Perry, Ducks looking to power through Preds

After finishing the regular season with a record of 47-30-5 and 99 points, the Anaheim Ducks enter the playoffs with the fourth seed and the Nashville Predators as their first round opponent. The Ducks finished the year on a hot streak having won seven out of their last 10 games. Their first scheduled game is set for Apr. 13th at 10:30 p.m. in Anaheim.

We take a look at the potential impact players on the Ducks roster leading up to this best out of seven series.

Forwards

Corey Perry
Perry has been one of the hottest forwards in the NHL over the last couple months. He led the league in goals and was also the only player reach the 50-goal mark on the year. Perry has developed into arguably one of the most feared snipers in the league and the Predators should have their hands full with a player having a breakout season.

Ryan Getzlaf
The captain of this squad can be viewed as its heart and soul as well. A former 2003 first round pick, Getzlaf is a tremendous leader and excels at both ends of the ice. He was third on the team in points with 76 and third in plus/minus rating at +14.

Teemu Selane
The 40-year-old has been outstanding for the Ducks this year finishing second on the team with 80 points and eclipsing the 30-goal mark for the tenth time during his stellar career. The savvy veteran finished the season on a hot streak with 16 points in his last 11 games. The Ducks will rely heavily on him for secondary scoring in the playoffs.

Defenseman

Lubomir Visnovsky
The highest scoring defenseman in the league with 68 points on the season, Visnovsky is an integral part of the Ducks team on both ends of the ice. Not only is he crucial for running the PP, but he is also depended on for playing against the opposing teams top line and shutting down their best offensive players.

Francois Beauchemin
Acquired mid-season from the Toronto Maple Leafs for Joffrey Lupul, Jake Gardiner, and a conditional fourth round pick, Beauchemin is looked upon to shore up the PP unit and provide steady veteran play. He has excelled with the Ducks since the trade scoring 16 points in 27 games compared to scoring 16 points in 54 games with the Leafs before the trade.

Goaltending

Jonas Hiller/Dan Ellis
The Ducks used this goalie tandem throughout the entire regular season with Hiller playing five more games than Ellis and having slightly better stats (26 wins, 2.56 GAA, .954 PCT vs. 21 wins, 2.77 GAA, .894 PCT). However, Hiller enters the playoffs injured leaving Ellis to enter as the number one goalie.

Coaching Staff

Randy Carlyle
Carlyle has been with the franchise since the 2005-06 season and has compiled a 266-172-61 record (.603 win percentage) and one Stanley Cup championship in 2006-07. The Ducks have made the playoffs in five out of six seasons under his direction and that of his coaching staff. Carlyle is a tested playoff coach who has the experience and knowledge to have his team adapt to several scenarios.

About this article

By: George Fadel
Posted: Apr 13 2011 9:13 pm
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Filed under: Stanley Cup Playoffs