The Anaheim Ducks completed the sweep against the Calgary Flames, winning 3-1 in Game 4 to move on to the second round
The Anaheim Ducks are taking off at the right time.
They started off by turning things around in the second half of the season and finished with another Pacific Division win. In the NHL Playoffs, while some luck was on their side, they were the first team to move on to the second round.
[Via NHL.com]
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The Calgary Flames are still a young team, and it was evident in all four games. In Game 3, they came out guns-a-blazing, only to lose 5-4 in overtime. They had a 4-2 lead heading into the third period but gave up two goals in the third.
Not everything was on the Flames, though.
Game 2 was full of luck on the Ducks side. Despite an unbelievable fight from the Flames, including 37-29 in shots, the final goal was a deflection off Deryk Engelland's skate, which sealed the win for the Ducks.
Not to take anything away from the Ducks, but they could have lost any one of those games. Other than the 3-1 win in Game 4, all three wins were by one goal, one of which was in OT.
If the Ducks hope to continue their playoff success, they will need to tighten up. The Flames were able to score shorthanded and also scored a power-play goal in every game. Limiting the penalties will certainly help their cause, and it will be on John Gibson to continue his impressive start to the NHL playoffs. The Ducks are also one of the most feared teams when it comes to home ice advantages and has won 28-straight games including the regular season.
The Ducks will take on the winner of the San Jose Sharks and Edmonton Oilers series. They will have some time to rest, as the Sharks-Oilers series starts to heat up.
