Self-discipline will be a challenge for the Ducks, the Western Conference's most penalized team, and the quick-tempered Chris Pronger.
Feature
Top billing
Ducks could be 1st repeat champ in a decade
Last Updated Sun., April 6, 2007
By Chris Iorfida, CBC Sports
You can consider the Anaheim Ducks the Stanley Cup champions until they’re vanquished, but the team’s coach doesn’t see it that way.
“I think when the playoffs start, we're not the Stanley Cup champions any more; we're competing to be,” coach Randy Carlyle said during a media conference call in late March.
“I think that's the mindset we'd like to have is remember how difficult it was [last year] and remember the things that you had to do and remember the sacrifices that you had to make and remember the bounces that you got, it was because of the hard work and the commitment that the team made.”
Anaheim this season avoided the so-called Cup ‘hangover’ that afflicted previous champions Tampa Bay and Carolina despite a most unusual season filled with challenges.
The Ducks began their season earlier than any other Cup contenders, playing a pair of games in England last September and three more in the eastern U.S. before returning home.
Veterans Scott Niedermayer and Teemu Selanne were absent, each mulling retirement. While they did come back, soon top scorers Corey Perry and Ryan Getzlaf suffered injuries, as did goalie Jean-Sebastien Giguere, while intimidating defenceman Chris Pronger was forced to serve a lengthy suspension.
Including key additions Mathieu Schneider and Todd Bertuzzi, Anaheim played few games with all of their top players in the lineup this season.
Finished Strong
Despite the challenges, the team enjoyed an 18-5-1 span heading into the season’s final weekend. The schedule finally turned in their favour, and they will have played just twice in 10 days when the playoffs begin.
Anaheim was among the lowest-scoring teams in the Western Conference, and the playoffs won’t be easy with Perry not due back until the end of the first round at the earliest. The team’s top goal scorer suffered a severed tendon in March.
Chris Kunitz told CBCSports.ca that when it comes to scoring goals in the playoffs ‘when’ is more important than how many.
“You need timely goal scoring, we found that out last year when our supposed checking line scored a lot of goals for us,” said Kunitz. “We didn’t give up many goals this year, goaltending and defence have been really good, [and] obviously got better when Scotty [Niedermayer] came back.
“All you have to do is score one more goal than them and last year we had … timely scoring and that’s something we’re going to need this year.”
Kunitz, one of only three Ducks to play in all of the team’s games this season, will be expected to make a bigger offensive contribution than in last year’s playoffs.
Of his 64 goals over the past three seasons, 13 have been game-winners, and he led the Ducks in that category with six this season.
Sharks, Wings pose stiffest challenge
If the opportunity to become the first team in the NHL to repeat as Stanley Cup champions since Detroit in 1997-98 wasn’t enough motivation, rival San Jose took the Pacific Division title from the Ducks, beating them twice late in the season.
“They’re playing really good, Detroit’s playing really good and they’re going to be some really good teams,” said Kunitz. “There’s a lot of teams that had to fight to get in the playoffs in the bottom seven and eight [spots].
“It’s going to be a tough series and if any of them go six, seven games, you never know who’s going to win.”
It remains to be seen how the opposition will approach Anaheim, who clearly intimidated teams last season with their physical play. Minnesota, for example, acquired enforcer Chris Simon at the trade deadline after losing a first-round war with Anaheim last year.
The Ducks will have to be careful. They were the most penalized team in the West and all-star Pronger was suspended eight games for stomping Vancouver’s Ryan Kesler, a sentence many hockey observers felt was too light for Pronger’s third suspension in less than a year.
Carlyle discusses discipline with Pronger
While he was fairly veiled in his comments to CBCSports.ca, Carlyle gave the indication that Pronger had been spoken to about being under the microscope come playoff time.
“Yes, we've talked and we've discussed and made sure that we want to temper our enthusiasm in some areas,” said Carlyle. “On the other hand, people have to be allowed to play their game to be effective, we don't want to change people.
“We just want to make sure that people are understanding that there are some circumstances now outside that will draw more attention to you if you do make those mistakes.”
Anaheim boasts the league’s deepest defence corps, strong goaltending and lost just nine times in their own building this season.
Should the Ducks keep their composure and avoid more injuries, they will be tough to knock off their perch.
2008 Stanley Cup Playoffs
Stanley Cup final
DET vs PIT
Conference finals
DET vs DAL
PIT vs PHI
Conference semifinals
DET vs COL
SJS vs DAL
MON vs PHI
PIT vs NYR
Conference quarter-finals
DET vs NSH
SJS vs CAL
MIN vs COL
ANA vs DAL
MON vs BOS
PIT vs OTT
WSH vs PHI
NJD vs NYR
