Primer: The Ducks locked up home ice throughout the Western Conference playoffs, but won’t have it easy against the Jets. While the Ducks swept the season series, it should still be a competitive first round. All three matchups during the regular season were decided by a single goal.
MORE: Full first-round schedules | Kane practices fully for 'Hawks
Schedule/TV
Ducks win series 4-0
April 16: Ducks 4, Jets 2
April 18, Ducks 2, Jets 1
April 20, Ducks 5, Jets 4 OT
April 22, Ducks 5, Jets 2
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Season series: 3-0 Ducks
Injuries: Winnipeg defenseman Toby Enstrom and center Mathieu Perreault are both dealing with minor injuries, but should not miss any time. Anaheim center Ryan Getzlaf is day-to-day with an undisclosed injury, but he scored a goal and had an assist in the regular-season finale win over Arizona. Center Ryan Kesler played fewer than 17 minutes against the Coyotes, resting an upper-body injury.
LINEMAKERS: Rangers open as favorites
Key players: The Jets will have to shut down Getzlaf, Anaheim’s points leader at 70 points (25 goals, 45 assists). Winnipeg wingers Andrew Ladd and Blake Wheeler combined for 50 goals and 123 points.
Goalie matchup: While the Ducks are settled on 35-game winner Frederik Andersen, the Jets could use both Ondrej Pavelec and Michael Hutchinson. Pavelec started 46 games and won 26 with a 2.28 goals-against average, but there isn’t much drop-off with Hutchinson (2.39 GAA). Pavelec went 9-2-1 with four shutouts to end the season.
Prediction: Ducks in 6