Leo Carlsson, the No. 2 overall pick in the 2023 NHL Draft, scored his first career goal in his debut game with the Anaheim Ducks on Thursday night. Although the Ducks lost 3-2 to the Dallas Stars, Carlsson didn’t let that overshadow his milestone moment.
Despite the high expectations as a rookie, Carlsson showed no signs of being overwhelmed in his first appearance with the Ducks. Just over a minute into the third period, Carlsson capitalized on a two-on-one opportunity with his teammate Troy Terry, scoring a goal.
Terry made a precise pass over the stick of Stars defenseman Miro Heiskanen, allowing Carlsson to lift a shot over the sprawling Jake Oettinger for his first NHL goal. At only 18 years old, Carlsson became the third-youngest Duck to achieve this feat, with only Oleg Tverdovsky and his teammate Mason McTavish being younger.
Ducks coach Greg Cronin wasted no time in placing Carlsson at the top of the lineup, alongside Terry and Trevor Zegras. This strategic decision paid off as the trio performed exceptionally well together. According to Natural Stat Trick, they outscored the Stars 2-0 at five-on-five and had control over 69.2% of the expected goals.
