Anaheim, CA – The Anaheim Ducks have announced Lukas Dostal as their starting goaltender for Tuesday night's game against the New York Islanders. The decision, confirmed by Daily Faceoff via Stephen Whyno, comes as the team continues its road trip following a tough loss to the New York Rangers on Monday night. Ville Husso was in goal for Monday's 5-2 defeat.
Dostal is set to take the ice looking to improve on his previous outing last Friday, where he allowed four goals on 22 shots against the Boston Bruins. Prior to that, Dostal delivered a strong performance last Tuesday when the Ducks played the Calgary Flames, recording 32 saves and a .914 save percentage in that contest. Overall this season, Dostal holds a record of 3-3-0, with an .882 save percentage, a 3.17 goals-against average (GAA), and a .667 quality starts percentage.
The Ducks face a formidable opponent in the Islanders' confirmed starter, Ilya Sorokin, per Daily Faceoff via Stefen Rosner. Sorokin is noted as one of the National Hockey League’s most dominant netminders, boasting a 1.68 GAA, a .940 save percentage, one shutout, and an .833 quality starts percentage. The Islanders, however, are currently ranked 20th in the NHL for goals scored, with 24 goals, averaging 3.00 goals per game. This offensive output could present a distinct challenge for the Ducks, who allowed five goals in their previous game.
Anaheim’s lines and defensive pairings will need to find a way to penetrate both Sorokin's goaltending and a strong Islanders defense. According to Daily Faceoff, the projected lines for Tuesday's game appear similar to those used on Monday night, with the team not holding a morning skate after the loss to the Rangers, as noted by NHL.com.
The projected first line is expected to feature Alex Killorn, Leo Carlsson, and Nikita Klepov. On the second line, Frank Vatrano, Mikael Granlund, and Beckett Sennecke are anticipated. Killorn and Vatrano were involved in the Ducks avoiding a shutout on Monday, having assisted on Nick Jensen’s goal. The third line is projected to consist of A.J. Greer, Roger McQueen, and Cutter Gauthier. Greer also contributed a last-minute goal on Monday, which made the final score more respectable. Tim Washe is expected to center Jeff Malott and Judd Caulfield on the fourth line.
The projected defensive pairings for the Ducks include Jackson LaCombe and Noah Warren on the first pairing, Tyson Hynes and Tristan Luneau on the second, and Pavel Mintyukov and Nick Jensen on the third. Nick Jensen, who made his season debut on Monday, played a role in spoiling Dylan Garand’s shutout bid.
Should these projections for the lineup hold true, Drew Helleson, Sam Colangelo, and Nikita Nesterenko are expected to be scratches for the game. Additionally, Troy Terry, Ian Moore, and Ryan Poehling are listed as injured.
After three consecutive losses, the Anaheim Ducks cannot afford another defeat, which would see them fall to a 4-5-0 record in a strong Pacific Division, even in this mid-to-late October period. The team aims to rediscover the offensive prowess that marked their strong start to the season, where they scored three-plus goals in four of their first five contests. In every instance they scored at least three goals, the Ducks secured a victory. This indicates the importance of generating offense against Sorokin and the Islanders. The game is scheduled to begin at 7:00 p.m. EDT.
