Ducks bring speed to challenge the playoff-tested Golden Knights

LAS VEGAS (AP) — If the first round of the NHL playoffs played out almost exactly like the opening series a year ago when the Golden Knights eliminated Minnesota in six games, their next opponent is a striking reminder to the one they just vanquished.

The Golden Knights again are the more playoff-seasoned team, but the Anaheim Ducks counter with a faster team interested in more of a track meet when their best-of-seven series opens Monday night in Vegas.

Much like the Utah Mammoth, a team Vegas eliminated in six games on Friday night. The Golden Knights are -210 favorites.

Their playoff experience was crucial against the Mammoth, never panicking even when the Golden Knights had every reason to, trailing in the third period in each of the first five games. They found ways to survive before putting together their most complete game in the 5-1 clincher.

“I think (the experience) only helps the farther you go,” Vegas defenseman Brayden McNabb said. “The pressure ramps up as you keep going. A lot of guys in here have had long playoff series and understand what it's like. Intensity and speed kind of ramp up as the series goes on.”

The Golden Knights have advanced beyond the first round for sixth time in their eight playoff appearances. The 2023 Stanley Cup champions have missed the postseason only once in their nine years as a franchise.

This is the Ducks' first playoff appearance since 2018, but Vegas captain Mark Stone said that is misleading. Nine players not only appeared in the playoffs before this season, eight have played in conference finals and beyond. Alex Killorn won two Stanley Cups in Tampa Bay and John Carlson was on the Washington team that beat the Golden Knights for the 2018 championship.

“So you still have to be on your toes,” Stone said. “You just have to play good. You're playing against the same opponent for seven games potentially. Experience helps, but it's not everything.”

The Ducks certainly aren't exhibiting a just-happy-to-be-here vibe. That was evident in their six-game series victory over an Edmonton team that played in the past two Cup Final series.

“We didn’t accomplish any goal yet,” Anaheim defenseman Jackson LaCombe said. “We’re kind of playing as underdogs through the whole playoffs here, so we’re just going to keep doing our thing.”

Ducks wing Troy Terry said the focus after dispatching the Oilers didn't take long to shift to the Golden Knights.

“It’s May, and you guys (media) are still talking to me,” Terry said. “It’s new for me, and it’s new for a lot of us. It’s just exciting to come to the rink.”

LaCombe appeared to signal his arrival as an NHL star in the first round with nine points and shutdown defense against Connor McDavid, but other Anaheim youngsters also had auspicious playoff debuts.

Leo Carlsson scored eight points and thrived in the run-and-gun tempo of the first series, demonstrating his formidable two-way game while centering Anaheim’s top line. The 21-year-old Swede led the Ducks with 28 shots.

Cutter Gauthier kept up the pace from his 41-goal regular season, pumping four past the Oilers – three on the power play with his vicious one-timers from the faceoff circle. The 22-year-old wing had seven points and forced the Oilers to pay inordinate attention to his side of the ice and created opportunities for the likes of linemate Ryan Poehling, who scored four goals.

Golden Knights forward Brett Howden was being interviewed at his locker Sunday when teammate Keegan Kolesar yelled out, “Brettsky!”

Howden kept on talking, and even he knows it's a little much to be compared to Wayne Gretzky.

“(Kolesar) likes to call me whatever he wants to call me,” Howden said with a chuckle. “Only my dad and my mom called me that growing up.”

The Golden Knights are probably done for the season if not for Howden. He scored four goals over the final three games. Two were short-handed, including the Game 5 overtime winner.

The careers of Shea Theodore and William Karlsson will come full circle in this series: Two of the most important players in Golden Knights history began their NHL careers in Anaheim before ex-Ducks general manager Bob Murray foolishly let them go.

Theodore, a first-round pick by Anaheim, was two seasons into his NHL career when Murray traded him to Vegas in 2017 to ensure the Knights would not pick Josh Manson off the Ducks’ unprotected list in the expansion draft. Theodore has been a mainstay on Vegas’ blue line ever since, become the top-scoring defenseman in team history.

Karlsson, a Ducks second-round pick in 2011, was still finding his NHL stride when Murray traded him to Columbus in March 2015 in an inexplicable deal for aging defenseman James Wisniewski, who played only 13 games for Anaheim.

Vegas took Karlsson in the expansion draft two years later, and “Wild Bill” grew into the second-leading scorer in Golden Knights history. He has been sidelined since last November with a lower-body injury, but is back skating in practice and might suit up this in this series.

Both teams made it this far because of their success on special teams.

For the Ducks, that came off the power play, where they converted 50% of their chances against the Oilers. The penalty kill was key for the Golden Knights, in which they were 15 of 16 and even outscored the Mammoth 2-1 on the Utah power play.

“I think it can definitely carry over,” McNabb said of the PK. “It's been good all year. It's something we're going to need.”

AP Sports Writer Greg Beacham in Anaheim, California, contributed to this report.

AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/nhl

Anaheim Ducks' Troy Terry (19) celebrates a goal against the Edmonton Oilers during second period NHL playoff action in Edmonton on Monday, April 20, 2026. (Codie McLachlan/The Canadian Press via AP)

Vegas Golden Knights defenseman Brayden McNabb (3) and Utah Mammoth right wing Kailer Yamamoto (56) skate after a loose puck during the third period in Game 2 of a first-round NHL hockey Stanley Cup playoff series Tuesday, April 21, 2026, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/Ian Maule)

Edmonton Oilers center Matt Savoie, left, blocks the shot by Anaheim Ducks defenseman Jackson LaCombe during the third period of Game 4 in the first round of an NHL hockey Stanley Cup playoff series Sunday, April 26, 2026, in Anaheim, Calif. (AP Photo/Kyusung Gong)

Vegas Golden Knights center Brett Howden (21) scores on Utah Mammoth goaltender Karel Vejmelka (70) in the second overtime of Game 5 of a first-round NHL hockey Stanley Cup playoff series Wednesday, April 29, 2026, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/John Locher)

DORAL, Fla. (AP) — Cameron Young called a one-shot penalty on himself for his ball slightly moving in the second fairway and he still made par. It was that kind of week for Young, who closed with a 4-under 68 for a six-shot victory over Scottie Scheffler in the Cadillac Championship.

Young became the first wire-to-wire winner at Doral since Andy Bean in 1977, opening with a 64 on the Blue Monster and never giving anyone much of a chance, including the world's No. 1 player.

He finished at 19-under 269 with President Donald Trump, who owns Trump National Doral, watching and giving the rising American star a thumbs-up and later a handshake.

Young now has three wins since last August, including The Players Championship. Scheffler, who closed with a 68, was a runner-up for the third straight time dating to the Masters. Scheffler has earned $6.,75 million for those three tournaments.

PLAYA DEL CARMEN, Mexico (AP) — Nelly Korda delivered an early knockout punch Sunday and stretched her lead to seven shots before cruising to the finish line with a 3-under 69 and a four-shot victory in the Riviera Maya Open at Mayakoba.

One week after Korda won her third career major with a five-shot win at The Chevron Championship, she was just as dominant at El Camaleon. Korda went 60 consecutive holes without a bogey, a streak that ended when it no longer mattered on the 18th hole. She made a 20-foot bogey putt after losing her tee shot into tropical bushes.

Korda became the first player since Annika Sorenstam in 2001 to start a season with six straight tournaments finishing no worse than runner-up.

She finished at 17-under 271, four shots ahead Arpichaya Yubol of Thailand, who celebrated her 24th birthday with a 70 to finish alone in second. Yu Liu of China (69) was another shot back.

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (AP) — Stewart Cink pulled away with consecutive birdies early on the back nine Sunday that stretched his lead to four shots, and he closed with a 3-under 69 for a three-shot victory in the Regions Tradition for his second major this year on the PGA Tour Champions.

Cink, who won the Senior PGA Championship two weeks ago in Florida, became the second player in two years to capture the first two majors on the 50-and-older circuit. Angel Cabrera won the Senior PGA and the Tradition last year in consecutive weeks.

He was staked to a three-shot lead going into the final round at Greystone Golf & Country Club, and Colin Montgomerie got within two shots of them heading to the back nine. The 52-year-old Cink responded with birdies on the 11th and 12th holes to build a four-shot lead, and Montgomerie failed to make birdie over his final 13 holes to shoot 71 and finish alone in third.

Scott Hend (65) was the runner-up.

ANTALYA, Turkey (AP) — Mikael Lindberg closed with a 3-under 69 to win the Turkish Airlines Open on Sunday for his first European tour victory that earned him a spot in the PGA Championship by leading the tour’s Asian swing.

Lindberg has three birdies on a four-hole stretch on the front nine at National Golf Club to take control, and he added consecutive birdies on the back nine. He two-putted for par on the last to finish at 10-under 278 and win by two over Daniel Rodrigues (71) and Guido Migliozzi (70).

The PGA Championship, to be played May 14-17 at Aronimink, set aside spots for three players from the Asian swing. Lindberg will be joined by Bernd Wiesberger and Jordan Gumberg.

SEONGNAM, South Korea (AP) — Minhyuk Song shot 1-under 70 and defeated Mingyu Cho with a par on the first playoff hole Sunday to win the GS Caltex Maekyung Open on the Asian Tour.

Cho was poised to win, leading by two shots, until missing a 3-foot bogey putt on the 18th for a 70 to fall into a playoff. Adding to the drama was Inhoi Hur closing with a 64 to also finish at 11-under 273, only for officials to assess a two-shot penalty from an incident in the third round that kept him from playing for the title.

Hur hit a wild tee shot on the seventh hole on Saturday, and then a provisional in case it was not found. A spotter picked up the ball out-of-bounds, but that led to questions whether it was beyond the boundary.

A rules official mistakenly told Hur to play the provisional without penalty while the matter got sorted out. The correct procedure was to place the ball where it had been and go from there. The stroke-and-distance penalty was not applied until after Hur finished his final round.

Megan Schofill won the Epson Tour's Carlisle Arizona Women’s Golf Classic for her first professional title, closing with a 2-under 69 for a one-stroke victory. The 2023 U.S. Women’s Amateur champion finished at 11-under 273 on the TPC Scottsdale's Champions Course. Schofill played at Auburn. Amari Avery was second to take the tour money lead. ... Mikumu Horikawa rallied with a 7-under 63 for a one-shot victory over Yusaku Hosono (67) to win The Crowns on the Japan Golf Tour. ... Smilla Tarning Soenderby on Denmark won her second Ladies European Tour title when she made a 5-foot birdie putt on the 18th hole for a 5-under 67 and a one-shot victory in the MCB Ladies Classic. ...Hyunjo Yoo closed with an even-par 72 for a one-shot victory in the DB Women’s Championship on the Korea LPGA.

AP golf: https://apnews.com/hub/golf

Cameron Young poses with the trophy with his wife Kelsey Dalition and children Henry, John, and Vivienne, after winning the Cadillac Championship PGA golf tournament Sunday, May 3, 2026, in Doral, Fla. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

Cameron Young holds the trophy after winning the Cadillac Championship PGA golf tournament Sunday, May 3, 2026, in Doral, Fla. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)