TST Best Bets: October 19, 2026
Nick Wire
Host · Writer
The Anaheim Ducks open up a four-game road trip in which they play four games in six days tonight against the New York Rangers. The Ducks, now 4-3-0, lost both games in their recent home stand. However, the Ducks are 3-0-0 on the road so far this season.
Anaheim's top two lines, consisting of leaders Leo Carlsson, Beckett Sennecke, Mikael Granlund, Alex Killorn and Cutter Gauthier, consistently produces early. However, the Ducks have struggled to hold leads after building them in the early periods.
In their losses to the Edmonton Oilers and Boston Bruins, the Ducks led 2-0 after the first period before surrendering 4+ goals in the following two periods.
Carlsson leads the team with nine points and seven assists, while Sennecke leads the team with five goals.
Lukas Dostal is 3-3 for the Ducks this season while allowing 3.17 goals per game. Dostal likely won't start in one of the New York doubleheader games.
The Rangers are 6-3-1 with a 5-0-0 record at home this season. Alexis Lafreniere leads the team with 11 points and seven assists through 10 games. Defenseman Adam Fox leads the team with nine assists.
New York's goaltending situation should be under duress as goaltender Igor Shesterkin was placed on season-ending injured reserve with a knee injury. However, in his place the Rangers leaned on Dylan Garand, who holds a .927 save percentage while allowing just 1.82 goals per game through five games. Garland was elevated at the beginning of October from the Hartford Wolf Pack after their other goaltender, Joonas Korpisalo, was placed on the injured reserve.
First pIck: Cutter Gauthier over 0.5 goals
Rundown: Gauthier has five goals in the last three matchups against the Rangers. Three of those goals were against Shesterkin. The Ducks also won the last three games against the Rangers, scoring 4.67 goals per game. Gauthier missed some time with an upper body injury already this season – and the effects of that injury may still linger – but the Ducks depend heavily on his goalscoring ability and missile of a shot from the bumper on the power play. He should pot one tonight.
Second Pick: Pavel Dorofeyev anytime goal
Rundown: As a member of the Vegas Golden Knights, especially in his last 10 matchups including the playoffs, Dorofeyev dominated against the Ducks. Dorofeyev has six goals and three assists in his last 10 matchups with the Ducks. Granted, he was on a line with Jack Eichel at center and Ivan Barbashev on the right wing, however Dorofeyev is still a very talented finished playing against a below-average Ducks defense and goaltending situation.
