/ Brad Pitt / Britney Spears / Colin Farrell No. 1 Anaheim Ducks
vs. No. 3 Calgary Flames
How they got here: The Ducks swept the pesky Winnipeg Jets, and the Flames needed six games to down the Vancouver Canucks.
Goaltenders: Anaheim's Frederik Andersen (4-0, 2.20, .924) vs. Calgary's Jonas Hiller (3-2, 2.20, .932). This is an intriguing matchup between the former Ducks goalie and the goalie who replaced him. We can assume Hiller will be highly motivated.
Season series: 3-2 Ducks.
Key matchup: Anaheim RW Corey Perry vs. Calgary D Kris Russell. Perry leads the Ducks in points and shots; Russell is a record-breaking shot blocker.
Injuries: Ducks, no key injuries. Flames, D Mark Giordano had biceps surgery in March and originally it was said he wouldn't be available until later in the playoffs. But wasn't that also said about Chicago's Patrick Kane?
Why the Ducks should win: Their one-two center combination of Ryan Getzlaf and Ryan Kesler is a far greater challenge than the Flames faced against Vancouver. These bruising guys can wear you down over seven games. 2. Anaheim's secondary scoring is deep. Jakob Silfverberg stepped up in the first round, with six points in four games. Emerson Etem is probably the most dynamic scoring fourth-liner in the NHL today. 3. Anaheim's defense is better than you realize. Sami Vatanen is an underrated puck-mover. Simon Despres gives the Ducks a big body. Francois Beauchemin and Hampus Lindholm are workhorses.
Why the Flames could win: 1. The line of Johnny Gaudreau, Sean Monahan and Jiri Hudler combined for 17 points in the last series. 2. These Flames don't quit. They have a history of coming from behind. They are gritty and relentless. They are shot-blocking zealots. 3. They must feel like they are playing with house money. Nobody expected as much from them as they expect from themselves. This group acts as if it doesn't know the meaning of pressure.
Forecast: The Ducks will avoid being burned by the Flames by being the best five-on-five team in the series. The Flames' propensity for rallying doesn't worry the Ducks, who held second-intermission leads 94% of the time in the regular season. Take the Ducks in six.
Dale Earnhardt Jr / Soap Operas / Models
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