Ducks clinch spot in 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs
Postseason hockey is coming back to The Pond.
Thanks to the Nashville Predators’ loss on Monday, the Anaheim Ducks have clinched a spot in the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs.
YOUR ANAHEIM DUCKS ARE BACK IN THE STANLEY CUP PLAYOFFS!!!! #FlyTogether
It has been a long time coming for the Ducks – a team that has seemingly been rebuilding for several years. This season, everything seems to have clicked for the team in Orange County, as it will be playing beyond the regular season for the first time since the 2017-18 campaign, when players like Corey Perry, Ryan Getzlaf and Ryan Kesler.
The Ducks have quietly been trending in the right direction, thanks to a talented young core that has matured in recent years. While the team moved on from Trevor Zegras, Cutter Gauthier, Mason McTavish and Leo Carlsson have grown to be big-time players for Anaheim. There’s also been the welcomed addition of those with experience who have contributed in key ways this season. Chris Kreider and Mikael Granlund have provided secondary scoring, with defenseman Jacob Trouba adding some needed experience on the back end.
The hiring of three-time Stanley Cup champion Joel Quenneville is another piece added to the puzzle, providing guidance to a team that fell into disarray in yesteryear.
Despite both players missing time due to injury, Gauthier and Carlsson have been the team’s top producers, with Gauthier leading the team with 38 goals, while both he and Carlsson have registered 65 points as well. Rookie Bennett Sennecke has burst onto the scene, bringing some more youth to an exciting team. The winger is the third player on the Anaheim roster to hit 60 points so far.
Goaltending has been a question mark at times, though. Lukas Dostal was given the full reins after general manager Pat Verbeek dealt John Gibson to the Detroit Red Wings. However, Dostal, along with Petr Mrazek and Ville Husso, has been underwhelming.
Yet, thanks to playing in the worst division in hockey, Anaheim still has a chance to clinch home-ice advantage in the first couple of rounds of the playoffs. With three games left in the campaign, the Ducks (42-32-5) are tied for second in the Pacific Division with the Vegas Golden Knights, both one point back of the first-place Edmonton Oilers.