The youngest duck player listened, learned and produced at the start of the season – Orange County Register

It was no secret that the ducks asked more of the youngest players this season. More goals, more assists, more consistent play in the puck, and perhaps just as important without it. The priority has changed from 2019-20. Ice time will have to be earned, not given.

General manager Bob Marley said it was heading for a training camp.

Dallas Ekins said the season is about to begin.

Left-wing Max Comtois (22), central Sam Steel (22), and right-wing Troy Terry (23) have golden ducks at the opening round at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas on Thursday. He listened and reacted when he lost to Knights 5-2. .. Combining them formed the best and most productive line of ducks.

When the ducks recovered from their initial two-goal deficit, Kontowa scored two goals just 3:36 apart in the first period. He skated in front of the net on both sides, scoring with a pass from Steele at the first 4:22 and Ryan Getzlav at 7:58, responding to the coach’s call to skate to the Red Zone. ..

Ekins defines the red zone as the area from the goal post to the hash mark inside each face-off circle. He said ducks need to post to the area more often than this season during the training camp, and Kontowa did so on Thursday.

The goal was the 8th and 9th of Kontowa’s up-and-coming 40-game NHL career. They were also the fastest two goals scored by Dachshund players to start the season’s opening round in over 15 years, with a 22:19 Joffrey Lepur twin strike in Chicago on October 5, 2005. It exceeded.

“He was solid overall,” Ekins said. “We wanted him to play straight, leave his creativity until he became a little mature player, and take advantage of his body and size. I wanted him to talk about it. I thought he did a pretty good job. We look for him to be a little more physical.

“It’s great for his confidence to get some goals right away.”

Shortly before setting up Comtois, Steel sent a similar dangerous pass to Terry in the right place in the Red Zone. Vegas goalkeeper Robin Lehner rejected Terry’s bid, but couldn’t reject Contowa even closer from another clever pass from Steel.

Comtois scored two shots at 15:16 ice time. Steel made a one-shot at 17:06. Terry fired two shots at 16:24. Steele and Terry each played 58 seconds on the duck’s only power play opportunity. This is a second period of opportunity that has created lasting pressure but never reached the goal.

MEAN WHILE …

Ekins wasn’t happy with his more veteran line, especially the top line play of Likert Raquel, Adam Enrique and Jacob Sylverberg, who were on the ice for Mark Stone’s tiebreak goal. Each of them had a defensive rating of minus 2 by the end of the game.