2022 Rookie Faceoff: Anaheim vs Arizona – Notes

Mason McTavish (37) handles the puck during an injury conditioning loan. Credit San Diego Gulls.

In game two of the 2022 Rookie Faceoff – the Anaheim Ducks were scheduled in the afternoon slot to take on the Arizona Coyotes. As expected – several players who took part in the previous game against the Sharks were rested to allow those who had yet to play into the line-up. The roster for today’s game saw 2022 fifth round selection Connor Hvidston draw in while also giving try outs Julien Beland, Charles Cote and Luke Profaca a chance to prove themselves. Additionally – camp invitee goaltender Brayden Peters was given the start in net. Read on below for notes and feedback on the play of some players in the Anaheim vs Arizona Rookie Faceoff.

#64 – Jacob Perreault: When Perreault made his patented spinorama move coming down the left side into the offensive zone I immediately thought “oh hey welcome back Jacob, where have you been?”. Had a nice passing play with Tracey in the second period – which does make one wonder why the two off-ice good friends have never really been on the same line in their now almost two years with the Gulls. He had two bad turnovers in the Ducks zone in the final two minutes of the game which wasn’t a great look defensively.

#52 – Blake McLaughlin: Again like yesterday it was the little things that McLaughlin did well that impressed me the most. He made a soft touch pass down low in the offensive zone on a nice setup and I didn’t mention it yesterday but he is looking like a very good and effective option for the Gulls penalty kill this year. He also seemed stronger today – going to the dirty areas and fighting for pucks with mixed success.

#56 – Brayden Tracey: Being elevated to the top line with McTavish and Perreault seemed like a good call after Regenda failed to jell in the spot last night. His goal on the Power Play was very nice – taking the puck off the half wall, making a move to shift his defender then wiring a shot from the newly formed lane. A goal scorers goal – hopefully a sign of what we might see more of on the Gulls this year.

#46 – Nathan Gaucher: Once again – Gaucher was noticeable. Giving a glimpse of potentially a fan favourite for years to come as he immediately dropped the gloves and pounded a Coyote that dropped Jacob Perreault with a big hit coming through the neutral zone. He didn’t dominated as much as he did last night but I still liked how reliable he was.

#40 – Pavol Regenda: Again seemed a step out of sync with the rest of his team-mates. Passes were either going off his feet or just in front of his stick while his skating stride left a lot to be desired in some situations. I wonder if it is going to take some time for him to adjust to the North American sized rink and the subsequent pace of action.

#47 – Noah Warren: Warren followed up his impressive debut last night with another stellar performance. He was without a doubt the Ducks best defender in this Anaheim vs Arizona Rookie Faceoff. He was consistent in snuffing out any and all Coyote forays into the Anaheim zone whenever he was on the ice. There was one play where he was on the penalty kill and elected to try eat time against the boards despite the situation allowing time to turn and clear which was slightly baffling but other than that his game was pro level.

#37 – Mason McTavish: It was much the same as last night from McTavish – he could and should have been dominating the action but was clearly holding back. He did elect to shoot more – which was for the best but as noted by Felix Sicard – it felt like he knew he was going to make the Ducks so he was playing conservative so that he did not jeopardize that in any way. I also wouldn’t be surprised if McTavish was actively trying to make his line-mates look better by how many times he passed up a shot to pass back to them – particularly in last nights game.

#61 – Tyson Hinds: Was quietly good again. Never out of position, quick to close gaps and seemingly always there to tidy up any mistakes by his teammates. He was the Ducks second best defender behind Warren and as I said after last nights game – he is looking like a quality third round pick. On one play he chased down and harassed a Coyotes forward on a breakaway just enough to prevent a clear cut chance while also not getting a penalty in the process – a masterclass in defending.

#67 – Tristan Luneau: I didn’t talk about him after last nights game but not because he didn’t have a good game. He was quietly effective – making a lot of little plays that you don’t really see unless you were looking closely (which was particularly difficult with today’s game and the camera setup). With Zellweger sitting this one out he was given a chance with the man advantage and I liked how he looked there – particularly his crisp one-touch passes and confidence in carrying the puck on the zone entry. He loves to rush the puck and is so deceptive with his angles – he will be so fun to watch in future.

#59 – Sasha Pastujov: Again I didn’t mention him in last nights game notes as he did not quite stand out enough but you can see that he likes to shoot or find shooting positions. It’s just a matter of having a line mate familiar with where he likes to go. His skating did have some concerns – there was an instance I remember where he got beat on an inside outside move that it took him far too long to recover from. I am not so sure he is ready for AHL duty this year.

#82 – Connor Hvidston: As one of the younger players out there it was understandable that Hvidston didn’t exactly light it up. He wast noticeable for any mistakes either. It feels like Somner shortened the bench in the second half of action and we saw less of his line so it’s hard to say much else about his play.

#73 – Seah Tschigerl: Had another good game. He drew two calls with his hustle and his line with Gaucher and Lopina was probably the Ducks best and most consistent on the night in my eyes. One more year and he will see him on the Gulls and I for one cannot wait.

That’s it for this recap of the Anaheim vs Arizona Rookie Faceoff. The Ducks play their third and final game of the tournament against Vegas on Monday at 12:30pm. Look for Zellweger to draw back in and McTavish to likely draw out.