John Carlson plays first game for Anaheim Ducks since trade from Capitals: 'He's a really good hockey player'

"For our team, it's a big game. It's a response game for us to finish the trip right. Obviously, being my first game, I wouldn't want anything less than that. It's a big point in the season, and it feels like coming down the stretch, most of the teams we're going to be playing are kind of jockeying for something, and this will be no different and no different for us as well."

"Just an exciting time for me. I think we've got a great team. There's a lot of really top-end talent on this team, and I'm looking forward to playing with them. Just kind of getting myself worked in here."

"With Carlson on the ice at 5v5, the Ducks saw 60.6 percent of shot attempts and 78.9 percent of expected goals, demonstrating strong defensive performance during his pairing with left-handed shooting defenseman Olen Zellweger throughout the evening."

John Carlson played his first game for the Anaheim Ducks on Sunday after being traded from the Washington Capitals on March 6 for two draft picks. This marked his first appearance since February 5 due to a lower-body injury rehabilitation. Carlson expressed enthusiasm about joining the team and emphasized the importance of the matchup against Montreal as part of a critical stretch. Though he did not record a point, Carlson contributed an assist on a scoring play and logged 22:59 of ice time, the second-most on the team. The Ducks won 4-3, with goals from Leo Carlsson, Troy Terry, and Cutter Gauthier. Carlson's defensive pairing with Olen Zellweger generated strong possession metrics.

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