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You are Here: Home > Anaheim vs. Minnesota: MOP Squad's 2007 NHL Playoff Preview
Anaheim vs. Minnesota: MOP Squad's 2007 NHL Playoff Preview
By BRIAN PIKE, MOP Squad Sports Hockey Editor
Apr 13, 2007 - 9:43:47 PM

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Anaheim Ducks (2) vs. Minnesota Wild (7): Western Conference Quarterfinals

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The Goods: Anaheim led the Pacific Division of the NHL for much of the season but won it by a measly three points at the end. Their 48 wins and 110 points were both franchise records, but when they were 27-5-6 at the Christmas break they looked unstoppable; an 8-12-4 skid was followed by a 12-3-4 run to end the season, so the Ducks had their ups and downs. Anaheim made the finals in 2003, missed the postseason in 2004, and lost to Edmonton in the semifinals last year. After adding defenseman Chris Pronger in the summer most predicted that the Ducks, along with the Sabres, would be the strongest Cup contenders this year, so expectations are very high in Anaheim right now. Minnesota is in the playoffs for the second time in franchise history; in 2003 they upset several teams and made the third round only to lose to, you guessed it, the Ducks. Minnesota also set franchise marks with 48 wins and 104 points this season. After years of winning solely on stifling defensive hockey under head coach Jacques Lemaire and a team of grinders for years, Minnesota’s offense was a force to be reckoned with this season, particularly after Marian Gaborik returned from a 34 game absence due to a groin problem and found his chemistry with off-season addition Pavol Demitra. The team found success despite a knee injury to goalie Manny Fernandez in late January because of the surprisingly great play of first-year NHL player Nicklas Backstrom. Backstrom won 23 of his 41 appearances and put up a stellar 1.91 GAA and .929 save percentage, both at or near the tops of the league. Both teams had great special teams during the season; Anaheim was third on the power play and fourth on the penalty kill, while Minnesota was sixth on the PP and an impressive second on the PK.

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Game One: Because of time constraints, this preview could not be completed before game one on Wednesday. Your esteemed hockey editor apologizes for his tardiness. Anaheim’s Dustin Penner scored with just over five minutes left in the third period to break a 1-1 tie and give the Ducks the win. Backstrom was great for Minnesota, especially in the first period. Ilya Bryzgalov was a bit of a surprise start for Anaheim after Jean-Sebastian Giguere played 56 games (and won 36) during the regular season, but Bryzgalov was more than good enough, giving up just the one goal to Demitra. Teemu Selanne had two breakaways on Backstrom and tried the five-hole twice, scoring the second time for Anaheim’s first goal. Despite the close score, Anaheim controlled the play for much of the game and never looked to be in serious danger of losing.

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The Key: Penalties. The power play was not a huge factor in game one, as Minnesota was 0-for-4 and Anaheim 0-for-3. Both teams had great special teams during the regular season, both power play and penalty kill, and they may well end up offsetting one another. What’s interesting about game one is who some of the penalties were to; Anaheim saw Scott Niedermayer go to the box twice, part of the reason why his ice time was down under 25 minutes, very unusual for him, while Gaborik also spent time in the box in the third and only two penalties were to the “goons” dressed by each team, George Parros and Derek Boogaard. Even if you don’t get scored on, penalties can really throw a team off its game; when Niedermayer’s in the box he can’t play the penalty kill and can’t be matched up against the opponent’s best players, and when Gaborik is in the box Minnesota’s ability to press offensively is severely hampered. With each team’s PP and PK so good, what happens on the power play might not be as important as how many penalties there are and who takes them; obviously if one team’s power play gets hot and the other’s doesn’t that’ll be important, but don’t count on that happening. Guys like Chris Pronger, Keith Carney, Sean O’Donnell, Brian Rolston, and others don’t always have the best record of staying out of the box when their teams really need them. This is going to be a tough, tough series, no matter how many games it ends up going. The best guys on both teams are going to be targets and irritating players like Brad May, Travis Moen, Branko Radivojevic, Stephane Veilleux and others will be trying to sucker them into penalties and keep them off the ice. They’ll have to stay on the ice as much as possible in order for their teams to have the best shot of winning.

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Anaheim Wins If: They can use the stretch pass to their full advantage. One of the best things about having Chris Pronger and Scott Niedermayer on your blueline is their ability to get the puck up ice quickly and right on the tape. Both have exceptional passing and skating ability and one or the other is almost literally on the ice for the entire game (Pronger played 30:39 in game one; Niedermayer’s ice time was well down at 23:45). Selanne’s breakaways in game one are testament to the fact that when he’s on the ice, Minnesota’s D will have to be vigilant all the time, but Penner’s goal was the result of a partial break, meaning that the Wild may well have to watch for that stretch pass carefully all the time. Minnesota’s defense is mobile and very good at watching their own end and don’t take a lot of offensive chances, but Anaheim was still able to get forwards behind them in game one. It got them both goals in game one and if they can continue to do it it’ll go a long way towards deciding the series.

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Minnesota Wins If: Their second line production betters that of Anaheim’s second line significantly. Really, between the Gaborik-Demitra line and the Selanne-Andy McDonald line, things are a saw-off; they were in game one, where each duo contributed one goal. What the Wild need if they’re going to win is some serious production from the second line of Todd White, Pierre-Marc Bouchard and Brian Rolston. Minnesota is certainly a better offensive team than they were in years past, and having a solid second line is a big reason. But they weren’t very good in game one, with just four shots between them, and were –1 on the scoresheet. They need to be a lot better for Minnesota to have a chance, especially Rolston, who also quarterbacks the Minnesota power play. Realistically they at least have to better the output of Anaheim’s second line of Penner, Ryan Getzlaf and Corey Perry, and even that might not be enough.

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Bottom Line:   Minnesota is the underdog in this series for a reason. Jacques Lemaire is perhaps the best coach in the game right now, but while Minnesota enters the playoffs as the hottest team around based on their last 30 games or so, Anaheim, with Pronger and Niedermayer on defense, is likely just too strong. An upset is a possibility here, but I’m not betting on it. Anaheim in six.


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