THE WEEK AHEAD: Ducks haven’t given Wings any trouble in the playoffs
From the Detroit Free Press
BY HELENE ST. JAMES
FREE PRESS COLUMNIST
Though the Red Wings ceded guaranteed home-ice advantage through the conference finals when they lost to Chicago Sunday, they gained the easier opponent.
A victory would have delivered Edmonton to Joe Louis Arena; instead, Detroit ended up with Anaheim, which the Wings swept in the 1997 and ‘99 playoffs. And though the Ducks are no longer a one-line team, they’re still less of a threat than the Oilers or the Minnesota Wild. The Oilers always play the Wings tough, and the Wild split the season series with Detroit, 2-2, thanks to its disciplined devotion to defense.
The Ducks, on the other hand, could go under fast. Goaltender Jean-Sebastien Giguere was a stand-up guy in the regular season but there are nicer ways to be introduced to the NHL playoffs than by playing the defending champions. Giguere was 1-3 against Detroit this season; surprisingly, his win came in the only game Detroit forced him to deal with the ultra-hot Henrik Zetterberg-Pavel Datsyuk-Brett Hull line. The Ducks won the March 9 game at home, 4-1.
Giguere hasn’t played poorly against the Wings — he gave up four goals on 32 shots Oct. 13, but only two goals on 45 shots Nov. 15 and two goals on 27 shots Dec. 3. To beat them four times, though, is a lot to ask.
And it’s not like Giguere will be able to count on his defense to turn away the Wings. The Ducks’ first pairing consists of the serviceable Keith Carney and Niclas Havelid. On the second pair, Sandis Ozolinsh sometimes hurts his team as much as he helps it with his willingness to jump up in the play. Third-pair anchor Fredrik Olausson spent last season with Nicklas Lidstrom and lifted the Stanley Cup in June; this spring, he draws Vitaly Vishnevski as his partner — and most likely will be back in Sweden by May.
There’s a little more intrigue up front. Remember when the Ducks’ offense consisted of Paul Kariya and Teemu Selanne on a line with Steve Rucchin in the middle, or, in an attempt to fool opponents, Kariya on one line and Selanne on another? Either way, shut down those two and the Ducks were done. But now Kariya is getting passes from ex-Wing Adam Oates and has sniper Petr Sykora on the other wing, and Rucchin is dishing the puck to Rob Niedermayer and Mike Leclerc.
Together, they have helped get their club back into the playoffs for the first time in four years, and now they face the daunting task of delivering the Ducks from the one team that always has made them extinct.
Chokeline Fact: Wings are swept 4 games to none.
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