ANAHEIM vs. LOS ANGELES
Must-Starts
Anaheim: Ryan Getzlaf, Corey Perry
Los Angeles: Anze Kopitar, Justin Williams, Jonathan Quick, Drew Doughty, Marian Gaborik, Jeff Carter
Sleepers
Anaheim: Nick Bonino, Jonas Hiller, Cam Fowler, Francois Beauchemin
Los Angeles: Slava Voynov, Tyler Toffoli, Dustin Brown
Notes: In a matchup that was dominated by Anaheim during the regular season, it's the Los Angeles Kings who are streaking at the right time after roaring back from a 3-0 deficit against San Jose in the first round. Offensively speaking, the forwards began to rack up points in Game 4 after Coach Sutter made a few nifty moves, shifting Dustin Brown to the top line and Justin Williams to the third line. Anze Kopitar was their best forward throughout the series, collecting 10 points in seven games. Trade deadline acquisition Marian Gaborik continued to build chemistry with Kopitar, scoring 2 goals and 3 assists. Center Jeff Carter did a phenomenal job lining up between speedster rookies Tyler Toffoli and Tanner Pearson, while "Mr. Clutch" Justin Williams provided valuable depth scoring with six points of his own. Both Carter and Williams are upper-tier fantasy options for the remainder of the playoffs. On defense, Drew Doughty was dominant on both ends of the ice, and even more valuable on the top power-play unit. Look for him to continue his elite ways in Round 2. While Jake Muzzin was strong in Round 1, Slava Voynov could be a solid fantasy sleeper to target. His coming-out party was during the King's Stanley Cup Run in 2012, so he steps up in big moments. However, it's in the crease where the Kings have their most decisive edge as Jonathan Quick is on top of his game after stopping 94 of his last 96 shots through Games 5-7. Ignore his dreadful start to the playoffs, as the All-World backstopper has shown several times in his career that he has the uncanny ability to get "hot" quicky and sustain it for long stretches of time.
The Ducks rely heavily on arguably the best forward tandem in the NHL, Ryan Getzlaf and Corey Perry, for most of their offensive production. The two All-Stars led the way with seven points apiece in Round 1, but there is a huge dropoff after these two. Young Nick Bonino followed his career-season of 49 points with four points in 6 playoff games, including the series clinching Game 6 OT "dagger". His confidence should continue to build into Round 2, as he has become the Duck's third most important offensive forward. Veterans Saku Koivu and Teemu Selanne were virtually non-existent against Dallas, but they might play a more prominent role against the Kings. Whether they can rise up to the challenge or not is another story. On defense, an inexperienced and depleted corps due to injury has Cam Fowler playing top minutes against the other team's top line. His offense has suffered as a result, but he remains their best scoring option on "D" and should continue to produce in the scoring department. The biggest story for the Ducks revolves around which goalie will Coach Boudreau turn to for Round 2: Federik Andersen or Jonas Hiller. The rookie Andersen was rather ineffective in starting all six games against Dallas, sporting a 3.40 GAA and a .892 SP. After being pulled in the deciding Game 6, Hiller stepped in and stopped all 12 shots he faced. The veteran might get the starting nod here, despite finishing the season with a 4-4-3 record, a 3.01 GAA and a .889 SP during his last eleven starts.
PRIME PREDICTION: Los Angeles in 6
In a matchup of two elite centers in Kopitar and Getzlaf, the series outcome will be decided by defense and goaltending. In both areas, the Kings own a tremendous edge as Jonathan Quick and Drew Doughty will help keep the Duck's top line contained while the rest of their team will struggle to score against the King's stifling defense. Momentum and Stanley Cup winning pedigree is clearly on their side, as Los Angeles should easily reverse the regular season trend and move toward the Western Conference Finals with a rather convincing series victory. Kings in 6.
DAILY PRIME TODAY: ANAHEIM VS. LOS ANGELES SERIES PREVIEW primepucks.comSat 5/3/14 5:51 AM