Bruins in January, called the atmosphere “unbelievable.” “The energy was awesome,” said Viel, who scored a key insurance goal with 3:03 left. “Honestly, I knew they were going to be loud, but it was through the roof. It got me going right from the start. Definitely pumped some blood in my legs.” “We definitely built off their energy as the game went along there,” Sennecke added. “We came out kind of humming in the third period there and it was all because of them.” Of course, it doesn’t hurt to have speed and skill. And attitude. The Ducks came into the series with 13 players making playoff debuts. It showed with a tentative first period of Game 1. But Terry and Carlsson combined for three second-period goals and while the Ducks ultimately lost the lead they gained, they also learned they could skate with the Oilers. “We were expecting a good team,” Oilers coach Kris Knoblauch said. “We’re one point away from each other in the regular season. … We knew about them. We know they’re a good team. They’ve got a lot of depth and some young, exciting players. We have a lot of respect for them, we do. We just need to find our best game.” When he was hired by the Ducks last May, coach Joel Quenneville knew what kind of club he was inheriting. Anaheim has a collection of young talent making up its new core in the post-Ryan Getzlaf era. General manager Pat Verbeek has wanted to build a team that could contend for a decade, not just have a one-off run. The initial steps are being taken right now. As Sennecke and Carlsson showed Friday, they’re not shrinking from the importance of the moment. “All year long they’ve shown that they’re great players,” Quenneville said. “Hopefully they turn out to be great players because they showed they have all the ingredients. That’s what they do. They want to be the best they can do or be the best they could be on a daily basis, and I think that kind of pushes them. And I think they’re showing that that’s their mindset and that’s their objective and that’s basically their path they’ve been at in their whole career. And so, we’re fortunate to have them.” Added Carlsson: “I was obviously nervous for my first playoff game ever in that atmosphere in Edmonton. But as soon as I hit the ice, I felt comfortable.” It isn’t just those two young forwards who have the upside to become some of the league’s best at their positions. Jackson LaCombe, who wrapped up the game with an empty-net goal, already has six points in an eye-opening performance. Mintyukov is playing big minutes and looked good on an effective penalty kill. The Ducks are also getting contributions from Tim Washe, Drew Helleson, Ian Moore and Tyson Hinds, none of whom are older than 24. “We have a young team, but we know we have some mature young guys,” Viel said. “I think we have lot of speed and especially tonight we utilize that a lot. That’s the way we got to play every game. Sixty minutes and going forward. We can’t take the foot off the gas.” On Friday, Honda Center became home to a cathartic experience. Years of enduring losses were seemingly washed away in a wave of joy. With each goal, a torrent of emotion was let loose. “It’s awesome to be a part of something like that,” Sennecke said. “I think we got an exciting team here. We can score goals, we can defend, and we’re dangerous.” The defending part is still something they’ve yet to master. But the Ducks have the scoring and dangerous characteristics down. They also have a 2-1 series lead. It’s a concoction that has a fanbase believing again. Spot the pattern. Connect the terms Find the hidden link between sports terms