LET’S GET PHYSICAL OUT WEST
Expect a long series that showcases excellent young blue-liners, Mike Zeisberger writes.
Sweet revenge? When the Anaheim Ducks look across the ice at Pekka Rinne and Co., they’ll see the team that punted them out of the playoffs a year ago. In the first round of the 2016 post-season, the Preds forced the first Game 7 in their franchise history, then took full advantage by eliminating Anaheim 2-1 in the deciding contest at the Honda Center. The Ducks exorcised their home-ice Game 7 demons by beating the Edmonton Oilers 2-1 on Wednesday. Now it’s time to deal with their Preds issues.
Blue-line bonanza: How’s this for a cache of talented defencemen 27 years old or younger? Ducks: Hampus Lindholm, Cam Fowler, Josh Hanson, Brandon Montour, Shea Theodore, Sami Vatanen. Preds: Roman Josi, Mattias Ekholm, Ryan Ellis, P.K. Subban. Arguably the best two young blue-lines in the NHL.
Music City makeover: Preds GM David Poile has not been shy in retooling his team, bringing in the likes of James Neal and Ryan Johansen while bidding adieu to Seth Jones and Patric Hornqvist. But the biggest move may have come last summer when he dealt Shea Weber to the Montreal Canadiens for P.K. Subban. No one move should be credited for the Preds’ success — it’s a result of all of them.
Randy’s just dandy: There was no shortage of critics who claimed Randy Carlyle’s coaching tactics were antiquated when he was fired by the Toronto Maple Leafs midway through the 2014-15 season. Good thing Ducks GM Bob Murray didn’t agree.
HOW THEY GOT HERE
Predators
Defeated Chicago Blackhawks 4-0 Defeated St. Louis Blues 4-2 Ducks
Defeated Calgary Flames 4-0 Defeated Edmonton Oilers 4-3
PLAYOFF HISTORY
2010-11: Predators defeat Ducks 4-2 in Western Conference quarter-final
2015-16: Predators defeat Ducks 4-3 in Western Conference quarter-final
2016-17 REGULAR SEASON
(Ducks won season series 2-1) Oct. 26, at Anaheim: Ducks 6, Predators 1
Nov. 12, at Nashville: Predators 5, Ducks 0
March 7, at Anaheim: Ducks 4, Predators 3 (shootout)
HOW THEY MATCH UP
Forwards: Can anyone dispute the fact that Ducks captain Ryan Getzlaf should be considered a Conn Smythe Trophy frontrunner along with Ottawa Senators captain Erik Karlsson? On the defensive side, Ryan Kesler is one of the fiercest checkers among NHL forwards, as the Preds once again are about to discover. With Neal, Johansen, Filip Forsberg and Viktor Arvidsson, the Preds do have some firepower of their own, yet are averaging just 2.8 goals per game — the lowest of the four remaining playoff teams. Edge: Ducks Defence: Obviously both these teams have outstanding young blue-liners, but with the emergence of Ryan Ellis as an offensive force alongside Subban, Ekholm and Josi, this elite top four gets the nod. Edge: Slight one to Preds
Goal: It’s been a roller-coaster ride for the Ducks’ John Gibson, who has already been yanked twice in 11 playoff starts this spring only to rebound the following game to lead Anaheim to series-clinching victories. Still, his post-season performance pales in comparison to that of the Preds’ Rinne, whose .951 playoff save percentage is the best of any goalie this spring. Edge: Preds Coaching: The Predators have morphed from a defence-first team under coach Barry Trotz to a balanced squad that has some offensive pop in the two-season reign under Peter Laviolette. But Ducks head coach Randy Carlyle has one edge on his Preds counterpart: a Stanley Cup ring. Keep this in mind, too — Carlyle’s decision to move Nick Ritchie back up to the first line with Getzlaf and Corey Perry midway through Game 7 against the Oilers resulted in Ritchie scoring the winning goal. Edge: Ducks Special teams: Predators PP (20.0 per cent), PK (87.5 per cent); Ducks PP (13.9 per cent), PK (69.0 per cent). Simply put, the Ducks’ special teams have been brutal this spring. They’ve won two rounds despite these numbers, not because of them. Edge: Preds
Intangibles: In what stands to be a close series, we give the nod to the Ducks for one reason — Getzlaf, Perry and Carlyle each have a Stanley Cup ring and know the grind it takes to win one. Edge: Ducks
Unsung Heroes: Anaheim’s Rickard Rakell and Nashville’s Colin Wilson
Key matchup: Ryan Getzlaf, Ryan Kesler and Corey Perry versus the Preds defence
While the Predators admittedly have an elite defence, this is not the most physical group. Expect the beefy Getzlaf and the ornery Perry and Kesler to take the body on the forecheck whenever possible. How the Nashville defencemen deal with the Ducks’ bruising game plan will go a long way toward determining who comes out ahead in this series.
Preds win if they can implement their game plan — which means playing as fast as possible. The Ducks got in trouble against the Oilers in the second round when Edmonton used its speed advantage to exploit the slower Anaheim forwards. Look for Laviolette to get his team to follow suit if possible.
Ducks win if 1) Good John Gibson, not bad John Gibson, shows up, and 2) Getzlaf and Co. can slow the games down and turn them into dump-and-chase contests in which Anaheim’s outstanding forecheck can be maximized.