Anaheim, Calif. – It’s unanimous.
There is far more involved in the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim’s sensational showing than goalie Ilya Bryzgalov.
Players from both locker rooms said the Ducks’ defensive domination of the Avalanche stretches the entire 200 feet of the ice.
“Offensively, neutral zone and defensively, we’re just playing really good and it shows with three shutouts,” Ducks forward Chris Kunitz said Sunday after Anaheim beat the Avs 3-0 in Game 2 at the Arrowhead Pond. “Bryz has been good, making big stops at times, but as a complete team, right now we’re just riding a wave.”
The Avs have been outscored 8-0 in the series and produced only 10 shots through the first two periods of Game 2. The Ducks had 20 scoring chances to the Avs’ six, according to a statistic kept by NBC. The Avs were outplayed in every aspect.
“They’re controlling the tempo,” Avs forward Andrew Brunette said. “We don’t have time of possession on our side. We just don’t have the puck. … We’re not even in the same ballpark.”
Anaheim has been playing a simple game but has been nearly flawless by Hockey 101 standards:
Eliminate defensive-end turnovers.
Don’t force a pass in the neutral zone and risk a turnover that could lead to transition.
Get the puck behind Colorado defensemen.
Keep one of three forwards out of the forecheck and ready to defend the opponent’s breakout pass.
“The staple of our team is to work hard, play smart and get the puck behind their defensemen, make them come the whole length of the ice to beat you,” Kunitz said.
The Ducks, who went 1-3 against the Avs in the regular season, had less than two days to prepare for this series. But Anaheim forward Todd Fedoruk said preparation might be why they lead the seven-game series 2-0.
“We’re well prepared on their tendencies, studying which guy will do what,” Fedoruk said. “Maybe we’re one step ahead of them.”
The Ducks also have been flexible. Colorado began using its left wing as the middle man in defensive-end clears midway through Sunday’s game. The left wing would either accept the pass against the boards or in the high slot, depending what corner the puck was in, then feed it to the center or opposite wing up ice.
“We talked between periods and made sure that we have a guy either stay with that winger or take away that pass,” Fedoruk said.
He added that Ducks defensemen and back-checking forwards have combined to smother the Avs at Anaheim’s blue line. As a result, “we’re standing them up at the blue line,” Fedoruk said. “We know they have some guys who like to get it at the blue line and dish it off to the side. We’re taking that away.
“We’ve stuck to the system, and I think that is what’s frustrating them. They can’t create offense.”
The first 10 minutes might have been the most important for the Ducks, who knew Colorado wanted to establish an early lead. And Bryzgalov’s chest save on Joe Sakic’s semi-breakaway during that stretch might have been Anaheim’s biggest highlight.
“We gave up some quality scoring chances and relied on our goaltender far too much today,” Anaheim coach Randy Carlyle said.
Strategy can take you only so far, Avs defenseman Rob Blake said. For the rest of the series, he said heart would determine the winner.
“The systems, we can talk about that all day, but unless you want to be on the puck, or you want to be in front, or you want to get the shot through, that’s what it kind of boils down to,” Blake said.
Brunette says it will take more than desire to come back.
“We have to make a few adjustments to play these guys,” he said. “If we don’t, it doesn’t matter how much heart you have. You’re not going to win the hockey game.
“They’re on top of their game, and we didn’t play our best here. All we can do is try to break them down next game.”
Mike Chambers can be reached at 303-820-5453 or mchambers@denverpost.com.
