• Moderators, please send me a PM if you are unable to access mod permissions. Thanks, Habsy.

GDT: WCSF: Ducks VS Kings; Game 1; 05/03/2014

Baltic Gal

Baltic Gal

Moderator
48679782014.gif


6859.gif


Western Conference Semi Finals

Ducks VS Kings
173616512014.gif
71jepx81eqzz1l6q9g1g5j1lh.gif

Game 1

May 3rd, 2014

In Anaheim,CA

@5:00PM Pacific Time

Preview:

​
Ducks Host Kings in Teams' First Playoff Meeting


KINGS at DUCKS


TV: NBCSN, TSN, RDS


Season series: The Anaheim Ducks won four of five games against the Los Angeles Kings. Two of the games were decided by one goal; two others went to a shootout, including the Kings' win. The only game that wasn't a one-goal final was the 2014 Coors Light NHL Stadium Series game at Dodgers Stadium, which Anaheim won 3-0.


Big story: The Ducks open Southern California's first ever playoff series between two major local teams with Game 1 of the 2014 Stanley Cup Playoffs Second Round series against the Kings tonight at Honda Center (5 p.m. PDT, NBCSN/710 ESPN). The Ducks are coming off a 4-2 series win over the Dallas Stars in the First Round, the club's 12th overall series victory. Anaheim has reached the Second Round for the fifth time in club history and the first since 2009. The Ducks have won eight of their last 10 games dating to April 7 at Vancouver and five consecutive at Honda Center. In their playoff history, the Ducks have posted an 11-9 record in Game 1, including a 4-3 win on April 16 vs. Dallas. This represents Anaheim's 10th trip to the Stanley Cup Playoffs all-time and the seventh in the last nine years. The Ducks concluded the 2013-14 regular season with a record of 54-20-8, the best mark in club history.


Team Scope:


Ducks: A big reason for Anaheim's success against Los Angeles this season was goaltending. Now the Ducks' goaltending situation may be the biggest question mark for either team as this Western Conference Second Round series commences.


Jonas Hiller stopped 85 of 87 shots in two games against Los Angeles, and Frederik Andersen stopped 94 of 99 in three starts against the Kings. Boudreau pulled Andersen in Game 6 of the first-round series against the Dallas Stars after he allowed four goals on 12 shots, and Hiller earned the series-clinching win in relief.


"When [LA] started playing, they were playing like when they won the Cup," Ducks coach Bruce Boudreau said. "That's what I thought. They just kept coming and coming and they didn't deviate from the way they play. They had four lines playing, and Quick was looking so much more like Quick in the last four games than he did in the first three, which is good ... for them, not for us."


Kings: Los Angeles has the second-longest winning streak in the League after sweeping the final four games to defeat the San Jose Sharks in seven in a Western Conference First Round series.


The Kings outscored the Sharks 18-5 in the final four games of the series and held San Jose's top five forwards to a combined one goal and three points after the Sharks had taken a 3-0 series lead. Goaltender Jonathan Quick had a .963 save percentage to help lead the turnaround.


"They're built pretty much the same way [as the Sharks]," Kings center Anze Kopitar said, of the Ducks. "They have big forwards, good goaltending and a good defense corps. We're obviously going to have to bring it like we did the last four games. We have to play our game and manage the puck well and not give them the opportunity of creating off our turnovers."


Who's hot: Kopitar and Justin Williams combined for eight goals and 13 points in the past four games for the Kings. … Ducks forwards Ryan Getlzaf and Corey Perry combined for eight points in the past two games.


Injury report: Anaheim forwards Mathieu Perreault (lower body), who missed Game 6, and Matt Beleskey (lower body), who missed Games 2 through 5 but returned in Game 6, each appears ready to play. Defensemen Stephane Robidas(broken leg) is out for the season. ... Los Angeles defenseman Willie Mitchell (undisclosed) missed Game 7 for the Kings and did not skate Friday.
Click to expand...


h58E2BF12


h923D5DD1


​
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top