The Anaheim Ducks promised they'd be ready for their do-or-die Game 6 against the Vegas Golden Knights. But when the puck dropped, it was Vegas that answered the call—loudly and early.
Mitch Marner opened the scoring just 61 seconds into the game with a highlight-reel goal, setting the tone for a decisive 5-1 victory at Honda Center. By the end of the first period, the Golden Knights had piled on three goals, effectively putting the game—and the series—out of reach. Pavel Dorofeyev added two goals of his own, and former Ducks defenseman Shea Theodore scored on the power play, sending Vegas to the Western Conference Final against the Colorado Avalanche.
For Anaheim, it was a painfully familiar script. The Ducks' slow start mirrored their Game 3 loss, where Vegas also scored within the first 90 seconds and tacked on a back-breaking short-handed goal. Theodore's power-play strike came after a hooking penalty by Alex Killorn, making it 3-0 before the first intermission. Despite coach Joel Quenneville's pregame emphasis on desperation, the Ducks managed just four shots in the opening frame—nearly as few as the three goals they allowed.
To their credit, Anaheim found their legs in the final two periods, outshooting Vegas 28-12. But the damage was done. Mikael Granlund scored the lone goal for the Ducks, and goaltender Lukas Dostal stopped 16 shots in what became a season-ending loss.
Marner, long criticized for disappearing in the playoffs during his Toronto Maple Leafs days, was the best player on the ice in Game 6. He finished the series with five goals and 11 points, dominating the Ducks at every turn. Meanwhile, Dorofeyev—an emerging superstar with back-to-back 35-goal seasons—matched Marner's goal total and delivered multi-goal performances in both Games 5 and 6.
The Ducks' stars had a memorable playoff run. Beckett Sennecke announced himself after a Calder Trophy-caliber rookie season, and the team showed flashes of brilliance. But in the end, a slow start proved fatal—a lesson that will sting all offseason long.