Ducks Kings Rookie Faceoff: IRVINE, Calif. — A turbulent second period doomed the Ducks’ prospects in a 4–1 loss to the Kings, closing the Golden State Rookie Faceoff presented by Arrowhead Water before a packed house at FivePoint Arena. In a game that mirrored Friday’s bruising opener against San Jose, the rivals leaned into the physical edge of the tournament, drawing roars from the sellout crowd of 2,500 with heavy hits and a couple of spirited scraps.
A second-period swing the Ducks couldn’t escape
After a scoreless opening frame that saw both teams test each other’s structure and toughness, the ice tilted early in the second. Los Angeles forward Koehn Ziemmer broke the deadlock soon after the intermission, cashing in to make it 1–0. Less than a minute later the Kings doubled their lead, and moments after that they had a third—both goals credited to Kenny Connors.
One of those tallies arrived in bizarre fashion: a misplayed puck that the Ducks inadvertently steered into their own net, with goaltender Tomas Suchanek absorbing the unfortunate bounce on the scoresheet. The flurry put Anaheim in a 3–0 hole and changed the tenor of the afternoon. To his credit, Suchanek steadied after the miscue and finished his two periods with no further damage.
Ducks push back, but George slams the door
Anaheim regrouped at the second intermission and came out firing. Less than two minutes into the third, Tim Washe parked at the top of the blue paint and got a deft piece of a Nico Myatovic one-timer, cutting the deficit to 3–1 and injecting some life into the building. The Ducks kept their foot down, funnelling pucks and bodies to the net and racking up 36 shots overall, but Kings netminder Carter George tracked the traffic well and smothered rebounds to deny any chance of a full comeback.
With the Ducks pressing late and the goalie pulled for an extra attacker, Connors sealed it into the empty cage with 48 seconds remaining for his third point of the day and a 4–1 final.
In goal: a tale of two stints
- Tomas Suchanek handled the first forty minutes, yielding three second-period goals, including the own-goal credited to Connors. Aside from the chaotic stretch, he delivered several composed stops through screens.
- Michael McIvor took over to start the third and turned aside all seven shots he faced, giving Anaheim a chance to chase the game.
Physical tone, familiar faces on the scoresheet
The finale carried the same sandpaper as Anaheim’s opener—a 6–3 loss to the Sharks on Friday—with plenty of board battles, net-front jostling, and a couple of fights that ignited the crowd. Washe, who signed with the Ducks as a college free agent after captaining Western Michigan, again made an impact around the crease. He scored Friday and showed the same net-front timing on Sunday’s deflection.
On the Kings’ side, Connors’ knack for arriving in scoring areas—and a bit of fortune—drove the result, while Ziemmer’s early strike set the tone after the first intermission. Notably, Los Angeles rebounded from a wild 8–6 setback to San Jose the day prior with a much tighter defensive effort in front of George.
What the Ducks can take from the weekend
- Net-front presence is a strength. Washe’s deflection and several late tips highlight a blueprint for a young forward group that created chaos around the blue paint.
- Goalie depth showed composure. Suchanek’s afternoon will be remembered for the quirky own goal, but both he and McIvor settled well, with McIvor posting a clean sheet in his period of work.
- Shot volume is there; conversion is next. Thirty-six shots tested George, yet the Ducks managed only one breakthrough. A touch more finish—or traffic—could have changed the math.
- Pace and pushback. Anaheim matched Los Angeles physically and tilted the ice in the third, an encouraging response that should carry into camp.
Three Stars (author’s picks)
- Kenny Connors (LAK) — Two second-period tallies (one off a Ducks mishap) and the late empty-netter to cap it.
- Carter George (LAK) — Calm throughout while facing 36 shots; rebound control steadied the Kings.
- Tim Washe (ANA) — Net-front tip for Anaheim’s lone goal and another assertive performance around the crease.
What’s next
The Ducks Kings Rookie Faceoff wraps with the Ducks looking ahead to the main event. Training camp opens Thursday, with jobs to be won and depth charts to be shaped. Anaheim’s first preseason game arrives September 21 against these same Kings at Toyota Arena in Ontario, a quick chance to revisit a rivalry that always seems to find an edge—rookies or not.
Final: Kings 4, Ducks 1. Shots: Ducks 36 (on George). Goaltenders: Suchanek (two periods, three against), McIvor (third period, 7/7).
