The playoff dreams of the Anaheim Ducks almost took a big hit in Game 1 after Ryan Getzlaf took a big hit. The captain took a slap shot to the head from Tyler Seguin in the final minutes of the team's win over the Dallas Stars on Wednesday. Getzlaf reportedly suffered no broken bones after the hit and has every plan to play on Friday night as the two teams face off for Game 2 in the first round series.
Getzlaf is a key piece to the postseason Anaheim is planning to put together. He is the NHL's second-leading scorer after putting together 87 points in the regular season. He is also crucial piece on defense, something that showed as the Ducks almost gave away the win in the second period. They nearly blew a four-goal lead before escaping 4-3.
While Getzlaf is expected back in the lineup, Matt Beleskey might not be able to play. He left Game 1 in the third period with an undisclosed lower-body injury. The Stars are dealing with some injuries of their own, leaving their defense pretty depleted. With Brenden Dillon out, Trevor Daley and Alex Goligoski are picking up the slack and attempting to keep Anaheim at bay.
Anaheim also got great play out of their rookie goalie Frederik Andersen who showed no signs of nerves in his NHL playoff debut. The goalie stopped 32 shots in his first postseason debut. The Ducks were so impressed with the rookie they have decided to give him the start in Game 2 over veteran Jonas Hiller. The Ducks will continue to feast off home ice advantage, leaving the Stars to play catchup in Game 2.
