The Ducks entered Game 1 of the Western Conference semifinals with momentum on their side, but the Vegas Golden Knights proved to be a different beast entirely. On Monday night at T-Mobile Arena—a venue that sits just off the Las Vegas Strip amid a backdrop of faux skylines and glittering casinos—the Ducks' speed and power-play magic vanished, leaving them with a 3-1 loss in the series opener.

After averaging a playoff-high 4.33 goals per game and converting eight of 16 power-play opportunities in the first round against Edmonton, the Ducks were simply outplayed by Vegas goaltender Carter Hart. Hart stopped 33 shots, while the Ducks went 0-for-4 on the power play—a stark contrast to their earlier success. Despite turning in their best defensive performance of the postseason, allowing just 21 shots, the Ducks couldn't generate quality chances against a disciplined Vegas squad.

The game remained scoreless through the first period, despite the Ducks pushing the pace with their speed advantage. But early in the second, Brett Howden broke the deadlock, darting to the crease and deflecting a Mitch Marner pass for his fifth goal of the playoffs. Howden nearly doubled the lead later in the period but whiffed on an open-net chance from the right side.

Vegas continued to press, and Mark Stone had a prime power-play opportunity with under nine minutes left in regulation. But Ducks goaltender Lukas Dostal came up with a spectacular save to keep the deficit at one. That save paid off when Mikael Granlund tied the game with six minutes remaining, stuffing the puck through Hart to give Anaheim new life.

However, the Ducks' hopes were dashed late in the third when Ivan Barbashev scored the go-ahead goal, and Marner added an empty-netter with six seconds left to seal the 3-1 victory. Game 2 is set for Wednesday in Las Vegas, and the Ducks will need to rediscover their offensive rhythm and power-play efficiency if they hope to even the series.