The Anaheim Ducks skated off the ice with their heads held high after one of their most dominant performances of the playoffs—but a single, controversial non-call turned Game 1 into a bitter pill to swallow.

Playing at T-Mobile Arena on Monday night, the Ducks controlled possession, outshot the Vegas Golden Knights 34-22, and owned a staggering 67% expected goal share. Yet, despite all that pressure, they fell 3-1 in a game defined by razor-thin margins and one pivotal moment that left fans and coaches alike buzzing.

The flashpoint came with just over five minutes left in the third period. After Mikael Granlund had tied the game 1-1 just a minute earlier—set up beautifully by Jackson LaCombe, who made up for an earlier open-net miss—the Ducks seemed to have all the momentum. Then, a potential icing call was waved off on a 50-50 play in Anaheim's zone. Ducks coach Joel Quenneville erupted on the bench as the Golden Knights pounced on the confusion. Seconds later, Vegas executed a perfect back-door play, feeding Ivan Barbashev for the go-ahead goal.

"We're fortunate that we found a way to win," said Vegas coach John Tortorella. "They played well, but we have some things to work on... It's a 'find a way' league and we found a way to win."

For the Ducks, the frustration was palpable. They had done everything right for most of the game—winning battles, controlling pace, and creating chances. But two critical mistakes, both in the defensive zone, proved costly. The first came in the second period when Mitch Marner made an elite play to set up Brett Howden's opening goal. The second was the icing non-call that swung the game back in Vegas's favor.

"I thought we did a great job," LaCombe said. "Our pace was good. We were making plays. We were playing to our game, which was great. We just got to clean up those two mistakes there, and we will be good."

Despite the loss, there are plenty of positives for Anaheim to build on. Their power play, however, went 0-for-4, a stat that will need improvement if they hope to even the series. Game 2 is Wednesday night back in Las Vegas, and the Ducks know they're just a few adjustments away from flipping the script.

For now, it's a lesson in playoff hockey: even the finest margins can make the biggest difference.