8 & 8
The Western Conference Finals begin tonight in Anaheim. Its a rematch of last year's first round series between the Ducks and Nashville. Last season, the men in orange and black fell victim to an upstart team from music city in what is hoped to be the final playoff game seven, home loss in a four year streak.
The Ducks are now half way to their goal of winning the Stanley Cup. Eight wins down, eight wins to go for a second championship.
Why the Ducks Will Win
Wake up call received. The combination of losing to Nashville last year and being pushed to the limit by Edmonton this year means that the Ducks know they can't take any opponents lightly. Those two hard lessons should be motivation in this series.
Been there done that. Nashville has some talented young stars on their forward lines. After facing McDavid, Draisaitl, and Nugent-Hopkins in the last round, the Ducks should be ready for what their opponents bring to the table. If Ryan Kesler could handle McDavid, the best young player in the NHL, he should be able to contain his assignment this round, whether it be Johansen or Forsberg.
Return to glory. The big story for Anaheim in the post season is Ryan Getzlaf's stand out play. Ducks fans have been waiting for their captain to lead by example come playoff time. In 11 games he has eight goals and seven assists. Additionally, Cory Perry is showing flashes of his all-star quality; he is on a four game point streak.
Gibby! Gibson had his ups and downs in the previous series. After giving up the opening goal in the previous game, on a play that wasn't his fault, the Pittsburgh native shut out Edmonton for the final 56:29 of the pivotal contest. His confidence has to be sky high.
100 percent. Throw out game six and its fair to say that every player in the lineup has contributed. Even in limited minutes, the Ducks fourth line has played their hearts out. They have excelled as a team and when individuals have been asked to step up, they have.
Why the Ducks Won't Win
Can't finish the Finn. Pekka Rinne at times has been harder to solve than the New York Times Sunday crossword puzzle. He enters the series with a 2.33 GAA and .919 save percentage against the Ducks. He has also been red hot this post season. His 1.57 GAA and .951 save percentage are tops among his peers so far.
Injuries are a pain. Its an understatement to say the ducks are banged up. The last reports on winger Patrick Eaves say he is nowhere near ready to return. As recent as Wednesday, Eaves was in a boot and using crutches. There has been no word on when Logan Shaw (LBI) will come back. Coach Randy Carlyle said the same thing today about defenseman Kevin Bieksa that he has all week, “he's close… although its hard to see where he would slot back in.
An equal in the dots. The Ducks have dominated the face off circle in their previous two playoff series. Unlike Calgary and Edmonton, Nashville has some guys who are very good at winning draws. Ducks centers will have their hands full with Johansen, Fisher and Fiddler.
All fo(u)r D. Nashville's top four defenseman as a group are as talented as any team in the league. Josi, Subban, Ellis, and Ekholm are capable of scoring at any time. The Ducks forecheck, minus Eaves will be tested.
Not so Special. In a word the Ducks special team have been putrid. If the PK continues the way it has so far, Anaheim will be in a world of trouble.
This time of year hockey is about matchups. Although the Ducks don't matchup as well as they did in the first two rounds, they still have a good chance to advance to the Stanley Cup Finals. Back in November, who would have thought it would even be a topic of conversation.
Nashville @ Ducks: Round 3, Game 1
Playing Hockey on May 12 is a rare treat. Ducks fans should enjoy the experience. John Gibson was the first goalie off the ice in practice, so he will start tonight. The shouldn't be changes from Wednesday's winning lineup.
Forwards Rakell-Getzlaf-Perry Cogliano-Kesler-Silfverberg Ritchie-Vermette-Wagner Kase-Thompson-Boll
Defensemen Fowler-Vatanen Lindholm-Montour Theodore-Manson
Goalies Gibson Bernier
Scratches Eaves Shaw Bieksa Holzer