Ducks coach expects hits to keep flying against Jets

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This article was published 16/04/2015 (3290 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

ANAHEIM, Calif. — Having grabbed the first game of their Stanley Cup playoff series against the Winnipeg Jets, the Anaheim Ducks know exactly what’s next.

“Every game is important but you want to be up 2-0 heading to Winnipeg instead of being 1-1 and having them have some momentum,” Ducks winger Andrew Cogliano said after his team’s practice today at Honda Center. “They’re going to be better. They’re a good team.

“They had some opportunities to score in the second last night which might have made a different game of things. I thought we controlled most of the play in the third and came on and had a lot of zone time and kind of wore them down, having some penalties called.”

Anaheim won the opener 4-2 on the strength of two power-play goals. The Jets got nothing with the man advantage.

The game featured 83 “official” hits, and more of that is expected when the series resumes here Saturday night.

“I think it’s the DNA of both teams to play like that,” said Ducks coach Bruce Bourdreau. “I think they’re going to play as long as they can. We’re both physical teams. There was a lot of hits.

“That’s what makes seven-game series so interesting.

“I don’t think too much will change there. I think it’ll get ramped up.”

Ducks defenceman Clayton Stoner was asked if the number of hits was surprising or sustainable.

“It’s tough to say,” Stoner said. “You prepare yourself for a physical series and in the back of your mind I don’t think you’re thinking about how tough it’s going to be. You don’t really put any judgment on exactly how many hits there’s going to be or this or that. It was right up there with other playoff games we’ve played in that have been hard-hitting, up-tempo.

“(I’m) just playing my game, playing physical and just having fun, really. That’s what it’s all about is going at each other and who will break first. That’s kind of the way playoff hockey is. It’s been like that for years, so I don’t see it changing any time soon.”

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The Ducks received one of their advantages on Thursday when centre Ryan Kesler took a glove to the face from Jets centre Mark Scheifele.

“Obviously punching in the head isn’t allowed,” Kesler said today. “They took a penalty and we capitalized on it.

“When your power play’s going… it gets in their head a little bit so it was good that we got our power play going.”

tim.campbell@freepress.mb.ca