The Western conference playoffs have been an exciting matchup of teams and one of the best series in the NHL this year has been the Detroit Red Wings and the Anaheim Ducks, who will meet in Game 5 with the series tied 2-2 on Wednesday night at the Honda Center.
Ryan Getzlaf is leading the Ducks in scoring with four points and the Ducks are looking to take a 3-2 advantage with the win at home after two straight games in Detroit, including their 3-2 overtime loss in Game 4. The Ducks will be looking to take the lead in the series after missing out on the chance in Game 4 despite a strong game from goalie Jonas Hiller, who has played neck and neck with Detroit's Jimmy Howard all playoffs. The Ducks got off to a near record start to the season and have continued their strong play in the playoffs, but with two losses in the series, Anaheim knows that it can change in a second with a quick goal from the Red Wings.
Detroit won both of their games in overtime and based on the way the Ducks have played, the series could be over, but instead the Red Wings have kept things tied at 2-2 after keeping their two decade old playoff streak intact by making it as the seventh seed. The Ducks have outscored the Red Wings, but a loss on Wednesday could be crippling for Anaheim. Damien Brunner scored the winning goal in overtime for Detroit and the Ducks will look to attack goalie Jimmy Howard to generate more scoring chances, including for star Corey Perry, who has yet to score a goal this year in the playoffs. The Red Wings made a big comeback with two goals in the third period of game 4 before the overtime winner and Hiller had previously stopped all 32 shots he faced before being beat in the final period of regulation.
The Capitals and Rangers played Game 4 on Wednesday night with the series in Washington's favor 2-1, while the Bruins and the Maple Leafs are in Game 4 with Boston up 2-1. The Kings and Blues are tied at 2-2 in Game 5 in St. Louis and the Stanley Cup champion Kings could take advantage if they can pull out the win after winning last year as the eighth seed.