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Wild seek to avenge 2003 playoff loss to Ducks

Apr 11, 2007 - 1:28 PM Minnesota (48-26-8) at Anaheim (48-20-14) 10:30 pm EDT

ANAHEIM, California (Ticker) -- While they still preach defense first, the Minnesota Wild have had no choice but to put a little more emphasis on offense in the new NHL. They will need to continue that trend this time around against the Anaheim Ducks.

The seventh-seeded Wild visit the second-seeded Ducks on Wednesday in the opening game of a best-of-seven Western Conference quarterfinal matchup.

Wild goaltenders Niklas Backstrom and Manny Fernandez combined to allow a league-low 191 goals this season, winning the William M. Jennings Trophy. And as the defense clamped down, the offense surpassed the 200-goal mark for the second consecutive campaign, netting 235 after totaling 231 in 2005-06.

However, it will not be difficult for Minnesota to surpass its output from the 2003 Western Conference finals, where it scored a grand total of one goal en route to being swept by Anaheim. Eventual Conn Smythe Trophy winner Jean-Sebastien Giguere posted shutouts in each of the first three games before allowing a first-period tally by Andrew Brunette in Game Four.

Pierre-Marc Bouchard shattered that amount in the four-game season series between the teams this campaign, scoring five of his 20 goals against the Ducks. But the Wild had a difficult time containing defenseman Scott Niedermayer, who tallied three times and added three assists as the teams split the set.