Anaheim Ducks Suffer Lopsided Defeat in Game 3 of Western Conference Second Round The Anaheim Ducks faced a crushing setback in Game 3 of the Western Conference Second Round of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs, falling 6-2 to the Vegas Golden Knights at Honda Center on Friday. The loss marked the Ducks’ most lopsided postseason defeat of the season and their worst since a 8-1 drubbing in Game 3 of their 2018 first-round series against the San Jose Sharks. The defeat left the Ducks trailing 3-1 in the best-of-7 series, forcing them to regroup quickly for Game 4. The Golden Knights seized control of the game from the outset, capitalizing on the Ducks’ slow start. Defenseman Shea Theodore opened the scoring just 1 minute and 6 seconds into the first period, sending a wave of energy through the crowd. A short-handed goal by defenseman Brayden McNabb at 12:13 of the first period erased any momentum the Ducks might have built, and a power-play goal by Mitch Marner at 19:55 sealed the first-period dominance for Vegas. Marner’s tally was his third of the game, further widening the gap. Goalie Lukas Dostal, who had struggled with early-game goals this season, faced immediate pressure. The Golden Knights scored on his first shot of the game, marking the 13th time this season Dostal had allowed a goal on the first shot he faced. After making five saves in the first period, Dostal was replaced by Ville Husso for the second period. Quenneville hinted that Dostal’s status as the Game 4 starter was uncertain, citing his lackluster performance. Ducks forward Alex Killorn acknowledged the team’s mistakes, calling them “not typical of our team.” He praised the Golden Knights’ execution, noting that their early pressure and opportunistic play made it difficult for Anaheim to recover.#anaheim_ducks #vegas_golden_knights #mitch_marner #shea_theodore #brayden_mcnabb
