ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) – Among the numerous hurdles and obstacles that have blocked the Anaheim Ducks’ path to a Stanley Cup title this decade, Nashville goalie Pekka Rinne might be the biggest – and not just because he’s 6-foot-5.
After beating Anaheim in two previous playoff series, the fantastic Finn and his Predators are looming again in front of the Ducks in the Western Conference finals. Game 1 is Friday night in Anaheim.
The Ducks and the Predators were the class of the first two rounds, taking just five combined losses and earning a rematch of last season’s first-round series for considerably higher stakes.
“It’s really hard to get here, and you put in a ton of work to give yourself a chance to play for the Stanley Cup,” Nashville forward James Neal said. “So just take advantage of it. Know what’s at stake. Know what kind of chance you have to do something special and to win.”
Rinne and the wild-card Predators beat the Ducks in seven games last spring, prompting coach Randy Carlyle’s return to Anaheim and a renewed focus on playoff mental strength. The Ducks are in the conference finals for the second time in three years after winning five straight Pacific Division titles, but they still haven’t made a Stanley Cup Final since 2007.