Stanley Cup Playoff Preview - Anaheim vs. Winnipeg
Apr 15, 2015 - 7:36 PM (SportsNetwork.com) - The Anaheim Ducks are the Western Conference's top seed for a second straight spring and Pacific Division champions for a third consecutive season.Okay, so head coach Bruce Boudreau has proven he can put together successful regular-season teams, but it's probably time he starts winning some playoff series.
The Ducks haven't moved past the second round since winning the Stanley Cup in 2007 and have been eliminated in a Game 7 at home in each of the past two playoffs. Last spring they were unseated by the eventual-champion Los Angeles Kings.
If anything, Anaheim appears to be built this season for playoff hockey. The Ducks set NHL records by winning 33 one-goal games and also rallied for 18 victories when trailing at any point in the third period.
Forwards and top-line mates Ryan Getzlaf (25 goals, 45 assists) and Corey Perry (33G, 22A) remain a formidable 1-2 scoring punch, but the offseason addition of solid two-way center Ryan Kesler helped as well. He reached the 20-goal mark and logged nearly 20 minutes of ice time per game.
Anaheim had seven forwards reach double-digits in goals scored, but one who didn't, Patrick Maroon, would open the postseason on a line with Getzlaf and Perry.
Matt Beleskey broke out with a career-high 22 goals this season and the Ducks opted to hold onto the winger and pending free agent at the deadline. He'll likely skate with Kesler and Kyle Palmieri.
Jakob Silfverberg had 13 goals and was a plus-15, while Andrew Cogliano and Rickard Rakell produce solid two-way efforts.
Despite the scoring potential, the Ducks ranked just 28th on the power play at 15.7 percent, but defenseman James Wisniewski could give that unit a bump after being acquired from Columbus at the trade deadline. He had seven power- play goals with the Blue Jackets, but logged just five assists in 13 games with Anaheim.
Simon Despres also came over that the deadline and adds a physical edge, while Sami Vatanen is a contributor to the offense from the blue line. Francois Beauchemin and Hampus Lindholm for a solid pairing as well, but Anaheim will need the 34-year-old Beauchemin to stay healthy.
The Ducks lack a true superstar at the blue line and yielded 2.70 goals per game (20th in the league), so Boudreau may roll all three pairings out equally at even strength.
Boudreau is also likely to go with Frederik Andersen as his goaltender for this series. Andersen matched an NHL record as the fastest goaltender to 50 career wins and went 35-12-5 with a 2.38 goals against average and .914 save percentage in 54 games.
Andersen opened last season as the playoff starter before Boudreau went with Jonas Hiller late in the first round. The coach then flipped back to Andersen in the second round versus the Kings and then to John Gibson later in the series.
Hopefully the Ducks' situation in net is less distracting this time around with Gibson looming over Andersen as the younger backup option. However, Gibson has been unable to practice this week due to an upper-body injury and Jason LaBarbera would be the backup if Gibson is too hurt to play.
WINNIPEG JETS
REGULAR SEASON RECORD: 43-26-13 (2nd wild card, West)
2014 PLAYOFFS: Did not qualify
Head coach Paul Maurice has finally established the Winnipeg Jets' identity and it resulted in the franchise's second-ever playoff berth.
With Maurice on the bench, the Jets have become a hard-working, grinding team that will wear you down and outwork the competition. With that persona in tow, Winnipeg set a club record with 99 points and reached the postseason for the first time since the Atlanta Thrashers were swept out of the first round in 2007.
The franchise now looks to win a postseason series as playoff hockey will eventually return to Winnipeg for the first time since 1996, with the city losing its original franchise to Arizona via relocation.
The leadership trio of Andrew Ladd, Bryan Little and Blake Wheeler composite the Jets' identity and finished 1-2-3 on the club in scoring. Wheeler paced the club with 26 goals to go along with 61 points, Ladd led the way with 62 points and matched Little's 24 goal.
It was the rest of the roster that finally caught on. Mark Scheifele pivots the second line and logged 49 points, while the likes of Mathieu Perreault (18 goals, 23 assists) and Michael Frolik (19G, 42A) excel in multiple roles.
Winnipeg also added a number of key pieces before the trade deadline, none bigger than the blockbuster deal that sent enigma Evander Kane and blueliner Zach Bogosian to the Buffalo Sabres for forward Drew Stafford and defenseman Tyler Myers.
Stafford had nine goals and 19 points in 26 games with the Jets and fellow pickups Lee Stempniak and Jiri Tlusty were brought in for much-needed depth.
Myers, meanwhile, added 15 points and was a plus-9 in 24 games with Winnipeg, fitting in with a defensive grouping that added Dustin Byfuglien mid-season as well.
Byfuglien opened the campaign as a forward, but has experience on the blue line and was shifted to the role in December after a rash of injuries robbed the Jets of a number of defensemen. Byfuglien excelled in a big way after the move, continuing to produce on offense while adding another physical presence at the back end.
At 6-foot-5, 260 pounds, Byfuglien is exactly the type of defender valued at the playoffs for his ability to wear down opposing forwards.
Toby Enstrom is a veteran presence at the blue line and 21-year-old Jacob Trouba made some solid defensive strides in his second NHL to compliment his offensive abilities. Mark Stuart is also key to any pairing as a classic stay- at-home defenseman.
Winnipeg ranked 13th on the penalty kill at 81.8 percent and is always a threat to score shorthanded.
Maurice used Ondrej Pavelec and Michael Hutchinson at different times this season as the No. 1 goaltender, but Pavelec won the job back late in the season and should be the starter going forward.
Pavelec was one of the better netminders in the league down the stretch as Winnipeg battled for a wild card spot, getting named the league's Second Star of the Week on Monday as he notched three straight shutout efforts. He also went 9-2-1 over his final 12 starts and allowed two goals or fewer nine times in that span.
Pavelec, though, has always been a source of frustration for Winnipeg fans with inconsistent play and there will be a lot on his shoulders ahead of his NHL playoff debut.
MATCHUP
This will be the first ever playoff meeting between the Ducks and the current Jets.
Anaheim swept the three-game season series, winning twice in Winnipeg prior to a shootout win at home on Jan. 11.
Rakell posted two goals and six points in the series to pace all scorers, Getzlaf had a goal and four helpers, and Palmieri scored twice and had an assist. Perry missed the first two meetings with injury.
Andersen started all three meetings and is 4-0 with a 2.68 GAA and .912 save percentage in five games (4 starts) all-time in the series.
Pavelec started a pair of games versus the Ducks this season, but is only 1-1-3 with a 3.53 GAA and .900 save percentage in five career encounters.
Ladd was the lone Jet to score more than one goal versus the Ducks this season, while Perreault had three assists. Byfuglien added a goal and two helpers in the series.
Winnipeg is certainly a loveable underdog in this first-round matchup as the franchise chases its first-ever playoff victory. The Jets can certainly win a game or two, but the inexperience and uncertainty of Pavelec could be a difference maker.
The Jets' solid defense will help and Maurice is probably the better coach, but the Ducks this series figures to be a lower-scoring one and that will benefit Anaheim, which all season long seemed to get just enough offensive production to win games.
Sports Network predicted outcome: Ducks in 6
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