First things first, this series is shaping up to be possibly the best of the 2014 Stanley Cup Playoffs. This is the first time the Kings and Ducks have met in the playoffs and anyone who follows hockey in Southern California knows that it is going to be a war. The Ducks had some major problems in the first round against the Stars who were huge underdogs and gave the Ducks a run for their money. The Kings also had their trouble in the first round, dropping the first three games of the series to San Jose and giving up a whopping 17 goals in those first three games. However, the most intriguing story of the playoffs so far is the Kings being the 4th team in NHL history to come back from a 3-0 deficit.
A common theme around the Ducks all season has been their use of two goalies. After Frederik Andersen’s emergence as a young prospect and Hiller’s experience the Ducks had a goalie tandem that looked unbeatable at certain points in the season. Head coach Bruce Boudreau opted to start the rookie Andersen in the first round and while he impressed with his play during the regular season, the 24 year old netminder’s play slumped in the playoffs and was pulled in both games 5 and 6 for veteran Jonas Hiller. Hiller stopped every shot he faced against the Stars and made some critical saves in the Ducks comeback victory on Sunday night. If the Ducks can have both Andersen and Hiller play like they did during the regular season they are an extremely hard team to score on.
The Kings too had their struggles in the first round after losing the first three games against the Sharks. Although it is still unknown as to who will start in net for the Ducks, one thing remains clear for the Kings. Jonathan Quick is their guy. Quick, who got lit up early against the Sharks, found his form as the series progressed and was absolutely fantastic for the Kings during their historic comeback run. Given Quick’s track record, especially his knack for becoming the world’s best goalie when the playoffs start, gives the Kings and their fans every reason to be excited for this series. If Jonathan Quick can out play his counterpart the Kings have a good chance at winning this series.
Anaheim’s power play has been a force in the NHL for the past several years and was clicking on all cylinders against Dallas. One area where the Ducks have a major advantage is pure offensive power. Corey Perry and Ryan Getzlaf make up one of the best tandem’s in all of hockey and have been a nightmare for the Kings all season. The battle for Southern California is shaping up to be a series for the books and while the Kings seem to be an obvious choice here, don’t count the Ducks out. If the Kings can stay out of the penalty box they have a huge advantage in full strength hockey and can win this series, whereas the Ducks need to rely on their superstars Perry and Getzlaf and have consistent goaltending. Anaheim was nearly unstoppable at home this year and continued that trend in the playoffs. In order to win this series the Ducks must win every game at home and finish out the series in a game 7 at Honda Center. If the Kings win any games in Anaheim then they will take this series in 6. The significance of tonight’s game 1 is unparalleled for both of these teams however if the Ducks win tonight they will ultimately win the series in 7.
-Derick Riggs
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