Western Conference Final

 

(1) Detroit Red Wings vs. (2) Anaheim Ducks


PLAYOFF HISTORY:The Red Wings and Ducks will meet in the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the fourth time overall. Each of the first three series has resulted in a four-game sweep.

In 1997, the Red Wings eliminated Anaheim in the Conference Semifinals en route to their first Stanley Cup in 42 years. Three of the four games went to overtime, including double- and triple-OT contests.

In 1999, the Red Wings swept Anaheim in decisive fashion, outscoring the Ducks 17-6.

In 2003, the seventh-seeded Ducks shocked the second-seeded Red Wings in the Conference Quarterfinals. Two games were decided in overtime, including a triple-OT thriller in Game 1.

CONFERENCE FINALS: This marks the second consecutive year and third time in the past four seasons the Ducks have advanced to the Conference Finals. Anaheim defeated Minnesota 4-0 in 2003 and dropped a 4-1 decision to the Edmonton Oilers in 2006. The Red Wings are making their first appearance in the Conference Finals since their Stanley Cup-winning campaign in 2002. This is the Wings' sixth trip to the third round of the playoffs in the past 13 years (1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 2002), tying the Colorado Avalanche for the most over that span.

HOW THEY GOT HERE: Detroit defeated Calgary in six games and San Jose in six games. Anaheim defeated Minnesota in five games and Vancouver in five games.

NORRIS CHORUS: The Red Wings and Ducks feature four previous winners of the Norris Trophy, awarded to the League's top defenseman, including all three finalists for this year's honor. The Red Wings' Nicklas Lidstrom is a four-time winner and is nominated this year, while Chris Chelios is a three-time winner (Montreal, 1989; Chicago, 1993 and 1996). The Ducks boast the two other finalists this season, Scott Niedermayer and Chris Pronger. Niedermayer captured the award in 2004 with New Jersey and Pronger took home the hardware in 2000 with St. Louis.

Ducks head coach Randy Carlyle also won the award, with Pittsburgh in 1981.

WHAT A DIFFERENCE A YEAR MAKES: This series pits the top two seeds in the Western Conference. Last year in the West, the #5, #6, #7 and #8 seeds upset numbers #1, #2, #3 and #4.

CHELI KEEPS ON GOING: 45-year-old Red Wings defenseman Chris Chelios has appeared in 240 career playoff games, seven shy of tying Patrick Roy for the all-time lead.

Most Career Playoff Games:

1. Patrick Roy Montreal, Colorado 247
2. Chris Chelios Montreal, Chicago, Detroit 240
3. Mark Messier Edmonton, NY Rangers 236

CHELIOS, LIDSTROM AMONG TOP-SCORING 'D': The Red Wings' Chris Chelios and Nicklas Lidstrom rank seventh and eighth, respectively, on the all-time playoff scoring list for defensemen. Chelios has 142 points (39 goals, 103 assists), Lidstrom has 129 (38 goals, 91 assists). The only blueliners ahead of the Red Wings duo are Paul Coffey (196), Ray Bourque (180), Denis Potvin (164), Al MacInnis (160), Larry Murphy (152) and Larry Robinson (144).

CLUB CONNECTIONS:Red Wings head coach Mike Babcock made his NHL head coaching debut with the Ducks in 2002-03. In his rookie season behind the bench, the Ducks swept the highly-favored Red Wings in a first-round upset en route to the franchise's first Stanley Cup Final berth.

Six Ducks players remain from Babcock's last season with the club in 2003-04: forwards Andy McDonald, Rob Niedermayer, Samuel Pahlsson and Chris Kunitz and goaltenders J.S. Giguere and Ilja Bryzgalov.

WELCOME BACK: Ducks LW Chris Kunitz played four years of college hockey at Ferris State in Detroit, where he became a fan of the Detroit Tigers.

PRONGER KNOWS DETROIT: Ducks D Chris Pronger will take on the Red Wings for the second consecutive playoff year and for the sixth time in his career. He faced Detroit with the St. Louis Blues in 1996, 1997, 1998 and 2002, and with the Edmonton Oilers last year. Nearly one quarter of his NHL postseason games (29 of 119, 24%) have been against the Red Wings.

GOOD MEMORIES OF THE JOE: Ducks D Scott Niedermayer will be playing his first playoff game at Joe Louis Arena in nearly 12 years. In his last postseason game at the Joe, on June 20, 1995, Niedermayer's highlight-reel goal in the third period helped the New Jersey Devils defeat the Red Wings 4-2 in Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Final en route to a four-game sweep.

Ducks G Jean-Sebastien Giguere made a sensational playoff debut at Joe Louis Arena on April 10, 2003 in Game 1 of the Detroit-Anaheim Conference Quarterfinal, setting a record for most saves by a goaltender in his first postseason game (63) as the Ducks upset the Red Wings in triple overtime.

THE DOMINATOR: Red Wings G Dominik Hasek sports a career 1.97 goals-against average in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, second-best among those with 100 or more appearances:

GP GAA
1. Martin Brodeur 164 1.93
2. Dominik Hasek 109 1.97
3. Turk Broda 102 1.98
4. Jacques Plante 112 2.17
5. Ed Belfour 161 2.17

WE’RE NUMBER ONE: The Ducks’ lineup features eight players who were selected in the first round of the NHL Entry Draft: C Ryan Getzlaf (#19, by Anaheim, 2003); G JS Giguere (#13, by Hartford, 1995); LW Brad May (#14, by Buffalo, 1990); C Rob Niedermayer (#5, by Florida, 1993); D Scott Niedermayer (#3, by New Jersey, 1991); RW Corey Perry (#28, by Anaheim, 2003); D Chris Pronger (#2 overall, by Hartford, 1993); RW Teemu Selanne (#10, by Winnipeg, 1988).

EASTERN INTEREST: The Eastern Conference Final will be of particular interest to Ducks D Sean O’Donnell, whowas born in Kanata, Ont. (where Ottawa’s home rink, Scotiabank Place, is located) and originally was drafted by Buffalo (sixth round, #123 overall, in 1991).

EASTERN INTEREST, Part 2:Red Wings G Dominik Hasek played for Buffalo (1992-2001) and Ottawa (2005-06).

DRAFT? OR COLD SHOULDER?: Four Ducks -- C Andy McDonald, RW Dustin Penner, LW Chris Kunitz, RW Ryan Shannon -- were not drafted.

THE KILLERS: The Ducks, who killed the final 22 manpower disadvantages they faced over the final five games of the regular season, have withstood 53 of 56 shortages in the playoffs (including 28 of 29 against Vancouver in the Conference Semifinal). So they have survived 75 of 78 (96.2%) over the past 15 games since March 28. Of the three power-play goals they have surrendered, one cost them a lead and one put them behind.

THAT’S SPECIAL: Of the four Conference Finalists, Anaheim made the biggest regular-season improvement in discipline. The Ducks, shorthanded 510 times in 2005-06, reduced that figure to 408 in 2006-07 – an improvement of 102 times shorthanded. The other Conference Finalists, listing their shorthanded figure for 2005-06 prior to their 2006-07 mark: Buffalo 439-386 (improvement of 53); Detroit 461-408 (53); Ottawa 476-394 (82).

DUCK POWER: Of Anaheim’s nine power-play goals so far, seven have provided the lead and one has tied the score.

LEADING THE FIELD: The Ducks have trailed just 68 minutes, 39 seconds of the 654:26 they have played over 10 games – the least of the Conference Finalists.

WE COULDN’T BELIEVE HE WAS STILL AVAILABLE: Four key contributors to the Detroit cause were selected after more than 200 picks had been made at their respective Entry Drafts. In numerical order: G Dominik Hasek, #207, Chicago, 1983; LW Henrik Zetterberg, #210, Detroit, 1999; D Danny Markov, #223, Toronto, 1995; LW Tomas Holmstrom, #257, Detroit, 1994.

NEWSPAPER BUSINESS: Anaheim RW Dustin Penner used to deliver the Winnipeg Free Press on his paper route as a youngster and Ducks D Francois Beauchemin delivered the Journal de Montreal.

WINNERS FROM WINNIPEG: Anaheim Coach Randy Carlyle and RW Teemu Selanne played for the Winnipeg Jets, as did Red Wings C Kris Draper and assistant coach Paul MacLean.

NO GOOD DEED GOES UNPUNISHED: Detroit’s Mikael Samuelsson, who scored both goals in the Red Wings’ series-clinching victory over San Jose, originally was drafted by the Sharks (#145 overall, 1998) and played four games for them in 2000-01.

 

Photo: Teemu Selanne © Stephine Chavez (HV)