The Ducks and Golden Knights won the first four tilts of this conference semifinal series.
Up two games to one heading into Las Vegas, the pattern says it’s the Golden Knights’ chance to win — they’re listed as -162 favorites on DraftKings.
Anaheim was better on the power play, going 2-for-4, as Alex Killorn and rookie Beckett Sennecke had a power play goal and an assist to edge Vegas 4-3. The Ducks are now shooting for a 32.3 percent clip on the man advantage, the best rate of any team left in the playoffs.
The Knights lost captain Mark Stone in the second and third periods of Game 4 due to a lower body injury. They will continue without him on Tuesday at T-Mobile Arena.
Ducks vs. Golden Knights Game 5 prediction, best bet
Many expected the Ducks to buckle under the pressure against a Vegas team three years removed from hoisting the Stanley Cup.
But their win on Sunday was arguably their best playoff run — a run that has ranked in the top five in both Expected Goals and Corsi Percentage (puck possession) at five-on-five.
Anaheim did an excellent job of packing the neutral zone and preventing clean zone coverage, which even Vegas head coach John Tortorella praised.
We saw some dangerous opportunities silenced in Game 4 with forwards dropping to the floor to support a defense that was strong in driving the ball forward and pulling out rebounds.
Vegas is very dependent on inside acts, and outside of Mitch Marner and Brett Howden, nobody is producing enough right now.
It might be time to give credit where it’s due: we’ve all taken the Ducks for granted.
Joel Quenneville’s roster changes are paying quick dividends. Mason McTavish, Olen Zellweger and Ian Moore, who scored the game-winning goal, all made a noticeable impact after returning to the lineup.
The young talent is adjusting on the fly as Beckett Sennecke continues his breakout season with three straight games with a goal.
Betting on the NHL?
A four-point tie for the team’s postseason scoring lead is between Leo Carlsson, Cutter Gauthier, Jackson LaCombe and Troy Terry. All are playing in their first playoff campaigns.
Lukas Dostal bounced back in Game 4 after scoring a goal in the previous game. He’s only stopped 88 percent of the shots he’s faced this series, but the structure in front of him has been enough to keep the net strong no matter what form he comes in with a 4.4 goals-against average.
The Ducks have allowed 6.99 Expected Goals Against Vegas’ 8.17 in this series, so I’m taking a better defensive profile to win.
THE GAME: Ducks (+136, DraftKings)
Why Trust New York Post Betting
Sean Treppedi handicaps NFL, NHL, MLB and college football for the New York Post. He focuses on selections that reflect market value while tracking trends to minimize risk.
