Fire alarm

Laid-back Ducks must find a spark in Game 2

It is theoretically still possible for the Mighty Ducks to win the 2003 Stanley Cup even if they lose Game 2 of the finals in New Jersey, so the most overused postseason phrase in any sport -- must-win game -- doesn't apply here. But we will learn a lot about the timber of Anaheim's team on Thursday night. For the first time in these playoffs the Ducks trail in a series, and on Wednesday head coach Mike Babcock acknowledged what the rest of us saw clearly in Game 1.

His team was discombobulated, listless and a step behind the Devils throughout the entire game. Several Anaheim rushes were hamstrung by boneheaded skating that resulted in offsides whistles. Goaltender Jean-Sebastien Giguere was, as always, solid and positionally sound, but he gave up rebounds on several shots that he usually gobbles up. (One of them allowed the Devils to take a 2-0 lead and salt the game away in the third period.) "We weren't very good," Babcock said. "Our game plan wasn't executed. They were quicker and they executed better."

In Game 2 we'll find out why. Was it rust Anaheim acquired during its 10-day layoff between the Western Conference finals clincher and Game 1 of the finals? Most of the Ducks seem to think so, but Babcock made an interesting point. "The surprise to me is I thought we were going to be better in the second and the third [periods] than we were in the first," he said. "We were the same throughout."

Given the rust factor, the Ducks could be forgiven for taking a period or so to get back into the flow of things. But you'd think the emotion and excitement of playing in the Stanley Cup finals would help restore their energy level by the midpoint of the game.

That didn't happen, in no small part because the Devils, who played one of their finest games of the playoffs, suffocated the Ducks. It's easy to imagine Anaheim playing a crisp and mistake-free game and still having trouble generating scoring chances against New Jersey.

The Ducks must hit the ice running in Game 2 and prove to the Devils (and themselves) that their lack of spark on Tuesday was related to rust, not New Jersey's superiority. Anaheim isn't an overly physical team -- in fact, sometimes the Ducks might be too lovable for their own good. They're so emotionally stable, they take so few dumb penalties and they engage in so little post-whistle snarkiness that it's difficult for opponents to build up a hatred for them.

But a bit of bad blood can enliven a series, as well as a team that's struggling to find its legs. The Ducks shouldn't overpopulate their penalty box in Game 2, but it wouldn't hurt if they threw their weight around and established a physical tone early in the game.

The Ducks also must get a contribution from left wing Paul Kariya, who had one shot and was invisible for much of Game 1. New Jersey's defense is usually airtight, but as the most skilled offensive player in this series Kariya must find a way to get loose in the Devils' zone. On Wednesday right wing Steve Thomas conceded that Game 2 was "the biggest game of the playoffs" for Anaheim. Consider Game 1 a throwaway for an out-of-synch team. On Thursday we'll find out if we're in for a long series, or if the Ducks are simply overmatched.

Sports Illustrated staff writer Stephen Cannella covers the NHL for the magazine and will contribute frequently to SI.com throughout the Stanley Cup playoffs.

 

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