LAS VEGAS — The opening act of the Western Conference second-round series left both teams searching for answers, albeit for very different reasons.
The Vegas Golden Knights skated away with a 3-1 victory over the Anaheim Ducks in Game 1, but don't let the scoreboard fool you. This was far from a vintage performance by the defending conference champions.
"I think the biggest thing is we need to be honest with ourselves," Golden Knights coach John Tortorella said. "We'll look at some of the stuff and I think we have a better game coming up."
He's not wrong. The Ducks dominated possession throughout the night, outshooting Vegas 34-22 and creating 12 high-danger scoring chances compared to just six for the Golden Knights, according to Natural Stat Trick. If not for a stellar 33-save performance from goaltender Carter Hart, the script might have been completely flipped.
"I don't think anyone in that locker room is pretty satisfied with that win," Vegas center Mitch Marner admitted. "We know we can play a lot better. I don't think we got to our (offensive) zone game at all. We gave them some good looks that Carter made some massive saves on. But we know we've got to be better."
For Anaheim, the frustration is palpable. They had a golden opportunity to steal home-ice advantage right out of the gate, and they know it. But the Ducks have been here before. In their first-round series against Edmonton, they dropped the opener before rattling off three straight wins and closing the series in six games.
"It's definitely a different task at hand," Ducks center Ryan Poehling said. "I thought we played a great game (Monday) and just using our speed throughout the series is going to kind of be what dictates how it ends up for us."
That speed and athleticism was supposed to be Anaheim's calling card in this series, but Vegas counters with a heavy, physical game and championship experience. Interestingly, the rough stuff was kept to a minimum in Game 1, with Tortorella noting that officials were quick to cut down on post-whistle scrums.
With Game 2 looming, both teams know what's at stake. A win for the Ducks flips the script and gives them home-ice advantage. A win for Vegas silences the doubters and puts them firmly in control. One thing is certain: neither team is satisfied, and that makes for compelling hockey ahead.