3 takeaways from Knights loss: Ducks come out flying after break

The Golden Knights enjoyed their three-day break so much they took an extra 20 minutes off once action resumed Wednesday.

Anaheim scored four goals on its first nine shots to defeat the Knights 5-2 at Honda Center in the first game back for both teams after the NHL’s holiday pause.

Coach Bruce Cassidy said after the team’s morning skate he hoped the time away from the ice would allow the group to hit the rest button. The Knights were swept on a three-game road trip heading into the break while allowing 15 goals.

They didn’t show much improvement Wednesday. The Ducks (13-21-0), who had three wins in their last 18 games before the break, were up 4-0 after 12:18.

“I just don’t think we were ready to play, myself included,” defenseman Alec Martinez said. “Too many breakdowns, not good enough gaps. They’re a real offensive team, good on the rush, we gave them too many opportunities, but also credit to them, they buried (the chances).”

The Knights still had a chance to get back into the game in the second period.

Martinez and captain Mark Stone scored to cut the team’s deficit to 4-2 with 7:26 left in the middle frame. Then a rebound deflected off Knights goaltender Logan Thompson to Ducks right wing Brett Leason.

His second goal put Anaheim up 5-2 with 2:15 left before the second intermission. It was the first multigoal game of Leason’s career.

The loss was the Knights’ fourth straight in regulation, marking the longest they’ve gone without a point under Cassidy. They’ve allowed at least four goals in seven of their last eight games.

“We’ve got to figure this out,” Martinez said. “I think as a team, you look at the last four, five, six games, giving up four-plus goals, that’s not what we do. I think that’s a lack of attention to detail, not playing a team game. I think we’ve been disconnected, I think we’ve got to play more together as five and support each other all over the ice.”

Here are three takeaways from the loss:

1. Back in net

The Knights got a gift over the Christmas break in the form of Thompson, who returned from injury to start Wednesday.

Anaheim responded by putting a lump of coal in the team’s stocking. Thompson gave up a goal on the third shot he faced. Things didn’t get much better the rest of the first period.

He did bounce back to save 14 of the final 15 shots he faced.

Cassidy said there were a few mistakes in front of Thompson, but acknowledged the team needs to get more from its goaltenders even at a time there are injury concerns.

“You need saves sometimes,” Cassidy said. “No team is perfect. You’re not going to go out there and play a game and not give up any chances. That’s where we’re at right now, and have been going through lately.

“We need them to be better and we know that.’

Thompson was in net for the first time since being pulled in the third period of the Knights’ 6-3 loss to Carolina on Dec. 19. He appeared to play through discomfort the team’s previous game against Ottawa on Dec. 17.

Jiri Patera took over for Thompson against the Hurricanes and finished the road trip with starts against the Lightning and Panthers.

Patera served as Thompson’s backup Wednesday. Goaltender Adin Hill didn’t travel with the Knights as he recovers from a lower-body injury.

Cassidy stressed that hasn’t lost confidence in his netminders.

“Patera came up here and played well last year, did a good job for us and had good stretches against Florida the other night,” Cassidy said. “Logan was an All-Star last year.

“Right now we need them to sort of find their game and be a little more consistent in what they’re giving us. We can rely on that and we can be more consistent in front of them, too. It’s both.”

2. Avoiding the box

The Knights found an ideal way to end a brutal stretch on the penalty kill.

They stayed out of the penalty box.

Anaheim did not get a single power-play opportunity until the final two minutes, allowing the Knights to snap the worst stretch on the penalty kill in franchise history.

They had surrendered multiple power-play goals in four straight games for the first time entering the game.

3. Up next

The Knights will try to bounce back fast as they host the Kings at 7 p.m. Thursday at T-Mobile Arena.

It’s the team’s first game at home since Dec. 17.

The Kings (20-7-4) also played Wednesday, defeating San Jose 5-1 at home. Los Angeles has the best road record in the NHL at 13-1-1.

Contact Adam Hill at ahill@reviewjournal.com. Follow @AdamHillLVRJ on X.