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Saturday, April 15, 2017

{allcanada} 5 Keys: Flames at Ducks, Game 2

 

FLAMES at DUCKS

10:30 p.m. ET; NBCSN, CBC, TVA Sports, FS-W

Anaheim leads best-of-7 series 1-0

 

ANAHEIM -- Anaheim Ducks forwards Ryan Getzlaf and Jakob Silfverberg each had a goal and an assist in a 3-2 victory against the Calgary Flames in Game 1 of the Western Conference First Round at Honda Center on Thursday.

The Ducks have won 22 consecutive regular-season games and six straight Stanley Cup Playoff games against Calgary at home since a 5-2 loss on April 25, 2006, in Game 3 of the Western Conference Quarterfinals.

Here are 5 keys for Game 2:

 

1. Discipline

The Ducks and Flames each discussed the need to stay out of the penalty box prior to Game 1, and neither side followed through.

Calgary hurt itself the most with seven minor penalties resulting in two power-play goals, the second giving the Ducks a 3-2 lead at 17:47 of the second period after Anaheim had kept the puck in the Flames zone the first 1:25 of the man-advantage.

Anaheim had considerably more offensive-zone time on power plays throughout the game, and the Flames can't afford to give them more favorable opportunities and disrupt their own rhythm.

"If you can win the special-teams battle within the game, usually your chances for success go up dramatically," Ducks coach Randy Carlyle said.

 

2. Getting heavier

The Ducks often are described as a heavy team and they'll be heavier in Game 2.

Forward Nick Ritchie returns to the lineup following a two-game suspension for roughing Chicago Blackhawks defenseman Michal Rozsival on April 6. Ritchie, who is 6-foot-2, 232 pounds, will replace Ondrej Kase, who's 6-foot, 180.

Ritchie was eighth in the NHL in hits during the regular season with 247, and his 14 goals were the most among the top 12 players in the League in hits.

"If he doesn't show a physical presence, if he doesn't get on the puck in the tough areas, then he's not a very effective player," Carlyle said.

 

3. Carlyle vs. Gulutzan

Carlyle will be coaching his 71st career NHL playoff game on Saturday and owns a 40-30 postseason record. Gulutzan will be coaching his second NHL playoff game following his debut in Game 1.

One of the areas Carlyle has long been lauded for are his in-game adjustments and decisions regarding matchups and line changes.

The Flames were caught well off-guard changing all five players during the second period of Game 1, resulting in a 3-on-0 breakaway goal that tied the game at 2-2. Calgary never led again.

"As a coach, certainly, you have to be the guy that presents himself as the guy that's calm and in control," Gulutzan said.

 

4. Kesler vs. Backlund

Anaheim forward Ryan Kesler and Calgary forward and Mikael Backlund spent considerable time chasing each other up and down the ice in Game 1. Neither scored a point, but Kesler won 13 of 21 faceoffs, compared to 10 of 27 for Backlund.

Kesler's first faceoff win in the opening minute led to a power-play by goal by Getzlaf five seconds later.

The final seconds of Game 1 ticked down with Kesler sitting on the puck in the Ducks zone and Backlund nearly bending him in half in an attempt to push him off. Backlund and linemates Matthew Tkachuk and Michael Frolik finished scoreless with a minus-1 rating.

"Our line wasn't good enough. We've got to be way better," Backlund said.

 

5. Go Johnny go

Flames forward Johnny Gaudreau led Calgary with 61 points (18 goals, 43 assists) during the regular season, but has no points in four consecutive games, matching his longest stretch since the first five games of the 2014-15 season.

Three of the Flames' past four opponents have been Anaheim (twice) and the Los Angeles Kings, two teams that led the league in hits. Gaudreau, at 5-9, 157, could be at a disadvantage with so little space to work and the tempo elevated for the playoffs.

Still, he and linemates Sean Monahan and Micheal Ferland had some prime scoring opportunities in Game 1, but only Monahan scored, with an early power-play goal.

"When we get our scoring chances, we've got to find the net," Gaudreau said.

 

Flames projected lineup

Johnny Gaudreau -- Sean Monahan -- Micheal Ferland

Matthew Tkachuk -- Mikael Backlund -- Michael Frolik

Kris Versteeg -- Sam Bennett -- Alex Chiasson

Lance Bouma -- Matt Stajan -- Troy Brouwer

Mark Giordano -- Dougie Hamilton

T.J. Brodie - Michael Stone

Matt Bartkowski -- Deryk Engelland

Brian Elliott

Chad Johnson

Scratched: Curtis Lazar, Freddie Hamilton, Rasmus Andersson, Dennis Wideman, Jon Gillies

Injured: None

 

Ducks projected lineup

Rickard Rakell -- Ryan Getzlaf -- Patrick Eaves

Andrew Cogliano -- Ryan Kesler -- Jakob Silfverberg

Nick Ritchie -- Antoine Vermette -- Corey Perry

Chris Wagner -- Nate Thompson -- Logan Shaw

Hampus Lindholm -- Brandon Montour

Sami Vatanen -- Kevin Bieksa

Shea Theodore -- Josh Manson

John Gibson

Jonathan Bernier

Scratched: Jared Boll, Clayton Stoner, Korbinian Holzer

Injured: Cam Fowler (lower body)

 

Status Report

Forward Ondrej Kase was returned to San Diego of the American Hockey League on Saturday. Kase had filled in for Ritchie on the third line with Vermette and Perry. He was recalled from San Diego on April 5 to fill in for Thompson, who missed the game against the Chicago Blackhawks on April 6 with an upper-body injury. Kase had one assist and was a plus-1 in the three games. Johnson will return as Elliott's backup after missing the past three games with a lower-body injury.

 

Who's hot

Monahan has 13 points (six goals, seven assists) in his past 12 games. ... Versteeg has eight points (two goals, six assists) in a five-game point streak. ... Getzlaf has nine points (two goals, seven assists) in a six-game point streak, and 29 points (five goals, 24 assists) in his past 19 games. ... Silfverberg has seven points (three goals, four assists) in his past seven games. ... Eaves has six points (four goals, two assists) in a six-game point streak. … Rakell has five points (two goals, three assists) in a three-game point streak.

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