GDT: Preseason - Game 4 - Anaheim Ducks vs Los Angeles Kings, 7pm PT

[McDonald19]

Terrible penalty with 3 minutes left in the game Groulx.

 

[Ducks DVM]

Sorta iffy hit by Helleson, but it’s a payback for that uncalled crosscheck I suppose.

 

[Ducks DVM]

Nice play by jones on the PK

 

[Mr Rogers]

Sasha's hockey IQ is definitely evident. there could be something there one day

 

[Hockey Duckie]

Think we all hope hes a potential top 4 quality d. If he turned out to be legit top pair quality like lindholm that would be amazing but i just want someone other than fowler to look like they belong at the nhl level. Zell and minty are flashy.

I want someone who magically is there when zegras or other forward makes an ill advised pass at the blue line. It always blew my mind how often lindholm was back and the disaster pass had one d back….

In the rookie tourney, it was always LaCombe defending a 2v1 situation. He can play on the PP and the PK. Also, he was one of the few players who didn't look run down in pre-season games with an early morning practice, implying he's got very good endurance. Lindholm has great endurance.

LaCombe's poise shows he potentially could be a top-4D. I still think he needs to put on more muscle.

 

[The Midnight Burrito]

Well deserved loss. Exceptionally poor puck management.

 

[KelVarnsen]

Groulx might be waived tommorow. That was just stupid

He just doesn’t seem to bring really anything to the table that I’ve seen.

 

[dracom]

oh well, decent fight back. don't really think any of the forwards belong in the NHL besides Jones. Lacombe continues to be great

 

[Hamilton Bulldogs]

goodbye streak

 

[Mr Rogers]

Drysdale could learn a thing or two from Luneau and Zell about aggression in the o-zone

 

[McDonald19]

Meh, LaCombe and Jones are NHLers.

The rest of these guys are depth players or young players who need development time.

 

[cheesymc]

Someone write a game summary… missed this one… who’s getting cut tomorrow? Who stepped up?

 

[Ducks DVM]

Too soon for this?

 

[cheesymc]

Groulx might be waived tommorow. That was just stupid

That’s literally when I started watching and thought, who was the moron not moving his feet for soft lazy penalty in the offensive zone?

 

[Sean Garrity]

Terrible penalty with 3 minutes left in the game Groulx.

Not sure he has a NHL future with this team or in general. The 4C spot is his to take, but he's done nothing to prove he even deserves a shot. I'd prefer Gaucher over him at this point.

Sasha's hockey IQ is definitely evident. there could be something there one day

100%. When he's on he can slow the game down to his pace and make plays, just not sure he's able to do it consistently enough to be a regular NHL player. Still very young though so there's time. His skillset is clearly on display on the PP.

ll deserved loss. Exceptionally poor puck management.

Couldn't agree more.

oh well, decent fight back. don't really think any of the forwards belong in the NHL besides Jones. Lacombe continues to be great

I appreciated the effort post Gibby for sure. The squad they rostered just isn't very good.

Drysdale could learn a thing or two from Luneau and Zell about aggression in the o-zone

He needs to be in camp after missing pretty much all of last season. Not sure if it's a sign, but Lacombe played the right side tonight, a position the team is more thin at and he obviously plays.

Meh, LaCombe and Jones are NHLers.

The rest of these guys are depth players or young players who need development time.

Don't forget the other Gretzky...err I mean Leason.

 

[70sSanO]

There was a time he could stride for stride cover McDavid.

Unfortunately that time only existed in your dreams.

John

 

[Hamilton Bulldogs]

Unfortunately that time only existed in your dreams.

John

Watch Oilers / Ducks games in 17.

 

[TheGoodShepard1]

The Gulls look like they’re gonna be rough again if Minty and Zell don’t carry the mail and Leo spends the entire year with the big club. That forward group stinks

 

[Raccoon Jesus]

LaCombe is sick, just so so poised. Felt that way before he was on NHL ice, seems like the kind of guy who will absorb it all like a sponge as long as he sticks around, good physical tools, better brain

A lot of the time if something good was happening the names called were Pastujov and Luneau, as well

 

[Hockey Duckie]

Someone write a game summary… missed this one… who’s getting cut tomorrow? Who stepped up?

Looked solid in the 1st half of the 1st period, then out of nowhere we were sending in our defensemen like Oprah giving away gifts and the Kings were able to get a couple of scores on breakaways/getting behind our defense. It was 4-1 Kings with 17:25 left to play in the 2nd period.

Then it was a slog of a game on both sides once the Ducks stopped being overtly aggressive. Over halfway through the 2nd period, there was scrum in front of Gibby on a Kings' PP that literally knocked him out of the game. Ducks clawed back on a counter started by LaCombe on the Dzone puck battle win that ended with a LaCombe backpass from behind the net to Agozzino and with a dirty scrum in front of the Kings net when Gaucher pounced on a loose puck to beat the King goalie with his hands.

The forward talent on both sides were meh.

SOGs: Kings 21, Ducks 23
PP: Kings 0/4, Ducks 1/3

Surprising +/- players

4th line: McLaughlin (-3) - Gaucher (-3) - King (-3)​

D-pair: Vaaks (-3) - Helleson (-4)​

LaCombe still looking poised out there and earned a primary assist. For LaCombe, that's 3 points (2g + 1a) in two pre-season games.

The only thing missing was Ahlers' "coast to coast like butter toast" on that counter goal that started in our Dzone.

 

[70sSanO]

Watch Oilers / Ducks games in 17.

One of Hampus’s weaknesses was a fast forward turning him around. I’ve seen it more than once. If he had time he could shut him down, if not it wasn’t always pretty.

John

 

[Hockey Duckie]

On that counter that started on in our Dzone that Agozzino scored, I thought that was Leason that did that back pass from behind the net. I was wrong. I thought it was Leason that did that pass as the commentators kept talking about Leason. Tracking back live would be like 2 minutes behind.

Now, after the game review, it was LaCombe who did the backward pass.

 

[All Mighty]

LaCombe is sick, just so so poised. Felt that way before he was on NHL ice, seems like the kind of guy who will absorb it all like a sponge as long as he sticks around, good physical tools, better brain

A lot of the time if something good was happening the names called were Pastujov and Luneau, as well

I’m jealous you guys have that Laferriere kid. He’s better than any forward prospect we have, excluding Carlsson. Do you think he could usurp Kaliyev on the big club?

 

[cheesymc]

Looked solid in the 1st half of the 1st period, then out of nowhere we were sending in our defensemen like Oprah giving away gifts and the Kings were able to get a couple of scores on breakaways/getting behind our defense. It was 4-1 Kings with 17:25 left to play in the 2nd period.

Then it was a slog of a game on both sides once the Ducks stopped being overtly aggressive. Over halfway through the 2nd period, there was scrum in front of Gibby on a Kings' PP that literally knocked him out of the game. Ducks clawed back on a counter started by LaCombe on the Dzone puck battle win that ended with a LaCombe backpass from behind the net to Agozzino and with a dirty scrum in front of the Kings net when Gaucher pounced on a loose puck to beat the King goalie with his hands.

The forward talent on both sides were meh.

SOGs: Kings 21, Ducks 23
PP: Kings 0/4, Ducks 1/3

Surprising +/- players

4th line: McLaughlin (-3) - Gaucher (-3) - King (-3)​

D-pair: Vaaks (-3) - Helleson (-4)​

LaCombe still looking poised out there and earned a primary assist. For LaCombe, that's 3 points (2g + 1a) in two pre-season games.

The only thing missing was Ahlers' "coast to coast like butter toast" on that counter goal that started in our Dzone.

Thanks for the game summary. It’s been positive signs seeing Action Jackson (or Beavis) flashing high end skill and consistency. He has already shown growth within the preseason alone. I was worried watching him often playing second fiddle in college and junior tournaments. He didn’t stand out at the start of the prospect camp, but he continues to step it up game by game. Good skater and puck control. I want a strong vet like Gudas to pair with him. Drysdale better sign quick or he’s going to start out on the bottom line.

 

[Hockey Duckie]

Thanks for the game summary. It’s been positive signs seeing Action Jackson (or Beavis) flashing high end skill and consistency. He has already shown growth within the preseason alone. I was worried watching him often playing second fiddle in college and junior tournaments. He didn’t stand out at the start of the prospect camp, but he continues to step it up game by game. Good skater and puck control. I want a strong vet like Gudas to pair with him. Drysdale better sign quick or he’s going to start out on the bottom line.

LaCombe has been upping his game since playing at the WJC-20, where he helped team USA win gold. I've been impressed with him since then. Feel free to read his accomplishments and accolades in all his four years in Minny.

Jackson LaCombe - Men's Hockey - University of Minnesota Athletics

Jackson LaCombe (2) Defense - PRONUNCIATION Your browser does not support HTML5 audio. • Signed two-year, entry-level NHL contract with the Anaheim Ducks on ...

gophersports.com

Two off-seasons ago in Dev camp, I identified LaCombe's skating was as fast and smooth as Zellweger's since they were on the same ice. Got a lot of deniers that LaCombe isn't close to Zellweger. I've been sharing how consistently good LaCombe's been playing in college, but everyone seems enamored with Zell for the past two years and then the 2022 d-men in Minty and Luneau.

Playing two NHL games at the end of the Ducks season displayed the high-end talent that LaCombe possesses skating, puck handling, and blocking shots.

This off-season is the first off-season that LaCombe has been able to participate in the rookie tourney and training camp b/c usually NCAA prospects are already back in school, thus cannot participate. He's playing the same way in college as he has been in the rookie tourney and pre-season. LaCombe didn't just get better this off-season. Even PV noticed LaCombe's game a couple of months into the 2022-23 season, "With [Lacombe], the college game is really easy for him. I mean, he's an excellent skater. He's moving up the ice, but no one can catch him. That's how strong a skater he is." LaCombe finished as the 4th highest scoring d-man in all of the NCAA.

This off-season, I got into discussions that LaCombe was on par or better than Drysdale since Drysdale lost a year of development. Yeah, not many on my side. Hell, I had to argue that LaCombe had a great game at the first rookie tourney event. If you're searching for constant flash, then that's not LaCombe. If you're searching for efficiency with some flash, then that's LaCombe.

LaCombe can be even better with the way HC Cronin talks about LaCombe closing the gap even more due to his speed. I think LaCombe needs to add more bulk/muscle as well as just more reps at the NHL level to improve his game.