Don’t expect deep cut to sideline Ducks’ Getzlaf

ANAHEIM, CALIF.— A day after Anaheim captain Ryan Getzlaf took a slap shot to the head, the Ducks had already found the lighter side of a potentially disastrous playoff injury. “Luckily, he’s married, has a couple of kids,” Anaheim defenceman Ben Lovejoy said. “He’s not trying to impress anybody with his face.” Coach Bruce Boudreau was more succinct: “I didn’t want to look at him.” Nobody in either dressing room was surprised Thursday to learn Getzlaf plans to play against the Dallas Stars in Game 2 on Friday night despite that huge cut on his face. Getzlaf was hit by Tyler Seguin’s shot in the final minute of the Ducks’ 4-3 victory over Dallas on Wednesday night in the series opener, but the puck apparently broke no bones — which means it’ll be almost impossible to keep Getzlaf off the ice. “That’s why he is who he is,” Boudreau said. “That’s why he’s won two gold medals and a Stanley Cup and he’s not 30. He learned from the Scotty Niedermayers and the Chris Prongers that were here before him, too. He’s a battler and a gamer. It won’t look too pretty, but he’s going to be playing.”

Getzlaf was the NHL’s second-leading scorer this season with 87 points, having a spectacular offensive season while doing more of the Ducks’ defensive dirty work than ever before. His two-way game was on display in the opener, and Anaheim followed his lead to hold off the Stars despite blowing most of a four-goal lead.

The Ducks know they’ve got to maintain their focus on that dirty work to take control of the series before heading to Dallas. Anaheim had a spectacular first half of Game 1 before slipping late in the second period.

“You’d like to put your foot on their throat, but they showed they can score some goals when they have to,” Anaheim defenceman Cam Fowler said. “They’ve got momentum going into Game 2.”